Lake Luzerne, NY...Chandler Atkins, Ph.D., President of Atkins Training and Development, LLC (AT&D) announced today the formation of this new company to offer accelerated "corporate training with college credit." AT&D acquired the rights to deliver this training program curriculum from Synergistics of Rochester. This accelerated program has over 30 upper divisional undergraduate courses in business and criminal justice. AT&D has an exclusive contract to co-venture with Synergistics along the eastern NY corridor from Clinton to Ulster Counties.

Dr. Atkins has been consulting for organizations during the past twenty years in organizational training and development. "It has always been my purpose and mission to help clients capture the talent, the human resources in their organizations and empower them to aspire higher," said Atkins. Most recently, he has been working with the NYS Governor's Office of Employee Relations and the NYS Office of General Services providing "Quality of Work Life" surveys and "Training ROI Evaluations."

Natalie Williams has joined AT&D as a consultant and Director of Administration and Marketing for Corporate Training. Ms Williams, a Skidmore Graduate in Human Behavior, had formerly been a consultant for Storms & Associates and Paralegal Services of Glens Falls in marketing management and business strategy. At AT&D, she is in charge of business development, program management and marketing. Currently, she oversees marketing representatives in Schroon Lake, Glens Falls and Albany.

Courses are offered to companies and organizations who then offer the course or program in student cohorts of 10-12 people. AT&D then delivers the training while Synergistics maintains the transcripts for students and revises the curriculum. The American Council of Education (ACE) has recommended credit for these classes and over 1200 institutions of higher education accept ACE recommended credit such as Hudson Valley Community College and the State University of New York.

Companies currently working with AT&D with accelerated learning include Niagara Mohawk, Verizon, International Paper, NYS Comptrollers Office and National Gypsum. "This is one of the best ways to create a win-win situation," says Williams. The company can provide its employees with on site training around their current empowerment issues and the students can earn college credit while they learn how to make a difference for their employer.

"In the future, AT&D will offer on-line distance learning to bring corporate training to the learner at their preferred time of study, says Atkins." Atkins, who has been a professor of management and entrepreneurship with Adirondack Community College for the past 20 years, anticipates the delivery of education and training to continue to change in order to meet the student where they are and when they need to learn. "It is our hope at AT&D to be a part of that evolution and provide these services when needed, in a timely and professional manner," says Atkins.