College for America at SNHU Responds to President's SOTU Upskilling Initiative
Manchester, NH (PRWEB) January 23, 2015 -- After College for America at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) was cited as a best practice by the White House today for its work with employers nationwide to make an accredited college degree achievable for every working adult, University President Paul LeBlanc issued the following statement:
“There is a profound positive impact on the bottom line when an employer helps make a college degree truly achievable for every employee,” said SNHU President Paul LeBlanc. “Over and over again nationwide we’ve seen employers who need to build talent and promotable skills in order to grow their business and who find that bringing competency-based college degree opportunities to their employees is a win-win for business and employee growth. We’re very proud to be working with best-in-class employers to expand this opportunity to tens of thousands of new working adults in the coming months.
“There are hardworking Americans who have the potential to excel in their organizations and provide better for their families if only they have the chance to develop a critical skills and knowledge. This is why we work with employers around the country to help make college more affordable and accessible to working adults.”
According to the White House (WH Fact Sheet 1/21/15):
“Leading employers are equipping front-line workers with the skills necessary for not only productivity in their current role, but also for career progression over time. The following employers are expanding their use of these best practices and leading the charge in response to the President’s call to action:
Anthem, Grifols, McDonald’s, Partners HealthCare, Gap, Inc., and University of Pennsylvania Health System are working with College for America at Southern New Hampshire University to give tens of thousands of employees nationwide the opportunity to earn an associate’s or bachelor's degree, in most cases 100 percent reimbursed by their employer. College for America helps employers access online college degree program designed to build skills that can lead to promotions.”
Detail on These Partnerships, from College for America:
Anthem: Anthem is one of the first partners of College for America at Southern New Hampshire University. A very successful pilot in New England is being expanded across the country.
Grifols: As part of Grifols ongoing commitment to its employees, the company has partnered with College for America to launch a college degree program available to all employees in its plasma operations division. Workers who qualify will have their tuition completely paid for by Grifols. There are currently 186 employees enrolled in the program with over 100 new applicants expected to start March 1, 2015.
Partners HealthCare System: Partners HealthCare System is working directly with College for America at Southern New Hampshire University in developing Certificate and accredited Associate’s Degree in Healthcare Management Fundamentals, and giving tens of thousands of employees across their nonprofit company the chance to enroll this winter, many completely paid for by their employer.
Penn Medicine: This winter, the University of Pennsylvania Health System (“Penn Med”) is giving all its employees the chance to enroll in College for America at Southern New Hampshire University, usually at no cost to the student.
McDonald’s: McDonald’s is excited to partner with College for America to offer corporate staff and restaurant employees an efficient and affordable way to earn a two-or-four-year college degree.
About College for America at Southern New Hampshire University
College for America (CfA) offers affordable, workforce-applicable higher education to working adults by partnering with employers nationwide. Since its 2013 launch, CfA has enrolled more than 1,000 students from more than 70 employers, including Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, the University of Pennsylvania Health System, McDonald's, and Goodwill International. In 2013, CfA became the nation’s first competency-based, fully accredited higher education provider to be approved for federal financial aid, independent of the traditional credit hour model, for its associate’s degree offerings. In May 2014, the school announced the approval of the first nationally available, accredited $10,000 bachelor’s degree in the field of communications.
Southern New Hampshire University is an accredited, nonprofit, private university with a focus on student success and a reputation for innovation in higher education. SNHU was named one of the “50 Most Innovative Organizations in the World” by Fast Company magazine in 2012 and is the fastest-growing nonprofit provider of online higher education in the country. The university’s home is a 300-acre main campus in Manchester, NH, and it offers more than 200 undergraduate and graduate online degree programs, five continuing education centers across Northern New England, and the College for America degree program for working adults and employers.
Linnae Selinga, College for America at SNHU, http://www.collegeforamerica.org, +1 603 314 7807, [email protected]
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