The Coalition for the Common Good (CCG) is expanding a national workforce-development model to bring higher education directly to employers and membership organizations — at work, online, and in flexible hybrid formats. As it begins its fourth year, the Coalition’s partnerships now include over 20 organizations, with additional collaborations in development. The growing number of partners illustrates the power, purpose, and widespread demand for this innovative initiative.
Through these partnerships, employers and membership organizations can offer customized training, seminars, workshops, stackable credentials, credit-bearing certificates, and tuition benefits for members, employees, and their families. Programs can be delivered on-site, on campus, online, or through a hybrid model designed around each organization’s workforce needs, allowing the CCG to serve partners coast-to-coast.
The approach is designed to address two challenges at once: helping working adults gain career-relevant education without stepping away from their jobs, and helping employers and membership organizations attract, develop and retain employees and members. This work serves the mission of the Coalition by strengthening communities throughout the country.
“The Coalition for the Common Good addresses both current and future workforce needs,” said John Comerford, president of the CCG. “Our partners can expect us to work hard with them to provide flexible, accessible, innovative educational opportunities that will support and strengthen their existing workforce. Other benefits, like tuition discounts for undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs, are an added value that helps organizations attract and retain talent, giving them a competitive advantage in their industries.”
Partnerships producing practical results
InnoSource
For the HR staffing and solutions organization, the CCG developed “InnoSkilling,” a program that combines customized job training with higher-education credit. Multiple cohorts have completed the program, and InnoSource has reported stronger retention among participating employees.
Columbus City Schools
Ohio’s largest school district is working with the CCG to expand access to school counseling programs, teacher apprenticeship pathways, management and leadership degrees, certifications, and continuing-education opportunities for teachers and administrators.
“The power of the Coalition is about minimizing the barriers for people to access higher education by making sure we can meet people where they are, in particular at work,” says Michelle Koppitz, associate vice president for strategic initiatives at the CCG.
Other notable partners include:
- Alliance of Hazardous Materials Professionals (AHMP)
- Behavioral Health Partners of Central Ohio (BHP)
- Blue Star Families
- City of Columbus
- Columbus City Schools
- Columbus Early Learning Center
- Educational Service Center of Central Ohio
- Infant Massage USA
- InnoSource
- Kettering Health Network
- LA Urban League
- Landmark College
- Maricopa Community College
- Nationwide Children’s Hospital
- NEA-New Hampshire
- OhioHealth
- Premier Health Network
- River Valley Community College
- Service!/Cafe Overlook
- Sinclair College
- The Five District Partnership (5DP)
- Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
See more partners online at ccgedu.org/current-workforce-partnerships. For more information, please email [email protected] or visit ccgedu.org.
About the Coalition for the Common Good (CCG)
Otterbein University and Antioch University are the founding members of the Coalition for the Common Good, a higher education system of private, independent nonprofit colleges and universities aligned around the shared mission of educating students to advance their careers and preparing learners to promote the common good, including democracy, social justice, equity, inclusion, and engaged global citizenship. Through sharing resources and creating flexible learner pathways across programs and schools, the Coalition will reduce costs for students and institutions, expand access to degree and non-degree programs, and educate for jobs and justice. The Coalition, approved by the Higher Learning Commission and the Ohio Department of Higher Education, was announced in August 2023. To learn more about the CCG, visit: ccgedu.org
Contacts
Antioch University – Karen Hamilton, 310-804-3795, [email protected]
Otterbein University – Jenny Hill, 614-370-3221, [email protected]
