Goodwill of the Great Plains and Goodwill of Northern New England to be the first Goodwill Territories to Offer Pilot Program of Career Online High School
Boston, MA, July 6, 2016 – Cengage Learning’s Career Online High School and two Goodwill organizations today announced pilot programs to offer workforce-based high school diplomas to employees and local residents. The two organizations are Goodwill of the Great Plains and Goodwill of Northern New England.
Offered via Career Online High School (COHS), the pilot will offer an accredited high school diploma and training certificate in one of eight areas: Protection Officer, Transportation Services, Child Care and Education, Food and Hospitality, General Career Preparation, Homeland Security, Office Management, and Retail Customer Service. COHS was created by Smart Horizons Career Online Education and is accredited by AdvancED/SACS/NCA/NWAC, the accrediting body for thousands of school districts across the U.S.
“Lack of education and marketable job skills are the biggest barriers to economic self-sufficiency for many in our society,” said John Hantla, CEO and President of Goodwill of the Great Plains. “We are excited to partner with Cengage Learning to offer the people in our communities the ability to earn an accredited high school diploma and industry certification, enhancing their employment opportunities and strengthening our local economy.”
Kelly Osborn, Executive Director of Workforce Services for Goodwill Industries of Northern New England, agreed, stating: “With a diverse demographic and geographic area served, having the ability to offer alternative pathways to high school diplomas that include linkages to career pathways will help us reengage clients that have become disengaged in the K-12 education system.”
Career Online High School provides affordable, career-based online education opportunities for the millions of adults in the United States without high school diplomas. Since launching in 2012, Career Online High School has re-engaged more than 7,000 people in education.
Research shows that a high school dropout will earn $200,000 less than a high school graduate over his or her lifetime, and almost a million dollars less than a college graduate. Thus, earning a high school diploma is a crucial first step in a career pathway—opening doors to employment opportunities or future education.
“Cengage Learning and these two Goodwill organizations share the same passion of improving the lives of its community members through the access of digital education and workforce development opportunities,” said Dawn Gerrain, General Manager, Skills Group, Cengage Learning. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with them and are eager to grow our partnership to support more people in communities throughout the country.”
Goodwill Industries of the Great Plains makes up one of the largest territories of any Goodwill in the U.S., serving over 700 miles in four states (Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska) with 22 retail stores providing opportunities to over 13,000 people a year.
Goodwill Industries of Northern New England, employing more than 2,000 people, serves communities in Maine, New Hampshire, and northern Vermont to provide opportunities to over 35,000 people a year.
“Goodwill is an ideal organization to offer Career Online High School to its employees and the communities it serves,” said Dr. Howard Liebman, Superintendent and Co-Founder of Smart Horizons Career Online Education. “Our two organizations share a mission to eliminate barriers to opportunity, and to help people reach their full potential through education and workforce-based training.”
About Career Online High School
Career Online High School was developed in 2012 through a partnership by Cengage Learning and Smart Horizons Career Online Education, in an effort to provide affordable, career-based online education opportunities for the millions of adults in the United States without high school diplomas. Since its launch, Career Online High School has been recognized as part of a Commitment to Action by the Clinton Global Initiative and acknowledged at the White House College Opportunity Summit. Visit www.careeronlinehs.org to learn more.
About Cengage Learning
Cengage Learning is a leading educational content, technology, and services company for the higher education and K-12, professional, library and workforce training markets worldwide. The company provides superior content, personalized services and course-driven digital solutions that accelerate student engagement and transform the learning experience. Cengage Learning is headquartered in Boston, MA with an office hub located in San Francisco, CA. Cengage Learning employees reside in nearly 40 different countries with company sales in more than 125 countries around the world. www.cengage.com.