Coalition for the Common Good grows workforce partnerships

The Coalition for the Common Good is expanding its employer-facing education model as it enters year four, with more than 20 partners now using flexible training, certificates and degree pathways to help working adults build skills without leaving their jobs. The effort is aimed at improving talent recruitment and retention across healthcare, education, nonprofit, military and industry organizations.

Why it matters: - The Coalition for the Common Good is trying to solve two workforce problems at once: helping workers advance without leaving employment and helping organizations recruit and keep talent. - The model brings higher education into workplaces and membership organizations through customized training, credentials and tuition benefits. - The expansion shows growing demand for flexible education tied directly to employer needs.

What happened: - The Coalition for the Common Good said its workforce-development partnerships now include more than 20 organizations, with more collaborations in development. - The coalition is entering its fourth year. - The program offers higher education in person, online and in hybrid formats for employers and membership groups. - The coalition says the model serves partners coast to coast.

The details: - Partner organizations can offer customized training, seminars, workshops, stackable credentials, credit-bearing certificates and tuition benefits for employees, members and families. - Programs can be delivered on-site, on campus, online or in a hybrid format. - John Comerford, president of the Coalition for the Common Good, said partners can expect flexible and accessible educational opportunities that support their workforce. - Comerford said tuition discounts for undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs are an added benefit that can help organizations compete for talent. - InnoSource is using a customized program called InnoSkilling that combines job training with higher-education credit. - The coalition says multiple cohorts have completed InnoSkilling, and InnoSource has reported stronger retention among participating employees. - Columbus City Schools is working with the coalition to expand access to school counseling programs, teacher apprenticeship pathways, management and leadership degrees, certifications and continuing-education opportunities. - Michelle Koppitz, associate vice president for strategic initiatives at the coalition, said the approach is meant to reduce barriers to higher education by meeting people where they are, especially at work. - Other partners include AHMP, Behavioral Health Partners of Central Ohio, Blue Star Families, City of Columbus, Columbus Early Learning Center, Educational Service Center of Central Ohio, Infant Massage USA, 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 and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. - More partners are listed online at current workforce partnerships. - More information is available by email at partnerships@antioch.edu or at ccgedu.org.

Between the lines: - The coalition is positioning itself as a bridge between academic programs and employer training budgets. - The mix of healthcare, education, nonprofit and military partners suggests the model is being tested across multiple workforce sectors. - The emphasis on stackable credentials and tuition benefits signals a strategy built around short-term utility and long-term degree completion.

What's next: - The coalition says additional collaborations are still in development. - Expanded partnerships are likely to broaden access to customized workforce education across more regions and industries. - The coalition will continue promoting flexible learner pathways through its nonprofit higher-education network.

The bottom line: - The Coalition for the Common Good is turning higher education into a workplace retention tool, and more than 20 organizations have already joined the model.