LOS ANGELES, CA — July 7, 2021 — In order to meet new skills demands and develop the workforce of the future for the automotive industry, InStride today announced the launch of a pilot program with leading automotive technology company Magna International to develop strategic education programs for qualified employees to access undergraduate degrees and other learning and development opportunities. The company’s initial education offerings will be available for US-based employees beginning this month.

“We are incredibly excited to work with a global mobility powerhouse such as Magna and are looking forward to serving their employees through our academic partnerships,” said Vivek Sharma, CEO of InStride. “The executive team at Magna have been thoughtful in their strategic design of this pilot education program to ensure that Magna employee-learners have the opportunity to access life-changing credentials and skills.

With this education initiative, internally known as EPIC (Educational Pathways for Innovative Careers), Magna looks to build on its culture of creating continuous, scalable, lifelong learning opportunities for its employees. One way they expect to achieve this objective is by establishing pathways to learning and educational opportunities using InStride’s strategic enterprise educationTM programs. Magna will draw on relevant education providers from InStride’s leading academic network to address skills needs within their organization and support the career objectives of qualified employees.

“The mobility industry is transforming rapidly and in need of ever-changing skill sets to meet new demands. As vehicles change, the way we design and build them will be drastically different, requiring employees to expand their knowledge in order to maintain our company’s competitive advantage,” said Aaron McCarthy, Magna Chief Human Resources Officer.  “With the help of this pilot program, we hope to continue moving the company forward for and with our employees as part of our learning culture.”

Magna is a leading global automotive supplier dedicated to delivering new mobility solutions and technology that will change the world. Magna products can be found on most vehicles today and come from 347 manufacturing operations and 84 product development, engineering and sales centers in 28 countries. The company’s 158,000-plus employees focus on delivering superior value to their customers through innovative processes and world-class manufacturing, with operations spanning five continents and 27 countries, giving them a global footprint to support every major automaker in the world.