Interplay Learning Partners with InStride to Offer Skilled Trades Training Through Employer-Sponsored Education

LOS ANGELES, CA — May 26, 2020 — The Exceptional Women Awardees Foundation is proud to announce that after reviewing multiple applicants, they have selected Michelle Westfort, SVP Academic Partnerships at Instride, to join the EWA Spring 2020 Cohort of Exceptional Women Awardees.

"Michelle is an expert in the education field, understands education’s importance to overall societal impact, and has an intense ongoing commitment to collaboration and partnerships," said Larraine Segil, Chair and CEO of The Exceptional Women Awardees Foundation, "We are delighted to select her to join the other women leaders in our EWA group."

To read the full press release, please visit PRWeb.

Michelle Westfort, SVP Academic Partnerships, Instride, has been selected to join the EWA Spring 2020 Cohort of Exceptional Women Awardees

The Exceptional Women Awardees Foundation selected Michelle Westfort, SVP Academic Partnerships at Instride, to join the EWA Spring 2020 Cohort.

AUSTIN, TX — April 4, 2025 — Interplay Learning, the leader in immersive skilled trades training, today announced a partnership with InStride, a public benefit company that enables corporate partners to provide career-aligned, debt-free education to their workforce. Through this collaboration, Interplay Academy’s job-ready certificate programs will be available via InStride’s Career Education Paths, expanding access to high-quality skilled trades training for employees at leading companies nationwide. 

InStride’s corporate partners, including Medtronic and Ascension, are offering their employees access to Interplay’s industry-recognized training at no cost. By investing in their employees, these corporate partners will enable their teams to build in-demand skills, advance their careers, and contribute more effectively to the company. At the same time, they benefit from a stronger, more skilled workforce while reinforcing their commitment to employee growth and reducing barriers to education, including the financial strain of student loan debt.

Interplay Academy’s expert-created career-readiness pathways feature immersive 3D simulations, expert-led videos, and knowledge checks to support a diverse range of learners in building job-ready skills. By providing self-paced, hands-on practice in a safe, engaging, and virtual environment, Interplay Academy helps learners develop skills more efficiently and earn industry-recognized credentials faster. 

"Together with InStride, we're creating opportunities for thousands of people around the country to explore a career in the skilled trades, to develop new, highly in-demand skills, and to continue growing their careers," said Doug Donovan, CEO and founder of Interplay Learning. "This partnership represents the future of workforce development and the powerful potential of expanded access to education." 

InStride’s corporate partners will now be able to offer training from Interplay in several in-demand skilled trades disciplines, including appliance repair, building maintenance, electrical, HVAC, multifamily maintenance, plumbing, and residential construction. 

Craig Maloney, CEO of InStride, commented, “Right now, both our corporate partners and their employees are hungry for education that gets them real, usable skills—skills that translate into being job ready, fast. Interplay's immersive, VR-powered programs deliver on that need with hands-on training in the skilled trades. This partnership lets us meet employees where they are and stay ahead of the curve in how people actually want to learn and grow their careers.”

For more information about Interplay Learning, visit www.interplaylearning.com.

Interplay Learning, the leader in immersive learning for the skilled trades, now includes Industrial Training International (ITI), the global leader in specialized industrial learning solutions. Leveraging instructor-led training, online simulations, AI and VR, Interplay helps organizations and educational institutions upskill faster, reduce risk and increase operational readiness. With nearly 600,000 people trained, Interplay is shaping the future of workforce development, building better careers and better lives.

Recent accolades include Fast Company’s Annual List of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2024, AHR’s 2024 Innovation Award, IACET 2024 Innovation of the Year Award, NFMT 2024 Vision Awards and Forbes’ 2023 America’s Best Startup Employers.

Visit www.interplaylearning.com to learn more.

InStride is a human capital management company that helps organizations attract and retain talent, upskill employees, and fill critical workforce roles through education programs. By breaking down barriers to learning, fostering career growth aligned with organizational goals, and simplifying program management, InStride delivers lasting impact. Partnering with forward-thinking companies like Labcorp, Adidas, and SSM Health, InStride drives meaningful social and business outcomes by providing access to life-changing education. Visit instride.com or follow InStride on LinkedIn for more information and up-to-date news.

The new partnership will give employees around the country free access to Interplay Learning’s job-ready certificate programs for the skilled trades

LOS ANGELES – February 11, 2025 – InStride, a human capital management company providing workforce education solutions, today announced the launch of its Capability Accelerators. This solution, developed in partnership with some of America’s most innovative companies and leading academic institutions, delivers tailored, role-specific learning paths aligned with business strategy. By combining academic rigor with practical application, these cohort-based programs help top talent build skills that directly impact business performance.

“L&D leaders are searching for education programs that deliver real business outcomes that they can measure,” said Craig Maloney, CEO of InStride. “InStride’s Capability Accelerators are co-designed with employers and academic partners to take employees through cohort- and role-based learning that helps advance their careers as it ties directly to business strategy.”

InStride’s solution addresses critical skills gaps and workforce demands.

Contextualized and role-specific academies: Customizable learning tracks built in collaboration with business leaders for specific roles, including first-line managers, manufacturing operations leaders, and early and mid-career healthcare leaders.

Interactive, cohort-based learning: Learners collaborate in dynamic, applied scenarios while receiving personalized coaching and feedback delivered by real experts and enhanced by advanced AI tools, ensuring rapid skill application and measurable improvement.

University content with real-world relevance: Programs blend rigorous academic insights with practical tools, equipping employees to tackle today’s challenges and drive innovation.

“InStride is transforming workforce education by building a bridge between rigorous learning and the real-world, corporate context, making these programs highly relevant and impactful,” said Jeff Schulz, VP of Professional Services at InStride. “By focusing on role-specific capabilities and contextualized learning, we’re empowering organizations to build stronger talent pipelines specific to their unique context and prepare future leaders for success.”

InStride’s Capability Accelerators are already making strides in reshaping leadership and talent development:

Plant Management Accelerator: Created for a Fortune 500 global automotive technology company, this accelerator prepares aspiring plant leaders with skills in financial acumen, manufacturing innovation, and supply chain management, ensuring readiness for critical leadership roles.

Healthcare Frontline Leadership Accelerators: Designed for a multi-state health system with 40,000 employees and aimed at high-potential individual contributors and first-line managers, these programs build critical patient-centered leadership capabilities, strengthening manager and team performance, and driving internal talent retention and growth.

These early examples illustrate how InStride’s customizable Capability Accelerators address businesses’ unique workforce challenges and strategic goals, offering an alternative to off-the-shelf leadership skill training.

The unique value of these programs lies in their ability to tackle the most common pain points faced by L&D leaders:

Relevance: Programs are contextualized to each organization’s industry and roles, ensuring practical application of skills.

Engagement: Cohort-based learning fosters collaboration and builds a culture of continuous education.

Results: The solution delivers measurable business outcomes, from improved employee retention to faster promotion rates.

Whether addressing leadership gaps, building manager capacity, developing AI fluency, or enhancing business acumen, InStride ensures that education investments translate into tangible impact for both employees and organizations.

Learn more about InStride’s Capability Accelerators.

InStride is a human capital management company that helps organizations retain talent, upskill employees, and fill critical workforce roles through education programs. By breaking down barriers to learning, fostering career growth aligned with organizational goals, and simplifying program management, InStride delivers lasting impact. Partnering with forward-thinking companies like Labcorp, Adidas, and SSM Health, InStride drives meaningful social and business outcomes by providing access to life-changing education. Visit instride.com or follow InStride on LinkedIn for more information and up-to-date news.

Custom, cohort-based learning tracks deliver measurable results in 3 to 12 months

InStride Launches Capability Accelerators: Tailored Learning for Talent Development

LOS ANGELES – September 17, 2024 – InStride, a human capital management company providing workforce education solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with Ready to Hire, the skilled workforce development business of Cengage Group. Through this collaboration, Ready to Hire’s solution – a comprehensive approach to attract, screen and train candidates – will be available alongside InStride’s workforce education programs, platform, and academic network. Combined, these solutions empower employers with added capabilities to effectively source and hire credentialed entry-level employees, while also upskilling and retaining their existing workforces. 

“Ready to Hire empowers companies to create new talent pipelines for high-demand entry-level roles, particularly in healthcare, manufacturing and skilled trades,” said Rya Conrad-Bradshaw, SVP, Cengage Work and General Manager, Ready to Hire. “In healthcare, for instance, the program simplifies the placement of candidates in essential roles such as medical assistants, pharmacy technicians and phlebotomy technicians. We’re thrilled to partner with InStride to help provide a steady pool of qualified candidates, across industries, who can more quickly and affordably fulfill the talent needs of InStride’s corporate partners.” 

Ready to Hire seamlessly integrates with InStride’s existing human capital management solutions, providing ongoing support and certification opportunities to ensure new hires are equipped for success. Once hired by an InStride partner, new employees will then have access to their company’s workforce education program, powered by InStride.

Cost efficiency: Companies can reduce hiring costs by up to 30% by utilizing Ready to Hire for sourcing, screening and conducting initial interviews.

Diverse talent pipelines: The solution engages with local and diverse talent pools through workforce job boards, social media and Cengage Work’'s internal database, ensuring a diverse pool of candidates.

Enhanced retention: With ongoing support throughout the first 90 days of employment, Ready to Hire promotes higher retention rates for newly hired employees across various industries. Additionally, candidates receive support to earn national or state certifications, ensuring long-term retention.

"Ready to Hire empowers companies to fill entry-level roles with candidates who are prepared to succeed from day one,” said Craig Maloney, CEO of InStride. “By partnering with Ready to Hire, we provide a crucial on-ramp to employment and ensure that learning continues on the job, which aligns with our mission and delivers significant value to our partners.”

InStride is a human capital management company that delivers workforce education solutions in partnership with top academic institutions. InStride enables employers to provide career-aligned, debt-free education through a personalized, digital platform and a consultative service model. Empowering forward-thinking, talent-focused corporate partners such as Labcorp, Adidas, and Intermountain Health, InStride helps drive meaningful social and business outcomes by unlocking access to life-changing education. Visit instride.com or follow InStride on Twitter and LinkedIn for more information and up-to-date news.


Ready to Hire, powered by Cengage Group, helps companies create and develop skilled talent pipelines for high demand roles through role-aligned training and upskilling products and services. Working directly with employers and a network of academic partners and workforce organizations, Ready to Hire helps employers build untapped candidate pipelines using scalable, technology-enabled services that identify and train new talent through train-to-hire programs, upskill current talent to earn certifications and professional skills with an on-site structured experience, and access local talent. For more information, visit https://www.readytohire.com/.


With more than 100 years serving learners, Cengage Group is a global edtech company that enables student choice. No matter how, where, when or why someone wants to learn, our portfolio of education businesses supports all students, from middle school through graduate school and skills education, with quality content and technology. Collectively, our three business units – Cengage Academic, Cengage Work and Cengage Select – help millions of students each year in more than 125 countries achieve their education and career goals and lead choice-filled lives. Visit us at www.cengagegroup.com or find us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Initiative integrates Cengage Group’s ‘Ready to Hire’ solution with InStride workforce education programs

InStride and Ready to Hire Partner to Strengthen Talent Pipelines, Reduce Hiring Costs

InStride is the premier global provider of strategic enterprise education for companies that need to align their talent & workforce needs with business objectives.

Michelle Westfort, SVP Academic Partnerships, Instride, has been selected to join the EWA Spring 2020 Cohort of Exceptional Women Awardees

Recent press releases

Interplay Learning Partners with InStride to Offer Skilled Trades Training Through Employer-Sponsored Education

InStride Launches Capability Accelerators: Tailored Learning for Talent Development

InStride and Ready to Hire Partner to Strengthen Talent Pipelines, Reduce Hiring Costs