InStride Launches Capability Accelerators: Tailored Learning for Talent Development

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL and LOS ANGELES, CA — March 3, 2020 — The world’s first accredited online school district Smart Horizons Career Online Education has joined with InStride as part of InStride’s leading academic network. As a result of the partnership, InStride’s corporate partners can now offer their employees an opportunity to earn their high school diploma, a benefit which can result in an individual earning an additional $9,000 on average each year over the course of their lifetime, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Access to a high school diploma opens up a world of possibilities, ranging from greater career opportunities to university degrees,” said Vivek Sharma, CEO of InStride. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Smart Horizons, an industry leader recognized for its innovative approach and high student success rates.”

In order to accommodate adult workers who have been out of the educational system for many years, Smart Horizons Career Online Education provides a unique online curriculum and student engagement model that fosters high success rates among participants. This model includes a highly structured curriculum and access to individual academic coaches. 

“We are excited to be part of InStride’s academic network,” said Dr. Howard Liebman, Smart Horizons Career Online Education District Superintendent. “Corporations can now provide their employees with the full range of educational programs, creating a pathway for those without a high school education to pursue postsecondary education.”

Smart Horizons joins InStride’s curated academic network, complementing its higher education offerings, which includes bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and continuing education courses.

For the full press release, please visit Smart Horizons Career Online Education.

Smart Horizons Career Online Education partners with InStride to help working adults earn their H.S. diplomas in advance of pursuing college degrees

Smart Horizons Career Online Education partners with InStride to help working adults earn their diplomas in advance of pursuing college degrees

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

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

LOS ANGELES – August 14, 2024 – Demand for employer-funded education programs is on the rise according to a new survey report from InStride, a human capital management provider of workforce education solutions. The report, which surveyed over 1,000 employed American adults, reveals a significant 80% of U.S. workers under 45 crave career advancement through employer-provided education opportunities that allow them to avoid student debt.

The 2024 Workforce Education Motivations Report delves deeper into the preferences and motivations of the modern workforce, revealing three key findings that underscore the importance of employer-funded education:

Workers crave academic credentials without student debt: Given two choices, 72% of employees would prefer “to pursue an online degree while working, with tuition fully paid for by their employer” versus opting “to pursue an in-person degree program, paying for tuition with their own funds and/or student loans.” This preference is strong among younger workers, challenging the belief that Gen Z favors in-person learning.

Younger generations seek education to earn a promotion: 84% of respondents under 45 are highly interested in employer-sponsored education benefits, with 44% citing promotions as their primary motivation.

Interest in tuition assistance has grown over time: Interest in tuition assistance, particularly where employers cover upfront tuition costs, has increased since 2019 with the proportion of employees who said they were “significantly influenced” by this benefit growing from 25% to 38%, a 13 percentage-point increase. In this time, the percentage of employees more likely to stay with their employer due to this benefit also rose from 48% to 55%.

“Employers that invest in fully funded education programs attract promising new talent, amplify their workforce's skills, support internal mobility and drive higher retention rates. Our survey findings reinforce the critical role of accessible, employer-funded education in today's competitive job market,” said Craig Maloney, CEO of InStride. 

A deeper look at the rising demand for debt-free career advancement

The report uncovers that U.S. workers across demographic groups are turning to employers for access to education, driven by tuition costs that have risen twice as fast as inflation over the past 40 years. 

Notably, 93% of Gen Z respondents expressed strong interest in workforce education benefits from nationally recognized public universities. This finding challenges the narrative that Gen Z is uninterested in traditional four-year degrees, indicating that they are in fact very interested when they can find a way to afford it.

Additionally, the report highlights that interest in education programs is highest among underrepresented groups, younger employees and managers, with these groups showing significantly higher interest levels than other employees.

“It's clear that today's workforce is eager to learn and strategic about minimizing financial burdens associated with higher education. By providing robust, fully funded education programs, employers can address these concerns and support their employees' career aspirations,” added Maloney.

Access the full 2024 Workforce Education Motivations Report.

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.

Over 80% of U.S. workers under age 45 report wanting debt-free, career-advancing education from their employer

Survey Results: InStride Releases Workforce Education Motivations Report

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

Smart Horizons Career Online Education partners with InStride to help working adults earn their H.S. diplomas in advance of pursuing college degrees

Recent press releases

InStride Launches Capability Accelerators: Tailored Learning for Talent Development

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

Survey Results: InStride Releases Workforce Education Motivations Report