Coalition for the Common Good grows employer workforce network

The Coalition for the Common Good has expanded its workforce-development partnerships to more than 20 organizations as it enters its fourth year, offering flexible degrees, training, and tuition benefits to working adults. The model is designed to help employers and membership groups build and retain talent while giving employees a way to earn credentials without leaving the workforce.

Why it matters: - The Coalition for the Common Good is pushing higher education closer to the workplace, where many adults need flexible options to upskill without stopping work. - The model is designed to help employers and membership organizations attract, develop, and retain talent. - The partnership network now spans healthcare, education, nonprofit, military, and industry groups, signaling broader demand for workforce training that leads to credentials.

What happened: - The Coalition for the Common Good said it has expanded its national workforce-development model to bring higher education directly to employers and membership organizations in on-site, online, and hybrid formats. - The coalition entered its fourth year with more than 20 partner organizations and additional collaborations in development. - The expanded network includes employers and membership groups that can offer customized training, seminars, workshops, stackable credentials, credit-bearing certificates, and tuition benefits for employees, members, and families.

The details: - Programs can be delivered on-site, on campus, online, or in hybrid form, depending on each organization’s workforce needs. - The coalition said the model serves partners coast-to-coast. - John Comerford, president of the CCG, said the coalition is addressing both current and future workforce needs and can offer tuition discounts for undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs as an added talent-retention benefit. - Michelle Koppitz, associate vice president for strategic initiatives at the CCG, said the effort is focused on minimizing barriers to higher education by meeting people where they are, especially at work. - InnoSource partnered with the coalition on “InnoSkilling,” a program that combines customized job training with higher-education credit. - Multiple cohorts have completed the InnoSkilling program, 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 for teachers and administrators. - Other partners listed include Alliance of Hazardous Materials Professionals, 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 at current workforce partnerships. - More information is available at ccgedu.org or by email at partnerships@antioch.edu.

Between the lines: - The coalition is positioning higher education as a workforce service, not just a campus-based product. - The focus on stackable credentials and credit-bearing programs suggests an effort to make learning more modular and tied to immediate job needs. - The reported retention gains at InnoSource hint that employers may see direct business value, not just employee development.

What's next: - The Coalition for the Common Good said additional collaborations are still in development. - The coalition is expected to keep expanding partner-specific programs as organizations look for flexible ways to train and retain workers. - The broader network will likely remain a key part of the coalition’s strategy as it scales beyond Ohio.

The bottom line: - The Coalition for the Common Good is turning higher education into a customizable workforce tool, and employers appear to be buying in.