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

LOS ANGELES and BOSTON – 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.

Key benefits of Ready to Hire include:

• 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.”

About InStride

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.

About Ready to Hire

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/.

About Cengage Group

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.

 

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