Cengage Career Online High School to Support Workforce Training Initiative in Appalachia

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Cengage’s Career Online High School will soon be available to workers and students impacted by the changing coal economy in Appalachia, thanks to a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission.

The $100,000 competitive grant was awarded to Jobs for the Future, a national nonprofit that builds educational and economic opportunity for underserved populations in the U.S. Cengage is partnering with JFF to implement the grant.

An estimated 10 million people ages 18 and older do not have a high school diploma or equivalency across the 13 states in the Appalachian Region, according to the American Community Survey of 2015.

The project will train 40 students and expose 1,000 participants to the Career Online High School across Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia. Another goal is to align the COHS program with workforce development entities, non-profits and community colleges.

Career Online High School is an accredited high school diploma and career certificate program. It was developed in 2012 through a partnership between ed2go, a division of Cengage that provides students with online continuing education and career training, and Smart Horizons Career Online Education. It’s mission is to provide affordable, career-based online education opportunities for the millions of adults in the United States without high school diplomas.

The Appalachian Regional Commission is an economic development agency focused on the Appalachian Region. The commission awarded 31 grants totaling $26 million to expand and diversify the economy in coal-impacted communities in five Appalachian states. These 31 awards will be used to train thousands of workers and students in certificate, credentialing and other workforce development programs.

Visit Career Online High School for more information.