Gonzaga partners with Ziplines Education to advance E. WA workforce

SPOKANE — Gonzaga University announced a partnership with Ziplines Education in late March designed to help Zags and other Eastern Washington students fortify their skills in the workforce through certification programs.

“Our goal has been to expand our professional offerings in the community so that people have more ways to learn through Gonzaga,” said Rachelle Strawther, director of Gonzaga’s Center for Lifelong Learning. “Gonzaga has been very well known for undergrad and graduate education, and, of course, basketball. But, noncredit learning is somewhat new to Gonzaga’s overall portfolio.”

The university is looking to add more opportunities for education outside of a degree plan, Strawther said. That includes micro-credentials such as certifications and technical skills training. Companies in the Pacific Northwest, including Eastern Washington and the Idaho Panhandle, are interested in programs that allow them to help develop their workforce to meet their needs. They’re backing that need up with dollars, she said, with data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicating people with certifications and industry credentials earn about 27% more than those without those credentials. Those non-degree education programs are also helping to fill skills gaps in the workforce, she said.

...Read more at: https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2024/apr/02/gonzaga-partners-with-ziplines-education-to-advance-e-wa-workforce/

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