The Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County Delivers High School Diploma Opportunities through Career Online High School

SEATTLE, Feb. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly 10% of King County residents, approximately 150,000 adults, lack a high school diploma, and a new program being made available by the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County (WDC) offers residents the opportunity to earn accredited diplomas and credentialed career certificates.

Career Online High School (COHS), part of the world's first accredited, private online school district, is specifically designed to reengage young people back into the educational system and prepare them for entry into the workforce. Developed by Smart Horizons Career Online Education (SHCOE) and Cengage Learning's ed2go, COHS is a key component in the broad range of career development services that the WDC offers to young people of the greater Seattle-King County area. As part of this effort, the WDC will also join Cengage Learning and SHCOE's Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Commitment to Action to reengage employees in the educational system.

"We are so pleased to offer Seattle and King County young people this opportunity," says Marlena Sessions, CEO of the WDC. "Having a high school diploma is more important than ever in enabling a young person to get on a career track toward self-sufficiency."

The WDC is offering COHS at YouthSource King County (located at WorkSource Renton) and Learning Center North (located at Shoreline Community College) in facilitated learning labs. Different from a GED program, COHS offers a fully accredited SACS/AdvancEd high school diploma and a credentialed workforce certificate in one of eight high-growth, high-demand entry-level career fields -- across a wide spectrum from child care and education to certified transportation. Classes are supported by certified instructors, academic coaches, and Learning Center instructors, and students have 24/7 access to the online learning platform. Many students are able to graduate in as few as 4 to 6 months by transferring in previously earned high school credits.

"We are very proud to be teaming with the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County," stated Dr. Howard Liebman, Superintendent and Cofounder of SHCOE. "Our mission is to prepare students for the workforce and post-secondary education by delivering innovative, supportive, and career-based online education and the WDC is the ideal partner to help us fulfill that mission."

"As a leading education company, broadening access to education and workforce development opportunities is an important part of our mission, and we're excited to work with the WDC to make that happen," said Ron Stefanski, Chief Business Development Officer at ed2go.

Through the CGI Commitment to Action, the WDC is providing a limited number of COHS scholarships to students, a number to be matched by SHCOE and Cengage Learning's ed2go. Seattle-King County young people interested in Career Online High School should contact Mike Davie (South King County) at [email protected] (206-477-6990) or Guru Dorje (North King County) at [email protected] (206-533-6736) for more information.

About the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County
The Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County (www.seakingwdc.org) is a nonprofit workforce think-tank and grant-making organization that oversees employment-related programs for youth, the adult workforce and employers in King County, with the goal of a strong economy and self-sufficiency for every resident. The Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provider of employment and training services. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Washington Telecommunications Relay System, 800.833.6384 or 7-1-1.

About Cengage Learning and ed2go
Cengage Learning is a leading educational content, technology, and services company for the higher education and K-12, professional and library markets worldwide.  ed2go, part of Cengage Learning, is the largest provider of turnkey online training and education solutions serving the adult education, career and corporate training markets. With over 2,000 colleges, universities, community based organizations and other training providers, ed2go has served more than 2.5 million students. ed2go's ever-growing catalog of Online Courses and Career Training Programs makes it simple for students to enrich their lives or reach professional goals in a supportive and engaging environment. For more information: www.cengage.com and www.ed2go.com.

About Smart Horizons Career Online Education
Smart Horizons Career Online Education, founded in 2009 and located in Pensacola, Florida, is a private, AdvancED/SACS accredited online school district. AdvancED/SACS District accreditation signifies that SHCOE and all of its schools are fully accredited and that SHCOE is recognized across the nation as a quality school system. Smart Horizons Career Online Education offers 18-credit, career-based high school diploma programs that are designed to prepare students for entrance into the workplace. Career certificate offerings include Childcare Education, Office Management, Protection Services, Homeland Security, Transportation Services, Professional Skills, Retail Customer Service Skills, and Food & Customer Service Skills.

About the Clinton Global Initiative 
Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), an initiative of the Clinton Foundation, convenes global leaders to create and implement solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. CGI Annual Meetings have brought together more than 180 heads of state, 20 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations and NGOs, major philanthropists, and members of the media. To date, members of the CGI community have made more than 3,100 Commitments to Action, which have improved the lives of over 430 million people in more than 180 countries.

In addition to the Annual Meeting, CGI convenes CGI America, a meeting focused on collaborative solutions to economic recovery in the United States; and CGI University (CGI U), which brings together undergraduate and graduate students to address pressing challenges in their community or around the world. This year, CGI will also convene CGI Middle East & Africa and CGI Mediterranean, which will each bring together leaders across sectors to take action on pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges. For more information, visit clintonglobalinitiative.org and follow us on Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.

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SOURCE Cengage Learning

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