The partnership will provide debt-free education to employees of participating Chick-fil-A operators who seek to obtain a career-aligned college degree in certain frontline education areas.
The University of the Cumberlands has formed a partnership with Ficus Education to provide debt-free education to employees of participating Chick-fil-A operators who wish to earn a degree that will set them up for a career as a frontline worker. Through this partnership, the university will provide free tuition to its flexible online programs in allied health, education, sciences, computer science, and information technology.
According to an article on the University of the Cumberlands’ website, Dr. Quentin Young, the university’s president, was quoted as saying of the partnership, “At Cumberlands, we are focused on expanding access to high-quality education that leads to meaningful career advancement. Partnering with Ficus Education allows us to support restaurant team members with flexible, career-aligned degree programs while helping employers develop and retain talent in a highly competitive labor market.”
Ficus Education is an organization that gives business owners the ability to invest in their employees by providing education with no out-of-pocket costs or student loan debt, common factors that may keep someone from pursuing a college degree. The benefit of free education helps the employers attract workers and retain them while they study. Employees can continue working while pursuing a college degree through online courses from a university.
Doug Danowski, the president of Ficus Education, said, “Employers invest in education because it’s one of the most powerful ways to attract and retain great people. When team members can pursue a college degree without taking on student debt and while continuing to work, it changes how long they stay, how they grow, and how they see their future with their employer. Partnering with University of the Cumberlands allows us to expand career-aligned degrees and deliver the academic support working adults need to succeed.”
The flexible online academic programs offered by the University of the Cumberlands are designed to be accessible to working adults. The university has about 20,000 students currently participating in its online courses.
Employees of participating Chick-fil-A operators can take online courses that will lead them to a degree in a high-demand field like allied health, education, sciences, computer science, and information technology, setting them on the path to a successful future career.
For more information about the University of the Cumberlands, visit the school’s website.