Home > News > featured news > Colibri Group Announces Strategic Acquisition of Becker Professional Education and OnCourse Learning

TALENT DEVELOPMENT

Colibri Group Announces Strategic Acquisition of Becker Professional Education and OnCourse Learning

Colibri Group | April 04, 2022

EdTeh Learning News
Colibri Group (“Colibri”), a professional education company with leading brands that provide learning solutions to licensed professionals, announces today that the company has acquired Becker Professional Education and OnCourse Learning. With this agreement, Colibri Group adds leading capabilities in accounting, mortgage, and governance, risk and compliance (GRC) to its portfolio of professional education services.

“This expansion of our capabilities continues to serve our mission of leading others to achieve more and thrive in their careers and enables us to work with entirely new categories of accounting and GRC while deepening our mortgage solutions for financial services firms and professionals, We are thrilled that Becker and OnCourse Learning, with their industry leadership and high-quality education, will be joining our group of companies. These businesses support our focus around becoming the most admired professional learning company in the world, and the world-class talent at both businesses will contribute significantly to achieving this vision,”

- Jeff James, Chief Executive Officer of Colibri Group.

Becker is a global leader in Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam prep and offers market-leading products in accounting continuing professional education and Certified Management Accountant (CMA) test prep. Becker has been helping candidates achieve their CPA licensure and further advance their careers for more than 60 years. Becker has served partners in nearly 40 countries including the top 100 accounting firms in the United States.

OnCourse Learning is a leading provider of regulatory and compliance education solutions for the mortgage and financial sectors. OnCourse Learning empowers financial institutions to prepare their frontlines, compliance teams, executive leadership and board of directors with comprehensive enterprise compliance, risk management and professional development education.

Colibri Group is the gold standard in professional education and serves millions of individual and business customers through its flexible, online and in-person solutions. Colibri Group is backed by Gridiron Capital, LLC (“Gridiron Capital”), a leading investment firm focused on partnering with founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams.

About Colibri Group
Colibri Group is building the future of professional education. Today, millions of licensed professionals start and advance their careers through the company’s online and in-person learning solutions for licensing, continuing education, test preparation and professional development. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Colibri Group provides a holistic learning experience for students and professionals to achieve more and thrive throughout their careers in real estate, financial services, teacher education, healthcare, valuation and property services, among other professions. Visit colibrigroup.com for more information.

About Becker
Becker is the leader in the CPA (Certified Public Accountant) exam review industry offering a full accounting career life cycle solution from training to licensing to continuing education. Founded in 1957, Becker’s global presence includes more than 2,900 partners—including accounting firms, societies, corporations, government agencies and universities.

About OnCourse Learning
OnCourse Learning is the leading educational technology provider for governance, risk and compliance (“GRC”) licensing and webinar solutions for the banking, credit union, state banking associations (“SBA”) and mortgage industries. Founded in 2007, OnCourse Learning has delivered pre-licensing, continuing education, professional development and compliance training to financial institutions and 190,000+ mortgage professionals.

About Gridiron Capital
Gridiron Capital is an investment firm focused on partnering with founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams, and creating value by building middle-market companies into industry-leaders in branded consumer, B2B and B2C services, and niche industrial segments in the United States and Canada. We help transform growing companies by winning together through hard work, partnerships grounded in shared values and a unique culture that comes from hands-on experience building and running businesses. As a team led by former operators and entrepreneurs, we know what it takes to run successful businesses on a day-to-day basis.

Spotlight

NAVIGATING CX CHALLENGES IN THE DYNAMIC WORLD OF ELEARNING

This whitepaper explores how eLearning providers (Learning Management Systems, Training Management Systems, Learning Experience Platforms, and content providers etc.) can convert these challenges into opportunities by prioritizing the customer experience (CX) to increase customer satisfaction and profitability.

More featured news

Spotlight

NAVIGATING CX CHALLENGES IN THE DYNAMIC WORLD OF ELEARNING

This whitepaper explores how eLearning providers (Learning Management Systems, Training Management Systems, Learning Experience Platforms, and content providers etc.) can convert these challenges into opportunities by prioritizing the customer experience (CX) to increase customer satisfaction and profitability.

Related News

CORPORATE LEARNING SYSTEMS

WIN Learning and Highlands Economic Partnership offer career readiness training to adults in central Tennessee

PRnewswire | April 28, 2023

Adults receiving government assistance in the Highlands region of Tennessee now have a new way to prepare for a valuable and stable career. WIN Learning, a national, leading developer of career readiness solutions, is collaborating with Highlands Economic Partnership, a group of government agencies, chambers of commerce and business leaders dedicated to providing workforce education and development programs to adults in the area. WIN is partnering with the Highlands Training Center to implement the Aim High certification program, a two-month career readiness training program for adults receiving government assistance who are re-entering the workforce. "Career readiness goes beyond building academic skills. In order for learners to truly be career ready, they also need the opportunity to explore their interests and gain hands-on experience. We are proud to partner with the Highlands Training Center to give job seekers the right tools for career and life success," said Teresa Chasteen-Dunn, WIN Learning founder and CEO. The goal of Aim High is to strengthen the local workforce by providing participants with lasting skills and confidence that will support long-term employment. "Utilizing WIN Learning's career readiness resources enables us to continue educating job- seekers and empowering them to achieve success," said Ryan Barnhart, executive director of Highlands Training Center. "We are excited to partner with WIN to further our mission of improving the quality of life for people in our communities." The Aim High program is a training in two parts. In the first month, participants will use WIN Learning's My Work Ready career exploration tool to complete the Essential Soft Skills and Work Ready assessments and evaluate their skill levels. Participants can then explore career paths that match their abilities, experience and interests, and learn more about the training required for those careers. Participants can also use the Essential Soft Skills Courseware and Work Ready Courseware to improve their skills. When they complete the first month, participants receive a personalized career plan and a certificate of achievement. In the second month, participants get hands-on work experiences with employers in the Highlands Economic Partnership. Participants learn more about their chosen careers in person. About WIN Learning Since 1996, WIN has become the leading provider of career readiness solutions to help business, industry, workforce and districts prepare pathways for students' and job seekers' futures, whether they are college, trade school, military or workplace bound. WIN's e-learning solutions include academic and employability skills courseware, assessments, and nationally recognized credentials endorsed by the National Work Readiness Council. To date, more than 10 million students worldwide have participated in the specialized career-driven courseware and education intervention initiatives as well as career readiness certification programs.

Read More

TALENT DEVELOPMENT

Apogee Enhances Executive Advisory Services to Meet Higher Education Needs for Visionary Technology Leadership

Businesswire | April 06, 2023

Apogee, the trusted strategic managed technology services partner to higher education, is pleased to announce the expansion of its Executive Advisory Services to meet the evolving needs of higher education clients. Apogee Executive Advisory Services embeds former campus leaders within college and university cabinet-level teams to lead the assessment, modernization, and transformation of campus IT services. Apogee’s recognized team of experts can serve as full-time or fractional leaders for long-term engagements or during high demand periods due to vacant or nascent IT leadership. Led by higher education and technology veteran David Hinson, Apogee executive advisors are seasoned chief technology officers (CTO), chief information officers (CIO), chief information security officers (CISO), and chief operation officers (COO) or vice presidents of administration who have years of cabinet-level experience at colleges and state systems. Fifteen disciplines now round out the offering, including IT infrastructure, networking, cybersecurity, and compliance assessments and strategies. Advisory services are provided over weeks of remote and on-premises observations. Every engagement is tailored for the institution, and insights are codified into actionable strategic and tactical technology plans for campus leadership. “I am excited about our enhanced advisory services practice, the world-class experts on our team, and the opportunities ahead to meet colleges and universities where they are as they navigate the post-pandemic world and confront the looming enrollment cliff,” said Hinson. “Whether an institution is facing vacant IT leadership, new IT leadership trying to quickly get its arms around pressing issues and priorities, or mature leadership looking to take campus technology service delivery to the next level, we craft engagements that enable clients to understand the current state of IT, remediate urgent issues, measure meaningful progress on long-term projects, and inculcate best practices for effective and strategic technology management.” Situated in Winston-Salem, N.C., Salem Academy and College traces its history to 1772 and is the oldest educational institution for girls and women in America. Today, the institution is an intimate learning community of 1,100 women from all over the world and is one of the country's most distinguished private liberal arts colleges. “Like many small colleges in the U.S., Salem Academy and College experienced shortages and gaps in IT leadership, staff, and expertise coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Summer McGee, Salem Academy and College president. “David Hinson assessed our IT organization, infrastructure, and abilities and put us on a path to not only get back to business as usual, but also to set up a roadmap for us to align our technology investments to our institutional mission. Our engagement with Apogee has helped ensure that we are better prepared technologically to deliver on our promise to develop the full potential of our students and prepare them to change the world.” With nearly a quarter century of experience exclusively in managed technology services to higher education, Apogee has built the expertise to deliver advisory services in the following disciplines: • Strategic Planning and Documentation • Business and Information Technology Resilience Planning • Cybersecurity Controls and Audit • Cybersecurity Program Management and Operations • Vendor Management • Financial Capacities Discovery • Staffing and Organization Sizing Needs Analysis • Coaching and Professional Development Pathways • Governance, Compliance, and Internal Policy Development, including compliance with federal, state, and contractual cybersecurity obligations such a Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS), as well as privacy policies and compliance such as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), and Consumer Data Protection Regulation (CDPR) • Infrastructure Analysis and Planning • Technology and Cybersecurity Risk Assessment and Management • Budget Analysis and Preparation • Leadership Succession Planning • Cabinet Leadership Strategies and Methodologies • Formal Technology Plan and Accreditation Support About Apogee Established in Austin in 1999, Apogee is a leading provider of managed technology services that enable colleges and universities to innovate to enrich the campus experience and foster student vitality. Uniquely positioned to serve higher education, Apogee supports a community of more than 1 million students and administrators at nearly 400 colleges and universities nationwide. The company’s comprehensive portfolio includes Managed Campus (networks and managed IT and cloud services), ResNet (residential networks), campus engagement and digital signage, and video services.

Read More

CORPORATE LEARNING SYSTEMS

iMocha launches project-based assessments to simulate real-world challenges and enable experiential learning

iMocha | April 13, 2023

iMocha, the world's leading skills intelligence and skills assessment platform launches project-based assessments to its growing portfolio of assessment types. It is built for talent development teams to gather whether employees are skill-fit and ready to be deployed on projects and determine ROI of learning programs. Today, tech assessments are usually done via single-task coding assessments, whiteboard interviews, and MCQs but that's seldom enough to gauge project-readiness of employees or know the effectiveness of the upskilling programs. Especially for job profiles like front-end developer, back-end developer, full-stack developer, assessments that go beyond algorithms, syntax, and logic are required. iMocha's project-based assessments help talent professionals overcome these challenges and determine skill readiness, including problem-solving skills, domain-specific skills, contextual understanding, and ability to think through a project. In August 2022, the beta version of iMocha Projects was deployed for iMocha's existing customers that included enterprises and learning platforms. Through the project-based assessments, L&D teams were able to automate time-consuming, manual evaluations that could be subject to bias. Further they also received detailed skills analytics about their employees – which helped in creating accurate and personalized learning paths. Some of the most popular skill sets beta users utilized were ReactJS, Data Science and Machine Learning, Java Spring Boot, MySQL, and more. Sujit Karpe, CTO and co-founder of iMocha, explained, "This is iMocha's version of capstone projects: we provide the data, the problem statement, and essentially everything required to successfully work on a project. Often, coding assessments fell short in determining real-life skills; they also cannot handle multiple project files like ReactJS, Angular, Jupyter Lab, and more. With iMocha projects, talent development leaders can bridge the gap between experiential learning and hands-on knowledge application by evaluating employees on real-world challenges, similar to what they would be facing on the job." He continued, "With iMocha Projects, talent leaders will be able to show true value gained via their L&D programs and measure training effectiveness objectively." About iMocha iMocha is a skills intelligence and assessment platform that enables talent leaders to make smarter talent decisions with its skills-first insights. 500+ organizations across 70+ countries trust the platform to acquire job-fit talent faster and to measure the ROI from their talent development initiatives. It empowers talent teams with the largest skill library with 2500+ assessments, AI-LogicBox (AI-based pseudo-coding simulator), AI-EnglishPro (AI-powered language analyzer), skill benchmarking, upskilling dashboard, talent analytics, proctoring, fraud detection, and custom assessment consulting, etc.

Read More

CORPORATE LEARNING SYSTEMS

WIN Learning and Highlands Economic Partnership offer career readiness training to adults in central Tennessee

PRnewswire | April 28, 2023

Adults receiving government assistance in the Highlands region of Tennessee now have a new way to prepare for a valuable and stable career. WIN Learning, a national, leading developer of career readiness solutions, is collaborating with Highlands Economic Partnership, a group of government agencies, chambers of commerce and business leaders dedicated to providing workforce education and development programs to adults in the area. WIN is partnering with the Highlands Training Center to implement the Aim High certification program, a two-month career readiness training program for adults receiving government assistance who are re-entering the workforce. "Career readiness goes beyond building academic skills. In order for learners to truly be career ready, they also need the opportunity to explore their interests and gain hands-on experience. We are proud to partner with the Highlands Training Center to give job seekers the right tools for career and life success," said Teresa Chasteen-Dunn, WIN Learning founder and CEO. The goal of Aim High is to strengthen the local workforce by providing participants with lasting skills and confidence that will support long-term employment. "Utilizing WIN Learning's career readiness resources enables us to continue educating job- seekers and empowering them to achieve success," said Ryan Barnhart, executive director of Highlands Training Center. "We are excited to partner with WIN to further our mission of improving the quality of life for people in our communities." The Aim High program is a training in two parts. In the first month, participants will use WIN Learning's My Work Ready career exploration tool to complete the Essential Soft Skills and Work Ready assessments and evaluate their skill levels. Participants can then explore career paths that match their abilities, experience and interests, and learn more about the training required for those careers. Participants can also use the Essential Soft Skills Courseware and Work Ready Courseware to improve their skills. When they complete the first month, participants receive a personalized career plan and a certificate of achievement. In the second month, participants get hands-on work experiences with employers in the Highlands Economic Partnership. Participants learn more about their chosen careers in person. About WIN Learning Since 1996, WIN has become the leading provider of career readiness solutions to help business, industry, workforce and districts prepare pathways for students' and job seekers' futures, whether they are college, trade school, military or workplace bound. WIN's e-learning solutions include academic and employability skills courseware, assessments, and nationally recognized credentials endorsed by the National Work Readiness Council. To date, more than 10 million students worldwide have participated in the specialized career-driven courseware and education intervention initiatives as well as career readiness certification programs.

Read More

TALENT DEVELOPMENT

Apogee Enhances Executive Advisory Services to Meet Higher Education Needs for Visionary Technology Leadership

Businesswire | April 06, 2023

Apogee, the trusted strategic managed technology services partner to higher education, is pleased to announce the expansion of its Executive Advisory Services to meet the evolving needs of higher education clients. Apogee Executive Advisory Services embeds former campus leaders within college and university cabinet-level teams to lead the assessment, modernization, and transformation of campus IT services. Apogee’s recognized team of experts can serve as full-time or fractional leaders for long-term engagements or during high demand periods due to vacant or nascent IT leadership. Led by higher education and technology veteran David Hinson, Apogee executive advisors are seasoned chief technology officers (CTO), chief information officers (CIO), chief information security officers (CISO), and chief operation officers (COO) or vice presidents of administration who have years of cabinet-level experience at colleges and state systems. Fifteen disciplines now round out the offering, including IT infrastructure, networking, cybersecurity, and compliance assessments and strategies. Advisory services are provided over weeks of remote and on-premises observations. Every engagement is tailored for the institution, and insights are codified into actionable strategic and tactical technology plans for campus leadership. “I am excited about our enhanced advisory services practice, the world-class experts on our team, and the opportunities ahead to meet colleges and universities where they are as they navigate the post-pandemic world and confront the looming enrollment cliff,” said Hinson. “Whether an institution is facing vacant IT leadership, new IT leadership trying to quickly get its arms around pressing issues and priorities, or mature leadership looking to take campus technology service delivery to the next level, we craft engagements that enable clients to understand the current state of IT, remediate urgent issues, measure meaningful progress on long-term projects, and inculcate best practices for effective and strategic technology management.” Situated in Winston-Salem, N.C., Salem Academy and College traces its history to 1772 and is the oldest educational institution for girls and women in America. Today, the institution is an intimate learning community of 1,100 women from all over the world and is one of the country's most distinguished private liberal arts colleges. “Like many small colleges in the U.S., Salem Academy and College experienced shortages and gaps in IT leadership, staff, and expertise coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Summer McGee, Salem Academy and College president. “David Hinson assessed our IT organization, infrastructure, and abilities and put us on a path to not only get back to business as usual, but also to set up a roadmap for us to align our technology investments to our institutional mission. Our engagement with Apogee has helped ensure that we are better prepared technologically to deliver on our promise to develop the full potential of our students and prepare them to change the world.” With nearly a quarter century of experience exclusively in managed technology services to higher education, Apogee has built the expertise to deliver advisory services in the following disciplines: • Strategic Planning and Documentation • Business and Information Technology Resilience Planning • Cybersecurity Controls and Audit • Cybersecurity Program Management and Operations • Vendor Management • Financial Capacities Discovery • Staffing and Organization Sizing Needs Analysis • Coaching and Professional Development Pathways • Governance, Compliance, and Internal Policy Development, including compliance with federal, state, and contractual cybersecurity obligations such a Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS), as well as privacy policies and compliance such as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), and Consumer Data Protection Regulation (CDPR) • Infrastructure Analysis and Planning • Technology and Cybersecurity Risk Assessment and Management • Budget Analysis and Preparation • Leadership Succession Planning • Cabinet Leadership Strategies and Methodologies • Formal Technology Plan and Accreditation Support About Apogee Established in Austin in 1999, Apogee is a leading provider of managed technology services that enable colleges and universities to innovate to enrich the campus experience and foster student vitality. Uniquely positioned to serve higher education, Apogee supports a community of more than 1 million students and administrators at nearly 400 colleges and universities nationwide. The company’s comprehensive portfolio includes Managed Campus (networks and managed IT and cloud services), ResNet (residential networks), campus engagement and digital signage, and video services.

Read More

CORPORATE LEARNING SYSTEMS

iMocha launches project-based assessments to simulate real-world challenges and enable experiential learning

iMocha | April 13, 2023

iMocha, the world's leading skills intelligence and skills assessment platform launches project-based assessments to its growing portfolio of assessment types. It is built for talent development teams to gather whether employees are skill-fit and ready to be deployed on projects and determine ROI of learning programs. Today, tech assessments are usually done via single-task coding assessments, whiteboard interviews, and MCQs but that's seldom enough to gauge project-readiness of employees or know the effectiveness of the upskilling programs. Especially for job profiles like front-end developer, back-end developer, full-stack developer, assessments that go beyond algorithms, syntax, and logic are required. iMocha's project-based assessments help talent professionals overcome these challenges and determine skill readiness, including problem-solving skills, domain-specific skills, contextual understanding, and ability to think through a project. In August 2022, the beta version of iMocha Projects was deployed for iMocha's existing customers that included enterprises and learning platforms. Through the project-based assessments, L&D teams were able to automate time-consuming, manual evaluations that could be subject to bias. Further they also received detailed skills analytics about their employees – which helped in creating accurate and personalized learning paths. Some of the most popular skill sets beta users utilized were ReactJS, Data Science and Machine Learning, Java Spring Boot, MySQL, and more. Sujit Karpe, CTO and co-founder of iMocha, explained, "This is iMocha's version of capstone projects: we provide the data, the problem statement, and essentially everything required to successfully work on a project. Often, coding assessments fell short in determining real-life skills; they also cannot handle multiple project files like ReactJS, Angular, Jupyter Lab, and more. With iMocha projects, talent development leaders can bridge the gap between experiential learning and hands-on knowledge application by evaluating employees on real-world challenges, similar to what they would be facing on the job." He continued, "With iMocha Projects, talent leaders will be able to show true value gained via their L&D programs and measure training effectiveness objectively." About iMocha iMocha is a skills intelligence and assessment platform that enables talent leaders to make smarter talent decisions with its skills-first insights. 500+ organizations across 70+ countries trust the platform to acquire job-fit talent faster and to measure the ROI from their talent development initiatives. It empowers talent teams with the largest skill library with 2500+ assessments, AI-LogicBox (AI-based pseudo-coding simulator), AI-EnglishPro (AI-powered language analyzer), skill benchmarking, upskilling dashboard, talent analytics, proctoring, fraud detection, and custom assessment consulting, etc.

Read More

More featured news