TALENT DEVELOPMENT
Businesswire | May 17, 2023
Watermark, a leading provider of software solutions for higher education, announced today a strategic partnership with Lightcast, a global leader in labor market data, analytics, and expert guidance. This collaboration will empower higher education institutions to make better-informed strategic planning and program review decisions by seamlessly integrating labor market data directly into Watermark's Planning & Self-Study software.
The partnership's goal is to bring the valuable labor market data already available in Lightcast Analyst directly to those charged with making critical decisions on the viability of program offerings.
With the partnership, Watermark will begin offering the Market Landscape Data Pack as an add-on to Watermark's Planning & Self-Study software, an award-winning solution which facilitates continuous improvement processes such as strategic and assessment planning, program review, and accreditation reporting. The data pack will provide institutions with the ability to understand their market landscape and ensure program relevance by providing curated labor market data points to the right people involved in the program review process at the right time.
Furthermore, institutions using both Watermark and Lightcast products gain significant advantages with a more efficient program review process and abilities to deep dive into opportunity areas using Lightcast Analyst or other Lightcast offerings such as Skillabi and Alumni Pathways.
"We are thrilled to partner with Lightcast to equip higher education institutions with the crucial data they need to make informed decisions benefiting their students and programs,” said Erin Shy, CEO of Watermark. “As labor market data becomes increasingly important in higher education, our partnership with Lightcast will enable institutions to integrate this crucial information into their planning and program review processes, ultimately leading to more successful outcomes for their students."
Formed in 2021 after the merger of Emsi and Burning Glass, Lightcast is a global pioneer in labor market data and analysis committed to connecting individuals with the right skills and jobs in the right places. With over two decades of experience and a client base of 1,500 organizations worldwide that serve learners and institutions (including colleges, universities, associations, ed tech firms, and more), Lightcast collects real-time data from over 50,000 sources daily. Combining this data with curated input from various statistical sources offers comprehensive insights into occupations, skills in demand, and career pathways. Lightcast helps businesses, communities, and educational institutions make informed decisions in the fast-changing world of work.
"Our partnership with Watermark is an exciting opportunity to further our mission of providing higher education institutions with the data they need to serve their students better,” said Chris Kibarian, CEO of Lightcast. “By integrating our labor market data directly into Watermark's software, we can help institutions save time, increase consistency and trust, and make more informed decisions about their programs and strategic planning."
Watermark and Lightcast are committed to helping higher education institutions navigate the ever-changing labor market landscape and adapt their programs and strategies accordingly. This initial offering marks the beginning of a strong collaboration focused on solving the critical challenge of delivering the right data to the right people for better decision-making in higher education.
About Watermark
Watermark advances educational impact by developing innovative technology that educators and institutional leaders can trust. Supporting over 1,700 higher education institutions worldwide, Watermark launched in 2018 following the merger of Taskstream, Tk20, and LiveText — three of the leading providers of assessment management technology in the industry – with Digital Measures, EvaluationKIT, and SmartCatalog. Aviso Retention joined the Watermark family in 2020. With solutions in the areas of assessment and accreditation management, faculty activity reporting, course evaluations and surveys, curriculum and catalog management, and student success and retention, Watermark’s more than 400 team members are committed to helping colleges and universities operate more strategically and effectively to maximize the impact they have on their students and communities.
About Lightcast
Lightcast provides trusted global labor market data, analytics, and expert guidance that empowers communities, corporations, and learning providers to make informed decisions and navigate the increasingly complex world of work. With a database of more than one billion job postings and career profiles, Lightcast delivers best-in-class customer service with robust data, clear analysis, and expert guidance on skills, jobs, and opportunities.
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EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
PRnewswire | April 03, 2023
NOLEJ, the generative AI edtech start-up has announced a strategic collaboration with OpenAI, the AI research and deployment company behind GPT-4, GPT-3.5, ChatGPT, DALL•E, Codex and more.
Following a successful Beta test with over 2500 educators, NOLEJ will launch the commercial version of NOLEJ AI, its generative AI for educators, powered by GPT-3.5, in mid-April at ASU GSV Cup, where they've been selected as a finalist in the GSV cup, the largest edtech competition.
NOLEJ AI is empowering educators to generate interactive microlearning packages 50X quicker. Educators can upload any type of static content (Video, Audio, Text), NOLEJ AI then automatically generates ready to use interactive videos, flashcards, and quizzes that cater to individual learning styles. Hundreds of independent studies have proven that such interactive micro-learnings outperform traditional static formats, improving the completion rate by 85% and the retention rate by 75%.
NOLEJ plans to further revolutionize AI-powered education by leveraging their expertise in generative learning built on OpenAI's technologies and advanced AI system. This collaboration aims to create new tools that will enhance the learning experience even further and open up new possibilities for educators.
"We are thrilled to be collaborating with OpenAI to continue our mission of powering the future of learning." said Bodo Hoenen, CEO US and co-founder of NOLEJ.
With this strategic collaboration, NOLEJ joins companies such as Shutterstock, Duolingo and Khan Academy among OpenAI collaborators.
About NOLEJ
NOLEJ AI is a tool that turns static learning material (video, audio and text content) into micro-learning interactives (interactive videos, quizzes, games, flashcards, etc.) in minutes (50X+ faster). This interactive content outperforms static learning material, providing 75% more retention, and 85% more completions.
About OpenAI
OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. AI is an extremely powerful tool that must be created with safety and human needs at its core. OpenAI is dedicated to putting that alignment of interests first — ahead of profit.To achieve our mission, we must encompass and value the many different perspectives, voices, and experiences that form the full spectrum of humanity. Our investment in diversity, equity, and inclusion is ongoing, executed through a wide range of initiatives, and championed and supported by leadership.
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TALENT DEVELOPMENT
Globenewswire | April 26, 2023
Surgent Accounting & Financial Education, a division of KnowFully Learning Group, today announced the introduction of CPArescue™ and CMArescue™, custom-tailored exam preparation coaching programs specifically designed to transform a student’s accounting certification journey from failure to passing.
“Surgent is acutely aware of the many challenges professionals face in entering the world of accounting and finance, which include the difficulty of the exams and time it takes to study and pass,” said Liz Kolar, Surgent’s executive vice president. “CPArescue and CMArescue were built to ease that journey, providing a custom learning solution for students who need support in just one or two sections or have struggled to pass the exams using other providers.”
The introduction of these programs comes on the heels of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy announcing it amended the Uniform Accountancy Act to extend the CPA pass window from 18 months to up to 30 months from the date a candidate’s score on the first section of the exam is released. State boards need to adopt the amendment before an individual can take advantage of the longer window, but the decision is another step in the right direction to address the CPA shortage.
The CPArescue and CMArescue programs, now available on Surgent.com, use a 3-Step Coaching Success Formula:
1. Initial assessment: An expert Surgent exam strategist conducts a detailed analysis of the student’s initial assessment results, allowing for the identification of specific areas needed for support. 2. Tailored study plan: Working closely with the student, Surgent’s coach develops a customized study plan needed to achieve the required score, taking into account circumstances of the student’s personal life and their individual goals. 3. Adjust and pass: Surgent’s coach helps the student make any necessary adjustments to stay on track while studying, empowering the student with knowledge, skills and all the support needed to pass the exam.
The CPArescue package includes six one-on-one coaching sessions with a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Exam Study Strategist; Surgent’s A.S.A.P.® Technology adaptive learning software, ReadySCORE™ exam-readiness indicator, and MyMCQ™ study content optimizer; 8,200 multiple-choice questions; 400+ simulations; 350+ videos; study companion app; unlimited practice exams; e-books and lecture study notes; ultimate customer and technical support; and a 100% pass guarantee. Course access is also provided until the student passes the CPA Exam.
The CMArescue package includes four one-on-one coaching sessions with a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) Exam Study Strategist, Surgent’s A.S.A.P.® Technology adaptive learning software, ReadySCORE™ exam-readiness indicator, and MyMCQ™ study content optimizer; 4,000 multiple-choice questions; 60+ essay questions; 60+ videos; study companion app; unlimited practice exams; e-books and lecture study notes; ultimate customer and technical support; and a 100% pass guarantee. Course access is also provided for 18 months.
"Like our A.S.A.P. and ReadySCORE technologies, these programs are a reflection of Surgent's commitment to continuous innovation and to delivering a superior educational experience that takes real-time learner feedback into consideration,” said Kolar. “We look forward to introducing additional new offerings later this year."
About Surgent Accounting & Financial Education
Surgent Accounting & Financial Education, a division of KnowFully Learning Group, is a provider of the high-impact education experiences that accounting, tax and financial professionals need throughout their careers. For most of the company’s 35-year history, Surgent has been a trusted provider of the continuing professional education (CPE), continuing education (CE) and skill-based training that professionals need to maintain their credentials and stay current on industry changes. More recently, Surgent became one of the fastest-growing certification exam review providers, offering adaptive learning-based courses that help learners pass accounting and finance credentialing exams faster.
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