March 6, 2017

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This article by Alex Brown originally appeared on Inside INdiana Business.


INDIANAPOLIS – Indianapolis-based USA Funds has changed its name to Strada Education Network. The nonprofit says the rebranding represents an effort to enhance student success in higher education and connect graduates with rewarding careers.

Chief Executive Officer William Hansen says Strada Education’s new direction aims to close the skills gap, making graduates ready for the job market.

“We are proud of our work of promoting financial access to higher education during the past half-century,” said Hansen. “But the challenges facing higher education, as well as the evolving needs of our nation’s workforce and economy, compel us to direct our attention to helping more students succeed in postsecondary education and graduate with the skills and competencies they need to smoothly transition to their careers and lives following graduation.”

Strada Education says it will work to ensure students have the resources they need to compete in the work force through a variety of efforts, including:

  • Connecting students to meaningful work experience throughout their education and providing improved data on the value of college programs to help students make better decisions about their career paths.
  • Engaging employers to play a more central role in the education process to promote better alignment between graduates’ skills and employers’ needs for talent.
  • Cultivating innovative technologies, education and training programs, and partnerships to enhance college completion and career preparation.
  • Assisting at-risk youth and young adults who are out of school and not working to ensure that they, too, have the opportunity to earn a postsecondary credential and pursue a rewarding career.

You can learn more about the organization’s new direction by clicking here.