School -- in this case, Continental University -- is in session at Continental Tire North America Inc.'s (CTNA) Mt. Vernon, Ill., facility.
The Continental University program "formalizes a current pilot program with Rend Lake College that gives all employees the opportunity to earn an associate degree on site, as well as expands the program to allow students to receive a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University Carbondale," say CTNA officials.
"It is a meaningful program that promotes higher education and advances employees’ career paths at Continental," says Heinz-Gerhard Wente, global head of human resources for CTNA parent company Continental AG.
Continental University is a program based on partnership between CTNA and local colleges and universities.
"Its mission is to contribute to the development and career advancement of employees and to align their studies with CTNA’s business needs," say CTNA officials.
"The concept was created by Continental AG’s corporate headquarters in 2005, and universities have so far been launched in nine other facilities, including those in Mexico, the Philippines and Romania. Continental University connects Continental on a worldwide scale, and the Mt. Vernon program is the first in the United States.
"Under the Continental University program, all employees are eligible to attend classes on site at CTNA that are timed around work schedules."
