Blockbuster signs alliance agreement with online university

Blockbuster signs alliance agreement with online university

In an effort to provide its workforce with greater access to higher education, Blockbuster has announced that it has signed an alliance agreement with Ashford University, an accredited provider of online degree programs designed for working adults.

Through the collaboration, all of the video rental chain's 38,000 employees will be eligible for tuition discounts and waived administrative fees if they enroll in one of Ashford's degree programs. Furthermore, the partnership will enable Blockbuster employees to receive a learning credit evaluation at no cost.

"With a workforce of over 30,000 employees across the U.S., it was important that we partner with an academic provider that could meet the needs of such a widely diverse population," said Ben Ehrenberg, director of training and organizational development at Blockbuster.

"We fully expect this to be a big win for the employees as well as a contributing factor in employee retention moving forward," he added.
According to the Sloan Survey of Online Learning, enrollment in distance learning programs increased by 17 percent in 2008.

By Mark Danson