July 12, 2023 – Certus, a leading training and certification platform, today announced it has acquired Workforce180, an eLearning certification company that serves workforce development boards, non-profits and government agencies across the United States.
The acquisition will deepen and expand Certus’ offerings for unemployed, underemployed, dislocated workers – as well as those that support them – and will further accelerate the company’s ability to serve this key vertical.
“We are adding a talented team that brings significant workforce development expertise, and we are excited to have them join Certus,” said Kim Brophy, Executive Vice President at Certus. “Working together, we can leverage our joint expertise and capabilities to deliver a comprehensive range of training and credentialing solutions to our workforce clients and their constituents.”
Established in 2014, Workforce180 delivers professional development opportunities through virtual training and credentialing. Their catalog includes workforce professional certifications focused on case management, business services, racial equity, reentry services and more. They work with more than 700 organizations and clients including Goodwill Industries International, Easter Seals, National Association of Workforce Boards plus various state, regional and local workforce development boards.
“Worforce180 is proud and excited to join Certus,” said Mike Fazio, CEO and Co-Founder of Workforce180. “Expanding access to Workforce180 courses and certificates helps us better provide career pathway and upskilling opportunities for frontline workforce staff.” Jerry Mattiace, COO and Co-Founder of Workforce180, added: “By joining forces with Certus, we are now able to provide a learning management system used by both workforce professionals and the participants they serve, making us the premier provider of choice.”.
Certus has been expanding its workforce development solutions over the past year. In 2022, Certus acquired Metrix Learning, an innovative provider of online education solutions designed for the public workforce. Integrating Workforce180 and Metrix Learning will enhance both brands’ elite products and solutions, better enabling workforce development professionals to serve their local communities.
“This is a natural and powerful partnership,” said John Comly, CEO of Certus. “We continue to invest in opportunities to grow our business and support our shared mission to help learners get to where they want to be.”
Certus is a portfolio company of Ridgemont Equity Partners, a middle market private equity firm. Certus and Ridgemont are actively seeking acquisition candidates that are established leaders in the online training, education, certification and compliance sectors.