When it comes to workspace solutions for the average student, it’s either a coffee shop or a dorm room that springs to mind. But for students at Dignity Health Global Education (DHGE), one of the leading healthcare workforce development organizations, a collaboration with flexible office-space provider Regus has totally changed the game.
Under the agreement, Regus is offering student workspace – amounting to 3,300 spots – across its properties in Canada and the US. It’s an opportunity for office-space provider to demonstrate its belief in education and employee development, and for DHGE to improve the student experience by bringing it in line with modern working practises like coworking and a flexible approach. “By working with Regus, we can provide students with a community environment while maintaining the flexible nature of their digital learning experience,” DHGE CEO Andrew Malley told PR Newswire.
Working with academic institutions including Arizona State University and Duke Corporate Education, DHGE’s students are already healthcare professionals and now looking to make the next move in their careers. For somebody combining study with work, a flexible-office environment is the perfect way to stick with the day job while also taking advantage of any downtime – wherever that day job may take them.
With 900 locations in the US and 3,300 locations spanning 110 countries in total, the options are there – wherever a student calls home. According to Wayne Berger, CEO for (Regus owner) IWG Canada and Latin America, the combination of free workspace to support an education program like this is vital for future success. “Education is critical to workforce development,” he commented. “We are excited to partner with DHGE to offer students a professional working environment to enhance their learning experience. This partnership leverages both the global network of Regus and the global reach of DHGE.”
As flexible workplaces are beginning to appear in an increasingly wide range of environments – from shopping malls to transit hubs – it comes as the logical next step that these spaces are now being used as web portals and learning centers for students too. The flexibility afforded by this way of working mean options for businesses, startups (and students) are ever-growing. And as cloud computing and the Fourth Industrial Revolution continue to upend home, personal and working lives, academic institutions and businesses alike are recognizing the value that coworking locations can add to their offering, and looking for innovative ways to capitalize on it. We can expect to see more of it in the future.