Community Activations Network (CAN) activates communities through strategic collaboration, identifying unique upskill and training opportunities within the community, and building necessary ecosystems that support area businesses.

Our work includes:

• Membership Network Representing a broad network of stakeholders—from private and public colleges, workforce boards, municipal leaders, economic developers, organizations, and industry partners attracting new businesses to their regions

• Employer Activation Solutions Work directly with employers to build custom scholarship, training, and persistence solutions that go beyond what traditional benefit platforms offer through strategic alignment with your talent needs, including “train-to-order” solutions to reduce onboarding time. Attract and retain your workforce, upskill with purpose, and increase employee loyalty by making training accessible, flexible, and supported.

• Design Innovative Training Solutions in collaboration with employers, businesses, communities, colleges, trade programs, SME—tailored to meet evolving workforce needs and emerging technologies.

• Partnering with training providers and employers—to help launch new curriculum pathways, upskill the community, and prepare students for in-demand careers.

• Create, award, disburse and report on persistence program benefits that support workforce upskilling, and professional development, as well as programs to support referrals and solutions for transportation, childcare, eldercare, utilities, and social needs that often cause employees to miss work.

• Establish Custom Tuition Grants and Scholarship Opportunities for families, businesses, organizations, and students pursuing workforce training, college, apprenticeships, or career placement.

• Funding future-ready training—a portion of all funds raised goes directly into student success and community workforce readiness funds for grants, scholarships and community outreach.

• Developing Think Tank strategies for site selection, talent pipeline creation, sector planning, and education-to-employment alignment

• Championing equity in access—our support is open to all students and schools in good standing, private colleges, public university systems and employers. Each employer determines which training providers and programs they will partner with.

· Persistence Programs and Campus-based business partnerships supporting student-run initiatives

· Community-led apprenticeship initiatives aligned with real employer needs