Freedom Learning Group -- an Emerging Powerhouse in eLearning Addresses Military Spouse Underemployment

Veteran-owned educational content and services provider invests $1 million back into the careers and futures of hundreds of military spouses and veterans, as instructional designers and subject matter experts.

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Freedom Learning Group

Mar 27, 2019, 08:43 ET

LAKE MARY, Fla., March 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Driven by its mission to fight military spouse underemployment, Freedom Learning Group, LLC (FLG), an educational content and services provider, is maintaining a blazing >170% growth rate, now moving into its third year of operations. FLG has introduced the largest untapped resource of subject matter experts (over 50,000 in their networks) to publishers and universities looking for high quality content and curriculum. The result: since 2017 FLG, has rapidly gained market share hand over fist against established offshore competitors, emerging as a formidable powerhouse in the eLearning and content services industry capable of large-scale operations.

Recognizing the need for reliable and qualified talent in the industry, FLG employs military spouses with advanced subject matter expertise to bridge the talent gap with a model that provides onshore quality at a competitive cost. The company is committed to improving the quality of online teaching and learning materials by bringing underemployed military spouses and veterans into the quickly expanding eLearning space. In just two years FLG surpassed the $1 million mark in earnings paid out to military spouses. Research and Markets projects eLearning to grow to a US $325 billion industry by 2025.

"Our clients range from small edtech companies to the world's largest educational publishers, universities, and workforce training and licensing corporations - they appreciate both our social mission and our ability to combine instructional design acumen and subject matter expertise. Our IDs are industry experts in their own right, and it shows in the quality of the content they produce. We're giving higher quality, at a more competitive rate, and a faster pace than is typically seen elsewhere in eLearning," said Nathan Ecelbarger, FLG's CEO and a Marine reservist.

Moving into 2019, FLG announced an initiative with Colorado State University Global to provide internship opportunities for military spouse professionals enrolled in CSU-Global's Graduate Certificate in Digital Instructional Architecture. For FLG, the partnership aims to establish a scalable supply chain of content developers for FLG's clients and an expanded workforce of military spouse instructional designers. Both CSU-Global's Provost and FLG's Chief Academic Officer continue to advocate for military spouse employment in Washington, D.C.

"As a state University, CSU-Global provides access to high quality online education resulting in meaningful employment," said Dr. Karen Ferguson, CSU-Global Provost. "Our military, and their families, deserve the opportunity to learn and grow while experiencing the flexibility that an online state institution like ours can provide. Military spouses represent who we aim to support."

FLG's Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Amy Taft, currently serving as a member of Second Lady Karen Pence's working group to fight underemployment of military spouses, said "FLG's solution for military spouses is unprecedented, unique, and the best answer on the market for professionals who have already invested heavily in their career path. While options like data science and tech continue to emerge, the military spouses who already possess advanced degrees in their field want the opportunity to actually use them. FLG gives them that opportunity."

FLG's vast network of subject matter experts brings an exclusive, close to proprietary competitive advantage in an industry continually seeking reliable talent. Since 2017, FLG has invested in meaningful relationships and partnerships with military spouse and veteran groups, networks, and organizations - networks that are largely closed and inaccessible to FLG's competitors. "We've earned their trust, which isn't taken lightly," said Stacey Ecelbarger, FLG's Co-founder and President. "Military spouses are particularly wary of predatory employers who target them simply out of a public relations strategy without understanding their culture or true needs. We didn't start a military spouse employment 'initiative' in an existing organization. We founded an entire organization around a military spouse employment mission, and they can see the difference."

Last year FLG joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Hiring Our Heroes' new Hiring 100,000 Military Spouses campaign, which aims to place 100,000 military spouses in jobs by 2021. As a fast-growing veteran and military spouse-operated business, FLG has committed to hire 1,000 military spouses.

"FLG's services and products live in an industry that pulls together all disciplines and backgrounds - the educational industry - and allows military spouses to repurpose their passion and profession, instead of reinventing it," said John Jordan, FLG's Director of Strategic Partnerships, and one of a handful of experts on the team without a direct military affiliation. "I am surrounded by great people of high integrity working to make a difference. I am proof of the great integration and openness of the company. ELearning and publishing are well known to be difficult industries; the Ecelbargers and the team are making it a great place for many people to thrive." John also added that, "while there are many great companies in our space, it generally reassures our clients that we're US-based, and bring a 'get it done' attitude to everything. I've seen military-like mission accomplishment first hand, it's very impressive."

About Freedom Learning Group: Freedom Learning Group, LLC is a leading full-service digital courseware developer, service provider, and education consultancy supporting publishers, colleges and universities, and OER learning companies. FLG specializes in eLearning content creation, ADA/Section 508 accessibility solutions, online program management, and curriculum design and development. As a Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB), FLG is powered by a global instructional design team of military spouses and veterans with advanced subject matter expertise. Connect with FLG at www.freedomlearninggroup.com and on social media through Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Contact FLG directly at 407.965.2000 or [email protected].

For more information, contact:
Stacey Ecelbarger, 407-965-2000 [email protected]

SOURCE Freedom Learning Group