Skip to content
‹ Back to IndustriesEducation Technology

Employee Education and Workforce Training: Unlocking Mid-Market Potential Through Technology and Upskilling

Mid-market companies can unlock significant competitive advantage by investing in employee upskilling and leveraging technology-driven workforce training programs. Strategic education initiatives not only improve talent retention but also directly strengthen the bottom line. The article explores how technology platforms are making scalable, cost-effective training accessible to organizations at the mid-market level.

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Education Technology teams put it to work with Executive Thought Leadership.

Promoted content from DisruptED on MarketScale.

By Ron Stefanski · · Education as a BenefitEducational Assistance ProgramsMid-sized Businesses Challenges and OpportunitiesSasha Thackerberry-voinovich
Share

Key takeaways

01

Mid-market companies that prioritize upskilling gain measurable competitive advantages over peers who do not invest in workforce development.

02

Technology platforms are democratizing access to employee training, making enterprise-grade learning tools available to smaller organizations.

03

Investing in employee education improves retention, reduces hiring costs, and strengthens overall business performance.

Free workspace

Turn your Education Technology expertise into content.

Record interviews, organize footage, and write with AI on a free trial of the MarketScale platform for qualifying companies. No demo required, no credit card.

Try it Free

Integrating education and workforce training as an employee benefit has become a pivotal strategy for talent acquisition and retention. While industry leaders like Walmart, McDonald's, and Starbucks have long championed such programs, mid-sized and smaller enterprises often face barriers to implementation. A study found that education reimbursement programs deliver a 129% return on investment, meaning for every dollar spent, companies gain an additional $1.29. This makes the case clear that upskilling is not just a perk but a business imperative.

Education reimbursement programs deliver a 129% return on investment, meaning for every dollar spent, companies gain an additional $1.29.

How can mid-market companies effectively adopt and benefit from educational assistance programs?

Part two of this episode of "DisruptED" features host Ron Stefanski continuing to engage with Sasha Thackerberry-Voinovich, CEO of SkillsWave. The discussion delves into the challenges and opportunities mid-sized businesses face when implementing education benefits, emphasizing the importance of aligning these programs with cutting-edge technology and measurable business outcomes.

Key Takeaways from the Conversation:

  • Technology as a Driver: Innovative platforms streamline the implementation of educational and workforce training programs, enabling scalability and efficiency for businesses of any size.
  • Investment with Impact: Upskilling initiatives not only reduce turnover but also foster innovation and competitiveness in a disrupted workforce landscape.
  • Tailored Learning Paths: Personalized education tracks align employee career growth with organizational goals, enhancing engagement and retention.

Sasha Thackerberry-Voinovich is a renowned leader in corporate upskilling and education innovation. As the CEO of SkillsWave, she bridges the gap between education providers and businesses, driving transformative workforce development. Sasha holds a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from Kent State University and has held key leadership roles at D2L, Louisiana State University, and Pearson, bringing unparalleled expertise to the table.

DisruptED

Part of this channel

DisruptED

Education, workforce, and manufacturing futures with Ron J. Stefanski.

Visit the channel

Your experts belong here

Every story in MarketScale Education Technology starts with a company putting its implementation leads, instructional designers, and district partners on the record. Buyers are already reading this topic. The only question is whose experts they find.

Procurement teams read long before they ever call, and your implementers get to answer their questions first.

Book DemoSee how it works15 minutes, straight to a calendar.

About the author

Ron Stefanski
Ron StefanskiChief Community Affairs Officer, DisruptED
B2B Weekly

The week in Education Technology, and sixteen other industries, every Monday.

Ten stories, one-line takes, five minutes. Free.

Education Technology: are you visible to AI?

Before they reach out, Education Technology buyers ask AI engines which vendors to trust. Explore how your experts, customers, and partners can become useful content for buyers and AI search.

Free Trial

You just read one Education Technology expert. Your company is full of them.

This article was produced through MarketScale. The same platform turns your implementation leads, instructional designers, and district partners into the articles, video, and social content Education Technology buyers are searching for. Start a free trial and see it with your own people. For qualifying companies, no credit card, no demo required.

NPS +73 · 1,000+ creators · 38+ countries

What your free trial includes

Hands-on access to the MarketScale platform
Media requests to your crowd, remote recording, AI writing tools
No demo required. No credit card.
For qualifying companies. Company confirmation required.

More Education Technology Insights

Qweebi, already in 5,200 schools, raises $500K to win US districts

Qweebi, already in 5,200 schools, raises $500K to win US districts

Qweebi, a browser-based engineering and robotics platform for grades 3 to 8, raised a $500,000 seed round led by Inflection Point Ventures. Its 5,200-plus US schools came largely through teacher sign-ups.

  • 01Listed project run times range from 2 hours to 4.5 hours, so the schedule a STEM coordinator plans around depends on which project is picked, not the 2–3 hour headline.

Nov 3, 2026

Ball State's 36 new Corsair PCs are built for esports and creative software

Ball State's 36 new Corsair PCs are built for esports and creative software

Corsair supplied Ball State University's Esports Center with 36 PCs, each with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics card, 64 GB of memory and a 320 Hz display. The spec serves two kinds of users. Memory sized for Maya and Unreal Engine sits beside displays built for competitive play. Ball State says the upgrade gives students access to technology used in media production, animation and game development.

  • 01For a shared esports and media lab, let the heaviest course software set memory, and esports needs set the display and GPU.
  • 02Ball State expects its largest esports participation in 2026-27 since the program’s first year, and that count is the next test of demand.

Oct 31, 2026

More EdTech companies are changing hands, at lower prices

More EdTech companies are changing hands, at lower prices

Edtech acquisitions reached 149 through August 2026, with four months of the year still to go. In Berkery Noyes’ data, the median disclosed revenue multiple fell from 2.3x to 1.3x, though deals above $160 million carried a median 5.9x in its historical sample.

  • 01Corum Group counted 149 edtech acquisitions through August 2026, and Berkery Noyes’ data shows the median disclosed revenue multiple dropped from 2.3x in the second half of 2025 to 1.3x in the first half of 2026.
  • 02Only 9% of deals disclose terms, so the number to watch is whether disclosed deal value starts rising alongside deal count or stays near $6.5 billion.

Oct 30, 2026

Explore More Education Technology Insights

Read more expert perspectives from across Education Technology.

Browse Education Technology Hub

About the Expert

Ron Stefanski
Ron Stefanski

Host, DisruptED

DisruptED

Ron Stefanski is the host of DisruptED, a show focused on innovation and disruption in education. He is also an entrepreneur and online business educator who has built and sold multiple content websites. Stefanski regularly covers topics at the intersection of technology, learning, and workforce development.

For B2B teams

Your experts could be publishing here

Stories like this one run on content MarketScale captures from real practitioners. See how your team's expertise becomes coverage in Education Technology and beyond.

Book a Demo

Or call us. No forms required. We pick up. 214-945-2512