Apollo Education Unit To Open RedFlint Innovation Center

Apollo Education Group, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:APOL) flagship segment, University of Phoenix’s College of Information Systems & Technology and School of Business recently collaborated with Iron Yard Ventures to introduce The RedFlint Innovation Experience Center in Las Vegas. This open concept center is expected to start functioning in Sep 2016.

The RedFlint Innovation Experience Center will specifically focus on Las Vegas business, education and government communities. It will provide an experiential, hands-on learning environment for individuals, startups and people with established careers in business. It will address the problems related to stagnation faced by established businesses; limited resources for entrepreneurs and startup ventures; and lack of technological expertise among individuals. Most people with their own business have industry knowledge but lack the technological expertise to reach out to their customers. The RedFlint Innovation Experience Center will help bridge this skill gap. It will help educate, incubate and accelerate business ideas.

The center will offer no cost workshops and professional development opportunities. It will also help start ups with the technology and resources needed to give their businesses a head start. It will also help entrepreneurs understand how to accelerate their business.

University of Phoenix (UOP) has been working on transforming itself to arrest the decline in enrollment levels, which have plunged over 60% since late 2010. In Mar 2016, UOP’s School of Advanced Studies inaugurated the Center for Learning Analytics Research, as part of the education company's focus on a “data-driven approach” to improve the quality of higher education provided to online adult students. In Sep 2015, UOP inaugurated the Center of Research Excellence (CORE) in Washington, D.C. The CORE will provide students of UOP’s College of Security and Criminal Justice career-oriented education in the fields of security, criminal justice and technology.

We note that Apollo Education Group has recently been in the news. On Feb 8, 2016, the education company announced a definitive agreement, under which it will be acquired by a consortium of investors for about $1.1 billion. The agreement received shareholders’ approval in May 2016. If the deal gets all the necessary approvals, the transaction is expected to close in Aug 2016. (Read: Apollo's (APOL) Majority Shareholders Vote for Going Private).

Apollo Education Group carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

Stocks to Consider

Some better-ranked stocks in the education industry include Capella Education Co. (NASDAQ:CPLA) , New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. (NYSE:EDU) and American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI) . While New Oriental Education & Technology Group and American Public Education sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Capella Education has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

AMER PUB EDUCAT (APEI): Free Stock Analysis Report

APOLLO GROUP (APOL): Free Stock Analysis Report

CAPELLA EDUCATN (CPLA): Free Stock Analysis Report

NEW ORIENTAL ED (EDU): Free Stock Analysis Report

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