(Akron/Tire Review) Continuing its emphasis on its sole remaining active North American tyre plant, Continental Tire North America has teamed with Rend Lake College to start Continental University, an on-site program that will allow CTNA workers at its Mt. Vernon, Ill., tyre plant to earn college degrees.

The program gives employees the opportunity to earn a two-year associates degree by attending classes at the plant, and a bachelor’s degree from nearby Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.

“I’m pleased to announce a direct investment in the education and professional growth of our employees through Continental University,” said Heinz-Gerhard Wente, global human resources chief for Continental AG. “It is a meaningful program that promotes higher education and advances employees’ career paths at Continental, and one that also promotes the exchange of knowledge and ideas and cultivates a high-performance culture in the workplace.”