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Silicon Slopes, Utah — Pluralsight, Inc. (NASDAQ: PS), the technology skills platform, today announced that 1-800 Contacts is partnering with Pluralsight to power its in-house technology development program to deepen its bench of technology professionals who can lead its vision care innovations for customers.

As the original disruptor of the vision industry, 1-800 Contacts has spent 25 years working to make vision care simple and affordable, and rapidly adopting new technology has always been a hallmark of the company. Like most companies, however, recruiting high quality technology professionals to support its innovation strategies is challenging. To address this and create a steady pipeline of skilled talent, 1-800 Contacts launched its CTAC University program so that hourly associates can develop new technology skills using Pluralsight that will empower them to move into full-time technology roles.

“The reasons for launching CTAC University are twofold. First and foremost, we’re committed to investing in our employees and providing them with opportunities to advance their careers. Second, we see tremendous benefits of having this pipeline of talented people who are really passionate about making sure the business succeeds,” said Amy Larson, Chief Technology Officer for 1-800 Contacts. “Implementing Pluralsight into the program was a no-brainer. It provides participants with a powerful platform to learn new skills, assess their capabilities and then move into full-time technology roles where they can continue to hone their skills and contribute to the company’s future technology objectives.”

CTAC University is a one-year program for hourly associates to learn either backend or front end developer skills. Participants attend a two hour class once or twice a week where an instructor introduces them to a new concept, helps them see it in action and then provides students with two to four hours of homework, much of which is through the Pluralsight platform’s content and skills assessments.

“Pluralsight provides an opportunity for anybody to step up to the plate who maybe wouldn’t have been able to before,” said Elizabeth Leach, Software Engineer for 1-800 Contacts and CTAC University Instructor. “As an instructor in the CTAC University program, I see first-hand how the opportunity to reskill into a technology role is opening doors that were previously closed. It’s not only changing lives, but it’s having a positive impact on our business.”

By leveraging Pluralsight for both its existing technology team as well as onboarding new team members through CTAC University, 1-800 Contacts is able to put the right people on the right projects with the skills they need to move quickly to innovate and disrupt. By upskilling from AngularJS to Angular using Pluralsight, their technology team recently upgraded their website and built ExpressExam, allowing customers to renew vision prescriptions online.

“The thing that’s always impressed us about Pluralsight is just the quality of the content. And as we’ve watched the platform evolve over the years, it’s just become so much easier to consume that quality content when you need it and where you need it,” said Chris Wilsher, Director of Enterprise Software Development at 1-800 Contacts. “We particularly like the use of channels, as they allow our team to really focus in and learn at their own pace. Pluralsight allows them to get more hands on and learn new technology skills that support our technology objectives and ultimately create incredible experiences for our customers.”

To learn more about how 1-800 Contacts and other leading companies are using Pluralsight to gain a competitive edge, visit: pluralsight.com/customer-stories.