career academy

What career academy does

Career Academy is a privately held, for-profit Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training school operating from a single campus at 3355 Poplar Avenue, Suite 100G, Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 2004 by Brenda Woodruff and led since 2024 by Duane and Josh Hutcheson, the school delivers a state-approved 120-hour curriculum (40 classroom + 80 clinical hours) in two formats: a 4-week day program (Mon-Fri, 8:30 AM-2:30 PM) and a 6-week evening program (Mon-Fri, 5:00-9:00 PM). Students must be 18 with a valid Social Security card; no GED is required via the Ability-to-Benefit (ATB) paper assessment pathway. On-site clinical skills stations and a registered NNAAP state exam testing site allow students to train and test in the same building.

The business model is direct-to-consumer tuition of $1,350 all-inclusive (covering textbook, materials, CPR certification, and state exam registration), paid via a 3-installment plan ($450 × 3) with no payment due before the first day. The school does not participate in FAFSA or federal student loans. Material revenue diversification comes through third-party sponsorship: WIOA/American Job Center, SNAP E&T, VA education benefits (Post-9/11 GI Bill, VR&E), and MyCAA for military spouses cover full tuition for eligible students. Employer sponsorship from local healthcare systems is accepted. All-inclusive pricing rises to $1,900 for classes starting in 2027.

Career Academy operates as an LLC with no disclosed parent company, external funding, or institutional investment. Technology is operational rather than differentiated: Stripe for payments, Twilio for SMS communications, and an online student portal for enrollment, documents, and academic progress. The school has graduated 1,300+ students since 2021, holds a 4.6 Google rating, and is authorized by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC #2580) and approved by the Tennessee Department of Health. End customers are adult career changers, working adults, no-GED candidates, single parents, military veterans/spouses, nursing career starters, and DeSoto County/MS commuters seeking a 4-6 week path to Tennessee CNA certification and immediate healthcare employment at major Memphis employers including Baptist Memorial, Methodist Le Bonheur, Regional One Health, St. Francis Hospital, and the Memphis VA Medical Center.

Name

career academy

Legal name

Career Academy, LLC

Website

https://careeracademymemphis.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Career Academy is a private, for-profit CNA training school in Memphis, TN, delivering a state-approved 120-hour program in 4-week day or 6-week evening formats for $1,350 all-inclusive, serving adult career changers, working adults, and no-GED candidates seeking fast-track healthcare certification and employment with Memphis-area healthcare employers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Student Tuition: Direct tuition payments from students for CNA training program. $1,350 all-inclusive covers instruction, materials, CPR, and state exam registration. Payment plan of 3 x $450 available. No payment required before first day of class.
2. Workforce Program Sponsorship: Third-party sponsorship payments from workforce development programs (WIOA/AJC, SNAP E&T) covering full tuition for eligible students. Also VA benefits and MyCAA for military families. Employer sponsorship payments from healthcare employers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Career Academy provides state-approved Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training through a 120-hour program combining classroom instruction with hands-on clinical skills practice at its Memphis campus. Students can choose a 4-week day cohort (Mon-Fri, 8:30 AM-2:30 PM) or a 6-week evening cohort (Mon-Fri, 5:00-9:00 PM), with new classes starting monthly. The all-inclusive $1,350 tuition covers textbook, skills materials, CPR/BLS certification, and state exam registration, and graduates can take the NNAAP state exam on-site at the same campus.

Product overview

Career Academy offers a single unified CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) training program as its core product, with two scheduling variants: a 4-Week Day Program (Mon-Fri, 8:30 AM-2:30 PM) and a 6-Week Evening Program (Mon-Fri, 5:00-9:00 PM). Both formats deliver the same 120-hour state-approved curriculum with classroom instruction and hands-on clinical training. Supporting products include an online Student Portal for enrollment management and payments, and an Ability-to-Benefit (ATB) Assessment for students without a GED. All students prepare for Tennessee CNA certification and can test at Career Academy's on-site state exam testing facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CNA Training Program State-approved Certified Nursing Assistant training program providing 120 hours of classroom instruction and hands-on clinical training to prepare students for Tennessee CNA certification. Offered in two formats (4-week day and 6-week evening), with all-inclusive $1,350 tuition covering textbook, skills materials, CPR certification, and state exam registration. Designed for adult learners seeking entry-level healthcare employment in Memphis-area hospitals, nursing homes, and home health agencies.
• 4-Week Day CNA Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Get CNA-certified in 4-6 weeks and start working immediately
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Job Center (WIOA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal workforce funding through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. American Job Center can cover 100% of tuition for eligible students through Individual Training Accounts (ITA). Career Academy is an approved WIOA training provider. Students receive training vouchers and may also get supplies and transportation coverage.
• SNAP Employment & TrainingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTennessee DHS program for SNAP recipients. Can cover full tuition plus supportive services like transportation and work supplies. E&T pays tuition on behalf of qualifying students.
• VA Benefits / GI BillcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPost-9/11 GI Bill and Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E) programs cover CNA training at approved vocational schools. Career Academy is an approved provider for VA education benefits.
• MyCAAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilitary Spouse Career Advancement Accounts provide up to $4,000 for training. Eligible spouses of active-duty service members in pay grades E1-E5, W1-W2, and O1-O2. Career Academy's $1,350 tuition is fully covered.
• Hire LocalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Memphis workforce development program that connects Memphis residents with funded training in high-demand healthcare fields.
• East Tennessee State University (ETSU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerETSU partners with Career Academy to provide funding for eligible students.
• UT SkillupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Tennessee workforce development program that may cover CNA training costs for qualifying students.
• The Collective BlueprintminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMemphis-based community organization that helps residents access workforce training and career development opportunities. Refers participants to Career Academy.
• GrowwthminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity partner referral program connecting eligible participants with funded CNA training at Career Academy.
• Tennessee Department of HealthcoreOthersState regulatory body that approves CNA training programs and maintains the Tennessee Nurse Aide Registry. As of June 2026, nurse aide testing and registry administered by Credentia (replaced TMU/HeadMaster).
• Mississippi State Department of HealthminorOthersAdministers MS reciprocity/endorsement for Tennessee CNAs seeking to work in Mississippi. Tennessee's 120-hour program exceeds MS's 75-hour minimum, allowing straightforward reciprocity.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MedCerts: Online healthcare certification school offering programs including CNA, phlebotomy, and patient care technician. Directly comparable online healthcare training model, though without Career Academy's on-site clinical lab and state exam testing site advantage.
• CareerStep: Online career school focused on healthcare and allied health certification programs (CNA, medical assisting, pharmacy technician). Comparable curriculum-aligned, employer-aligned vocational healthcare training, delivered online versus Career Academy's on-site Memphis format.
• Penn Foster: Established online career school offering accredited healthcare and trade programs including a self-paced CNA pathway. Comparable accredited vocational training competitor, serving a national audience with a different (online, asynchronous) delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• American Red Cross: Large national organization that offers CNA training programs in multiple states. A broader, more established player in the same healthcare training category but without Career Academy's Memphis-specific workforce funding channel depth or on-site state exam testing.
• Goodwill Industries International: Operates community-based workforce training programs across the U.S., often including CNA preparation funded through WIOA and similar channels. Comparable in targeting funded, career-changer populations, but as a non-profit with a much broader mission and footprint.

Regional players

• Southwest Tennessee Community College: Public community college serving the Memphis metro with a CNA program among its health sciences offerings. The most direct local competitor for in-person CNA training in the Memphis MSA, though it offers a broader academic portfolio at typically lower tuition.

Others

• ed2go (Cengage): Continuing-education partner that delivers workforce training content through community colleges and other institutions. Adjacent to Career Academy's market in that it serves similar career-changer audiences but acts as a content/distribution layer rather than a direct training competitor.

Emerging players

• Ashworth College: Nationally accredited online career school offering vocational and healthcare programs including career diploma options. Comparable in targeting adult learners seeking credentialed career entry, though primarily self-paced and online.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Career-Academy-LLC-387978884899376

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about career academy