Contracts and partnerships were recently announced, including a deal between the University of California San Diego Extension and Manpower San Diego and Right Management, as well as a change in the group purchasing organization contract between Cross Country Healthcare Inc. (NASD: CCRN) and Vizient.

Manpower San Diego and Right Management

Manpower San Diego and Right Management will offer career service and counseling to students and alumni at the University of California San Diego Extension.

The services include an online, self-guided year-long program that provides advice on everything from self-assessment to personal branding to interview techniques. Other offerings include in-person group workshops on topics such as resume writing and networking. Terms of the deal were not announced.

Right Management will handle the online portion of the offering and Manpower San Diego will handle the in-person portion.

“UC San Diego Extension is about helping people get the skills they need in an ever-changing economy, but when it comes to a successful career, the right skills will only get you so far,” said Josh Shapiro, executive director of the Extension’s Center for Research on the Regional Economy. “We felt it was important to partner with career experts Right Management and Manpower to ensure people could translate those new skills into a satisfying career.”

Cross Country Healthcare

Cross Country Healthcare Inc. (NASD: CCRN) announced last week that it added recruitment process outsourcing for nursing and allied health professionals to its group purchasing organization contract with Vizient Inc. It is also the sole managed service provider under the contract.

Vizient is a healthcare performance improvement company, and its membership base includes academic medical centers, pediatric facilities, community hospitals and others.

“With Cross Country Healthcare becoming the only managed service provider, MSP, and recruitment process outsourcing, RPO, vendor in Vizient’s GPO portfolio, effective immediately,” said Cross Country President and CEO William Grubbs. “This relationship brings increased opportunities to add to our rapidly growing MSP portfolio.”