Workforce Development & Industry Partner

Department: Academic Affairs
Reports To: Vice President of Academic Affairs
Employment Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Position Summary

Workforce & Industry Partnerships (WIP) serves as the College’s primary liaison to regional employers, industries, workforce organizations, and other external partners to identify current and emerging education, training, and workforce development needs.

Through intentional outreach and relationship-building, WIP engages industry leaders and employers to better understand workforce trends, skills gaps, credentialing needs, and opportunities for employee education and advancement. WIP brings this information back to the College and works collaboratively with Academic Affairs to identify opportunities to develop, expand, or adapt academic programs, credentials, workforce training, and other educational offerings that respond to demonstrated market and employer needs.

A central focus of the position is developing partnerships that create sustainable enrollment opportunities for the College, including pathways for incumbent workers, employer-sponsored education, customized cohort programs, professional and continuing education, and other workforce-aligned educational initiatives.

The position is focused on institution-to-industry outreach and the development of educational partnerships that support academic growth and enrollment. It works collaboratively with Enrollment Management, Marketing, Development, Career Services, and other College departments when partnership opportunities intersect with their respective areas of responsibility.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Employer and Industry Engagement

• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with employers, industry associations, workforce development organizations, chambers of commerce, government agencies, and other relevant partners.
• Conduct regular outreach and engagement with employers to understand current and emerging workforce needs, skills gaps, credential requirements, and employee development priorities.
• Meet with organizational leaders, human resources professionals, workforce leaders, and other stakeholders to identify opportunities for education, training, and talent development.
• Represent the College at industry meetings, workforce events, professional associations, chambers of commerce, and other forums that provide opportunities for employer engagement and workforce intelligence.
• Establish mechanisms for ongoing employer feedback regarding workforce trends, educational needs, and the preparedness of current and future employees.
• Develop long-term employer relationships that create opportunities for continued collaboration between industry and the College.

Workforce Needs Assessment & Industry Intelligence

• Conduct formal and informal employer needs assessments to identify workforce challenges and opportunities.
• Monitor regional workforce trends, occupational demand, industry changes, credential requirements, and emerging skill needs.
• Identify common workforce needs across employers and industries that may warrant new or expanded educational programming.
• Gather and synthesize employer feedback to inform Academic Affairs regarding potential program development, curriculum enhancement, professional development, and workforce training opportunities.
• Maintain current knowledge of workforce development initiatives and industry trends relevant to the College's academic programs and strategic priorities.
• Provide periodic reports and recommendations regarding emerging workforce needs and potential institutional responses.

Educational Partnership Development

• Collaborate with academic leadership, faculty, and subject matter experts to translate identified workforce needs into appropriate educational solutions.
• Facilitate the development of customized workforce education and training opportunities in response to documented employer needs.
• Identify opportunities for credit-bearing programs, non-credit training, certificates, micro-credentials, certification preparation, continuing education, and professional development.
• Develop partnerships that create educational pathways for incumbent workers seeking advancement, reskilling, or additional credentials.
• Identify opportunities for employer-supported education, including tuition assistance partnerships and employee education pathways.
• Explore opportunities for internships, clinical experiences, apprenticeships, work-based learning, and other employer-connected learning experiences in collaboration with appropriate College departments.
• Support the development of proposals and partnership agreements necessary to implement employer education and training initiatives.

Employer Outreach & College Representation

• Increase employer awareness of the College's academic programs, workforce education capabilities, and opportunities for partnership through direct relationship-building and community engagement.
• Serve as a knowledgeable point of contact for employers seeking education, training, or workforce development solutions from the College.
• Develop presentations, partnership proposals, and employer-facing informational materials in collaboration with the College's Marketing and Development departments, as appropriate.
• Provide Marketing with employer and industry insights that may inform institutional communications, outreach strategies, and promotional materials.
• Coordinate with Marketing on external communications and promotional activities related to workforce and employer partnerships to ensure consistency with College branding and institutional messaging.
• Coordinate with Development/Advancement when employer relationships present philanthropic, sponsorship, donor, or other advancement opportunities.
• Represent the College at external events where workforce development, employer engagement, or industry partnership opportunities are present.

Partnership Management

• Serve as a relationship manager for assigned employer and workforce partnerships.
• Maintain regular communication with partners to assess satisfaction, identify changing needs, and explore additional opportunities for collaboration.
• Coordinate internally to ensure employer commitments and partnership deliverables are appropriately communicated and fulfilled.
• Track the status and outcomes of employer partnerships and workforce initiatives.
• Develop strategies for sustaining and expanding successful partnerships.

Institutional Collaboration

• Serve as a resource to Academic Affairs regarding employer expectations, workforce trends, occupational needs, and industry perspectives.
• Collaborate with academic departments to ensure workforce and employer feedback is appropriately considered in program planning and continuous improvement.
• Partner with Enrollment Management, Student Affairs, Marketing, Development/Advancement, and other departments where employer partnerships intersect with their respective areas of responsibility.
• Participate in strategic planning and institutional initiatives related to workforce development, community engagement, enrollment, and program growth.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge

• Workforce development and employer engagement practices.
• Regional workforce and economic development systems.
• Higher education, adult education, continuing education, or workforce training environments.
• Employer needs assessment and partnership development.
• Workforce trends, occupational demand, skills development, and talent development.
• Educational program development and credentialing pathways.
• Principles of relationship management and external stakeholder engagement.

Skills

• Exceptional relationship-building and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Strong consultative and needs-assessment skills.
• Ability to engage employers in substantive conversations regarding workforce challenges and organizational needs.
• Strong written, verbal, facilitation, and presentation skills.
• Ability to synthesize employer feedback and workforce information into actionable recommendations.
• Strong partnership development and negotiation skills.
• Project management and organizational skills.
• Data analysis, reporting, and trend-identification capabilities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, CRM or relationship-management platforms, and virtual meeting technologies.

Abilities

• Establish credibility with executives, employers, industry leaders, workforce partners, and community stakeholders.
• Build and sustain a broad network of employer and industry relationships.
• Understand employer needs and connect those needs with appropriate educational opportunities.
• Work collaboratively across academic and administrative departments.
• Manage multiple partnerships and initiatives simultaneously.
• Work independently while maintaining strong internal communication and coordination.
• Travel locally and regionally to meet with employers and participate in industry and workforce activities.
• Represent the College professionally in diverse business and community settings.

Minimum Qualifications

Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Education, Workforce Development, Organizational Leadership, Human Resources, Communications, or a related field.

Preferred Education: Master’s degree in business administration, Organizational Leadership, Higher Education Administration, Workforce Development, Adult Learning, or a related discipline.

Required Experience:

• Five years of progressively responsible experience in workforce development, employer engagement, corporate partnerships, higher education, talent development, account/relationship management, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience developing and maintaining relationships with employers or other external stakeholders.
• Experience assessing organizational or workforce needs and developing responsive solutions.
• Experience coordinating projects or partnerships involving multiple internal and external stakeholders.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience in higher education, workforce development, corporate training, economic development, organizational development, or adult learning.
• Experience developing employer-sponsored education or workforce training partnerships.
• Experience working with regional employers, workforce organizations, or industry associations.
• Experience using CRM or other relationship-management systems.

Performance Measures

Performance will be evaluated based on:

• Number and quality of employer and industry relationships established and maintained.
• Employer engagement and needs-assessment activity.
• Identification of documented workforce and educational needs.
• Employer needs translated into actionable recommendations or educational solutions.
• New or expanded workforce education and training partnerships.
• Development of work-based learning and employee education pathways.
• Partner satisfaction and retention.
• Quality and usefulness of workforce intelligence provided to Academic Affairs.
• Contribution of employer partnerships to institutional strategic objectives, enrollment opportunities, and sustainable revenue.