The Right Partners and Curricula<\/strong><\/p>\nThere are many types of partnerships that employers, employees, and schools can explore to the benefit of all, says UniversityNow\u2019s Wade. He points to one easy place to start: creating certificate programs that both address employer training needs and count toward college credit. Employers benefit by training employees through programs that count toward a degree program (thereby saving dollars on tuition assistance). The student benefits by gaining valuable training and a quicker path to a degree. This kind of program works well with both front-line workers and senior managers, who are seeking advanced degrees such as MBAs, Wade says.<\/p>\n
Another type of partnership would involve creating technical training programs at schools that prepare students for industry. \u201cThis type of partnership is best developed by community colleges,\u201d Wade says. \u201cMany of them specialize in this kind of partnership and will work with new and emerging industries to develop programs for jobs that are being created. Research has shown that, over the long run, technical training programs are most effective when they are coupled with (or connected to) programs that teach broad thinking skills.\u201d<\/p>\n
Higher education, employers, graduates, and current students need the opportunity to share their respective efforts, needs, concerns, and aspirations to better inform the process of preparing college graduates for the workplace, says Excelsior College President John Ebersole. Such communication, he notes, should extend to both those already in the workforce (who may need retraining), as well as those about to enter.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost business schools and continuing education units have advisory boards that assist with periodic curricula reviews, new program creation, and\/or revision efforts,\u201d he explains. \u201cSuch groups help to ensure program relevance and give major stakeholders both a voice and a share of the responsibility for closing skill gaps.\u201d<\/p>\n
American Public University, for example, hosts annual industry advisory councils (IACs) for its academic programs that consist of subject matter experts across industries and academic scholars from APU and other learning institutions. In other venues, Maldonado says, organizations may partner with academic institutions to form educational alliances to support various phases of their talent management, leadership development, and succession planning efforts. \u201cSimilar to the conversations and positive results experienced with IAC-type collaborations, schools and companies may engage in conversations around critical touch points such as onboarding, developing middle managers, or creating a strong leadership pipeline,\u201d Maldonado says.<\/p>\n
Alliances also can be formed around leadership development programs blended with multi-institutional service partnerships (e.g., a school and corporation could share a Habitat for Humanity commitment and incorporate a leadership training component), say CCL\u2019s Wright and Yarborough. CCL and the YMCA of Greater Greensboro collaborated on a mentoring program focused on African-American and Latino youth. \u201cRelationships with local universities and corporations produced mentors who worked with \u2018family groups\u2019 comprising six young people, one college mentor, and one professional mentor. These groups met and trained together for approximately eight months a year. The program has served more than 175 youth and mentors,\u201d Wright and Yarborough say.<\/p>\n
Other opportunities such as service-learning partnerships between nonprofits and universities are fertile ground for collaboration, as well, Wright says. \u201cWe recommend partnership initiatives have some sort of action, service, or experience-based component. It can be tempting to organize a speaking series where professionals lecture to students, but we would recommend using these to supplement a broader, experiential initiative.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have always viewed the role of higher education as a VAR (value-added reseller), meaning colleges and universities enroll adult learners who already possess some skills, knowledge, and tools,\u201d says Ray Compari, associate dean and director of Executive Education, Rutgers School of Business\u2013Camden, which has established numerous educational\/academic partnerships with global organizations such as Cisco, Caterpillar, Graybar, and Thomas & Betts. \u201cWe then \u2018add value\u2019 to learners by expanding their base, depth, scope, reach, and limits in foundational areas (comprehension, application, etc.), as well as in areas in which they wish to pursue a career (finance, engineering, etc.).\u201d<\/p>\n
As such, Compari says, critical conversation among all parties should be taking place regularly around questions such as: What are the key \u201cvalues\u201d to add to the product? What baseline skills, knowledge, and tools should a learner begin the process with? How can the partnership ensure that the learner can practice and the employer can test the product before creating an employment situation?<\/p>\n
Both credit and non-credit higher education programs must, among other things, remain adaptive to the ever-changing learning styles of adult learners, Compari adds. \u201cThe academic sector as a whole has some catching up to do in order to adequately provide training and education when and where learners desire it. Fortunately, we are making broad and lasting changes, driven by technology, in training and education delivery.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ultimately, in order to proactively work at addressing a skills gap, both employers and academic institutions must commit explicit effort and resources toward this goal, stresses Strayer\u2019s Szpiro. \u201cThis begins by having dedicated managers on both sides who \u2018own\u2019 the relationships and are accountable for their success.\u201d<\/p>\n
Training\u2019s Role<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Training or Learning & Development department is an essential partner in the corporate\/academic relationship, UNC\u2019s Cates emphasizes. \u201cThey help to define the competencies, skills, and behaviors the organization needs. They measure and monitor employee performance. They understand the IT capabilities of their organization.\u00a0They know the culture and history of their organization. They set the goals and benchmarks. They manage the overall training and development budget. Ultimately, they know where and when an academic partner can provide value. Our primary goal as the academic partner is to support the Training team, helping them to achieve their learning and development objectives.\u201d<\/p>\n
Szpiro also points out that academic institutions have invested their time and effort in understanding how people learn and the best way to deliver learning experiences. \u201cThese are not skills a Training department has to copy or try to mimic,\u201d he says. \u201cThe Training department can be a logical place for the \u2018ownership\u2019 of the partnership between the employer and the academic institution and can help drive its success.\u201d<\/p>\n
Measuring Success<\/strong><\/p>\nThe success of corporate\/academic relationships is measured in different ways, says Excelsior College\u2019s Ebersole. \u201cFor the academic institution, \u2018success\u2019 will mean substantial enrollment in any joint or sponsored programs, as well as feedback that results in real enhancement to course offerings or degree requirements, and finally, increases in internships and\/or hiring of graduates.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the employer, he says, success indicators will include:<\/p>\n
\n- The need for less supplemental training of new hires from the partner institution.<\/li>\n
- Reduced cost of special, new skill instruction from the partner (as opposed to having to conduct internally).<\/li>\n
- Synergies for degree completion by individual employees (along with recognition of internal training for college credit).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
With programs specifically designed to accelerate high-potential talent, \u201cwe pay attention to the career progress of the participants who come through those programs,\u201d UNC\u2019s Cates says.\u00a0\u201cWe seek feedback from our clients on the changes they\u2019re seeing in their business results and organizational culture tied to the work we do with them. At the program level, evaluations help us to assess the program and identify opportunities for improvement. We also measure our clients\u2019 satisfaction to ensure that we are meeting and exceeding their expectations. Our partners provide feedback on our ability to drive specific learning outcomes and our ability to move the business forward in a meaningful way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clearly, each organization has its own set of unique key performance indicators (KPIs) or success metrics. However, Maldonado points to some that tend to be consistently valued by businesses such as:<\/p>\n