In order for the New England economy to continue to grow and for our region’s businesses to compete globally, employers of all types and sizes are dependent on a skilled workforce.
Our region is fortunate to be home to hundreds of institutions of higher learning who prepare the next generation to join the workforce. However, in addition to traditional classroom training, educators and employers alike have embraced partnerships that bring together industry and educational institutions to work collaboratively to prepare students for career success.
In 2016, the Council first undertook an effort to compile information on the many partnerships between educators and employers that are designed to develop a skilled talent pipeline in New England. The first edition of “Partnerships for the Talent Pipeline: A Director of New England Education-Industry Partnerships,” which was released that fall. Over the years, we continued to collect information and expand upon this publication, publishing three subsequent editions. We are now pleased to transition this resource online, where you can easily sort and search for programs, and we can accept new submissions on a rolling basis, allowing this directory to be constantly updated.
The partnerships we have highlighted are ones that provide a mutual benefit to both students and businesses. These partnerships go beyond the traditional internship model to provide a variety of experiential learning and mentorship opportunities, to develop a curriculum that will best prepare students for future job opportunities, and to develop pipelines for post-graduation employment. The programs highlighted in this directory are individually unique and use creative models to meet the needs of the diverse businesses and students involved.
The Council hopes that this directory will continue to be a useful resource to policymakers and other stakeholders, and will encourage employers and educational institutions to pursue and expand partnership initiatives that develop our region’s talent pipeline. These collaborative efforts are crucial to the growth and competitiveness of businesses through the region, and to the success of our future generations.