BUSINESS - HIGHER EDUCATION FORUM

One of bhef's regional talent initiatives, this program is funded by connecticut's office of workforce strategy, tech talent accelerator, led by the business-higher education forum (bhef) and the new england board of higher education (nebhe) creates business higher education partnerships that develop newly tailored credentials available to connecticut's learners in high demand technology fields such as cloud computing, cybersecurity, ai, and mobile application development. Bhef supports educators and business partners with a community of practice to learn best practices for developing industry-validated programs and embedding in-demand credentials and a platform for engaging with statewide tech talent and workforce development initiatives.

Number 4: bhef provides technical assistance to west georgia technical college (wgtc) and labor market data for wgtc's new advanced manufacturing regional training center focused on serving employers by closing the skills talent gap in the four-county region closest to the proposed center facility. The work aims to enhance the existing physical center to meet industry partner training needs, embed industry-driven experiential learning opportunities, align and refresh programming and credentialing, and on-board staff to launch, market, and sustain employer partnerships. Number 5: funded by the strada education foundation, our annual report series is a resource that gathers intelligence from employers to identify the emerging skills and partnership models that are needed to drive closer alignment across curriculum and talent pipelines. Released in the form of a publicly available report, "forging partnerships to align education and industry for the workforce of tomorrow," this resource shares data insights and actionable examples to enable higher education pathways to be developed to better align to industry needs. Number 6: funded by the ecmc foundation, the business-higher education forum's (bhef) faculty innovation fellowship brings a change management and employer alignment methodology to enable emerging higher education leaders to design, develop, and lead the development of effective, industry-aligned talent pipelines that expand pathways to student success. Collaboration between business and higher education is vital to ensure that higher education experiences pave the way for rewarding employment. Faculty fellows are leaders empowered to drive positive change that position students for success and enables their institutions to be leaders in employer engagement. Number 7: funded by the strada education foundation, the publicly available "expanding internships: harnessing employer insights to boost opportunity and enhance learning" fills an evidence gap by examining the employer perspective on wbl. By interviewing 2,700 employers, completing a literature review and conducting interviews and focus groups, the report identifies the key challenges companies face in offering internships, from operational constraints to market uncertainties. It also highlights the importance of quality in internship programs and the need to increase opportunities for students. This report was a first step in our work to expand capacity in this area. Conferences: bhef conducts semi-annual convenings to catalyze dialogue and action between its corporate and academic network and foundation and strategic partners on issues related to business talent needs, workforce development, and higher education innovation to meet these needs. Policymakers from state and federal governments are often invited to participate in these discussions. Academic, business, and philanthropic leaders at the cutting-edge of technologies and educational programming participate. Many give presentations on successful local educational efforts that may be applicable on a broader regional or national scale. Bhef also hosts virtual and in-person convenings on topics at the intersection of business and higher education.