As the 2017 recipient of the International Association for Continuing Education & Training (IACET) Award in Learner Engagement, Business U announces a new certification for regions interested in effectively coordinating workforce and education stakeholders with industry partnerships. “Our fieldwork this year reveals that individual organizations have made commendable strides to better understand and apply both transactional and transformational engagement strategies to build relationships with businesses,” said Business U CEO/Co-founder, Dr. Christine Bosworth. “Yet we know that labor markets and employers operate regionally, and as such, industry partnerships are needed to solve complex workforce challenges and to provide expanded opportunities for job seekers and students. The goal now is to move from one-to-one engagement efforts to one-to-many.”
Effective regional collaboration is based on coordination of the region’s assets including its people, processes and technology, coupled with standardize processes and sustainable funding. However, regional collaboration requires both a cultural and an operational shift among those that interface with business and industry such as workforce and education organizations, economic development agencies, small business development centers, industry associations, and chambers of commerce, all of which offer valuable assets and services to stimulate and support economic growth and competitiveness.
Business U’s accredited certification program developed specifically for regions working with industry partnerships, culminates in a capstone project. The capstone experience will demonstrate the required skill set for a collaborative and standardized regional approach to engagement that is focused on sector strategies and guided pathways.
“Building a sustainable regional structure to support industry partnerships is much like starting a small business,” said Business U Co-founder, Celina Shands. “The Business U Industry Partnership Certification is unique in that it certifies that regional partners have demonstrated the skill set to effectively collaborate and develop a strategic approach to help grow regional economies.”
For more information, contact us at info@business-u.net
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