How to Leverage Partnerships to Build Success in Education

3 Big Takeaways from this episode:

1. Build trust with regional employers by listening first: How has Macomb Community College built such strong partnerships with employers like General Motors that the company uses the college for all its incumbent training needs? By listening. Whether large employers like GM or the countless small-to-midsize employers in any college's region, instructors, deans and college administrators need to start the partnership process by going out into the community and listening to the needs of their employers.
2. World-class college value partnerships within the college, as well as external ones: Often, technical and community colleges fail to have adequate communication and collaboration between their for-credit (academic) and non-credit (workforce) sides of the institution. Instead, these programs should work together to ensure their efforts are aligned. Listen to the full episode to hear why this is so vital.
3. Partnerships should include stakeholders in industry, government, nonprofit, and the community: Macomb Community College has successfully built partnerships across the spectrum - from the Michigan Works! Association to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, from large employers like General Motors to small-and-midsize manufacturers, from the State of Michigan to the individual voters in the community. Jim shares how the efforts to build these relationships has given the college access to more resources, funding, and a larger pipeline of students.