Work-Integrated, Cooperative and Internship-based Learning
Opportunities for work-integrated, cooperative and internship-based learning are critical to developing graduates’ employability and to bridging the worlds of study and work, the curricular and co-curricular. WIL provides both academic and professional benefits. Research shows strong relationships between participation in WIL and college completion, employment after graduation and employer satisfaction with graduates’ skills. It makes postsecondary learning deeper, more relevant and purposeful; increases career planning, awareness and readiness; speeds graduates’ transitions to the workforce; and can also aid affordability and completion.
Targeted Higher Education/Industry Partnerships
The region has multiple shared and pressing labor market gaps affecting key industries that threaten competitiveness and growth. These present critical opportunities for designing and executing industry-specific partnerships to increase the pipeline of potential workers, reduce skill mismatches and better align industry, higher education and state policy. Timely and effective partnerships require informed partners, collaborative leadership, adequate resources and effective models informed by successful examples and best practices.