FutureMakers Coalition selected though a rigorous review process.
The chasm between employers and postsecondary education providers is growing in America. Despite the strong demand for upskilled and reskilled talent across several industries, collaboration between education providers and employers is notably low. A study conducted by the American Association of Community Colleges and Harvard Business School (2022) underscores the challenge, reporting low self-scoring when rating partnerships between community colleges and employers.
This isn’t news to us. CivicLab’s work with partnerships around the country also points to this issue, evidenced by the growing number of partnerships requesting specific support in creating stronger partnerships between education provider and employers.
The chasm is a considerable threat to rural communities. Often reliant on a small group of key employers to provide family sustaining wages, rural communities that lack strong partnerships are at considerable risk for out migration and destruction of local economies.
