Closing the Gap

• Common Barrier: I don’t know where to start when trying to work with a community college. It’s hard to figure out who to contact or how the system works.
• Solution: Start by contacting the college’s workforce or CTE program lead, dean of workforce development, career services office, or marketing team. They can help you identify the right point of contact and schedule an initial conversation. Local economic development organizations may also have existing connections to community colleges that you can leverage. Use the first conversation to learn about key decision makers and stakeholders, and begin building a stakeholder map to guide your outreach. Look for colleges that actively promote employer partnerships in their communications, which often signals a strong interest in collaboration. Review any existing partnership models that could inform your approach.

• Common Barrier: Our industry is changing quickly, but higher education moves slowly. By the time a new program is approved, our needs may have already changed.
• Solution: Approach the design phase with flexibility. Explore ways to engage through existing programs or activities while working toward your long-term goals. Bring faculty, curriculum designers, and college leadership into the discussion early. Be clear from the start about your hiring needs, goals, and timelines. Consider joining advisory groups or inviting faculty to visit your workplace to strengthen understanding and build relationships.

• Common Barrier: I see the value in CTE partnerships, but it’s hard to stay consistently involved when I’m juggling so many competing priorities.
• Solution: Strong partnerships take time to develop. Start with small, focused pilots like job shadows, internships, or guest lectures. Capture early wins that build trust and support future efforts. Use these wins to build an internal business case for why additional organizational investment into CTE partnerships is necessary in the long term.

• Common Barrier: Our partnership loses steam when there’s no clear process for tracking progress or making changes. It’s even harder when no one on either side owns the relationship.
• Solution: Assign a primary point of contact to manage the relationship, and schedule recurring partnership reviews (such as, quarterly or twice a year). Use a simple scorecard or shared dashboard to track metrics and drive shared accountability. Be clear about what success looks like and potential blockers.

• Common Barrier: We want to support program development, but can’t take on the full cost. Community colleges often need more funding and resources than we can provide alone.
• Solution: Explore creative ways to support growth. Partner with local workforce boards or tap into state funding initiatives to help offset costs. Consider offering subject matter experts from your team to teach part-time, with the college covering compensation and your organization offering flexible scheduling. This approach strengthens the partnership while ensuring programs stay aligned with industry needs.

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