Member Matters March 2025

A Monthly Lookback at Some of the Good Work in the CAEL Membership Community

Fostering Education-Employment Ecosystems
Oakland University has joined the Detroit Regional Chamber's Detroit Drives Degrees Data Collaborative, which facilitates access and analytics for data critical to sustaining and improving student success. Additional CAEL members in the collaborative include Davenport University, Grand Valley State University, Oakland Community College, and Wayne State University (Oakland University).

Walsh University held its annual Science and Business Innovation Summit, which drew leaders representing business, government, and academia and fostered discussions on using cross-sector partnerships to improve workforce development (Walsh University).

A $1.5 million gift from Samsung Austin Semiconductor is supporting the Texas A&M Engineering Academy at Austin Community College. The partnership enables affordable access to engineering pathways that lead to high-demand occupations in Texas (ACC).

In New York, the semiconductor industry is the setting for an achievement Syracuse University is celebrating at the D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families, where 90 military-connected learners transitioning to civilian life have completed a certificate of completion in semiconductors through the IVMF Onward to Opportunity program, supported by a $3 million investment from Micron (Syracuse University).

Chandler-Gilbert Community College is developing a Future48 Workforce Accelerator devoted to aerospace and defense training. Future48 Workforce Accelerators are training facilities that support advanced manufacturing through partnerships with the Arizona Commerce Authority and community colleges and "bridge the gap between industry and academia" (KJZZ).

A partnership among the Wireless Infrastructure Association, Montgomery College, WorkSource Montgomery, and Montgomery County (Maryland) celebrated the first cohort of its 5G Readiness Program, which confers credentials that help participants upskill in areas needed for career advancement in the telecommunications and tech industry (WIA).

Tarrant County College is supporting efforts by the Fort Worth Chamber to build connections among educators to answer talent needs in the region. Its partnership with Autobahn Fort Worth includes scholarships and paid internships (Fort Worth Chamber).

In northeast Indiana, Ivy Tech Fort Wayne and Three Rivers Ambulance Authority are collaborating to reduce EMT shortages through a new partnership that is part of the college's Achieve Your Degree program. AYD includes nearly 300 employer partners and allows workers to complete a work-relevant credential at little or no up-front cost (Ivy Tech Community College).

Hands-On Learning
With the backing of a $5.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, Lorain County Community College is leading a consortium of other Ohio community colleges, industry organizations, and employers. The North Shore Manufacturing Workforce Partnership will capitalize on hands-on, work-based learning to help students access rewarding career pathways and meet workforce needs (LCCC).

Experiential and lifelong learning as well as community partnerships figure prominently in Cleveland State University's new strategic plan (CSU).

South Texas College has launched one of the first nursing apprenticeship programs in the U.S. During the two-year program, apprentices will earn $14 for each of the 2,000 clinical hours that, along with classes, complete the apprenticeship (Texas Tribune).

A new apprenticeship program is connecting on-the-job training at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory with degree pathways at Thomas Edison State University (TESU).

The University of Cincinnati pioneered the concept of cooperative education more than 100 years ago. Today, it offers one of the largest such programs, which connects employers with students to create real-world learning experiences (Ohio Magazine).

Paving Career Pathways
Antioch University is launching four digital badges from its online graduate management studies programs. Designed to clearly signal career-furthering competencies, the microcredentials are available to students enrolled in degree programs as well as those participating in the college's "Try Us Out" program (Antioch University).

A new bridge program is helping high school students in Pinal County, Arizona, use their skills and interests to gain insight into clearer college and career pathways through Central Arizona College (SanTanValley.com).

Accelerating Adult Learning
Grayson College is introducing the Adult Promise Program, which will serve learners ranging from those just starting toward a GED diploma to people who need to reskill or upskill despite holding master's degrees (KTEN).

Penn State is making it much easier for students to pursue credit for prior learning opportunities, replacing an older paper-form process with a more seamless digital solution (Penn State).

Adult learners and workers are the target audience for new online programs at Texas State University that offer flexibility in several health care programs, including medical assistant, pharmacy technician professional, and professional coder (TXST).

In Their Own Words
During a podcast, the president of Reynolds Community College talked about how community colleges are bridging skill gaps to help students succeed in the automotive sector (Virginia Automobile Dealers Association).

The Art of Articulation
University of Maryland Global Campus and Elgin Community College have entered into a transfer agreement that "will ensure UMGC accepts as much credit and prior learning as possible” (UMGC).

A transfer partnership program between Texas State University and Tarrant County College will guarantee admission to eligible students to TXST while offering individualized assistance and savings in time and money (TXST).

Additional Achievements and Awards
In recognition of "its targeted support of adult learners and first-generation students," Southwestern Oregon Community College won the Leah Meyer Austin Award by Achieving the Dream (ATD). The award announcement also highlighted the college's 12.3-percentage-point improvement in four-year completion rates among adult learners (Diverse: Issues In Higher Education).

Rio Salado College, where "an unwavering commitment to accessibility drives educational initiatives and community engagement," was honored with a 2025 ACE/Fidelity Investments Award for Institutional Transformation. The award, inaugurated in 2014, is presented to "institutions that responded to higher education challenges in innovative ways and achieved dramatic changes in a relatively brief period" (ACE).

The president of SUNY Oswego was named to the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council (SUNY Oswego).