League for Innovation in the Community College March 2018 | Page 29

PARTNERING TO DEVELOP
WORKERS WITH THE
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BY MADELINE K. BARILLO
oday’s employers know that skilled workers don’t grow
on trees. Sometimes, you have to grow your own talent.
With rapid advances in technology, job titles like Smartphone
Application Developer and Patient Care Technician simply
didn’t exist a decade ago, so qualified candidates are few.
Employers scrambling to find workers with the right stuff
often turn to Norwalk Community College (NCC) in Norwalk,
Connecticut. That’s because NCC tracks industry trends and
readily deploys associate degree and certificate programs to
produce workers who can hit the ground running.
Employers serve on the college’s academic advisory boards
and inform curriculum development and program outcomes.
“By linking directly with employers, NCC identifies workforce
shortages, now and down the road, and tailors solutions,” said
NCC President David L. Levinson.
According to the 2013 McKinsey and Company report,
Breaking the U.S. Growth Impasse, “Business leaders can give
the U.S. economy a shot in the arm by pursuing innovative
public/private partnerships and developing human capital
through education and workforce training.”
Partnering with health care employers helps identify job
opportunities for allied health graduates.
NCC leads dozens of collaborative relationships that position
students for success and boost the economy. For example,
the college’s growing veterinary partnership has been good
for students, vets, and pets. According to program coordinator
and assistant professor Anne C. Hermans, “NCC’s veterinary
technicians program was established in response to an
overwhelming demand for trained and credentialed veterinary
technicians from area practices of all different sizes and
types—small and large animals, exotics, specialty practice,
general practice, and emergency and referral practice.”
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