As the “global war for talent” continues to escalate, shortages of high-skill, college-educated workers are increasing, producing challenges for all stakeholders vested in developing and retaining talented employees. To address this growing knowledge-based skills gap, higher education institutions, economic developers, and workforce development intermediary organizations, and employers must proactively work together as engaged partners in educating and retaining employees to meet workforce demands. Creating integrated pathways for students to transition successfully from the classroom, to experiential learning, to employment requires planning, relationship-building, and collaboration. This interactive session provides replicable examples of talent development / retention strategies implemented at the regional-, metropolitan-, and state-levels. An outcomes-oriented facilitated discussion follows, enabling participants to identify solutions to talent-based challenges. Rebecca Carl, Associate Vice President, Chief of Staff, Office of the Vice President for Engagement, Indiana University (moderator) Rena Cotsones, Ph.D., Associate Vice President of Engagement and Innovation Partnerships, Northern Illinois University Janyce Fadden, Executive-in-Residence, College of Business, University of North Alabama David Gard, Assistant Vice President for Economic Development, Indiana University Todd Greene, Vice President, Research Department, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

1. Facilitating Critical Education-to-
Employment Conversations and
Pathways in Indiana

2. The Long-Term Challenge Facing Indiana:
Developing, Acquiring, and Retaining Talent
I N D I A N A U N I V E R S I T Y 1
Indiana stands out as a
leading generator of
bachelor level and
higher college degrees
Indiana’s economic growth-
generating industries are
increasing high-skilled employment
at a slower pace than the nation
Indiana produces more
annual college graduates
than available high-skill
job openings
Ongoing net migration of
recent college graduates
from Indiana due to relative
lack of career opportunities
An Indiana workforce
lagging the nation in
educational attainment
and per capita income
However
Thus
Producing
Leading to
1
5
4
3
2
Challenge:
Indiana must leverage its strong higher education
pipeline by implementing strategies to increase
high-skill employment opportunities for young
workers while ensuring its college graduates are
prepared to join and contribute to the workforce
6
Battelle Technology Partnership Practice Study for Central Indiana
Corporate Partnership, 2012

3. Strengthening Connections between Higher
Education and Employers to Develop Talent
I N D I A N A U N I V E R S I T Y 2
“Employers are demanding more educated and trained employees, and
employers must be active and engaged partners in helping higher
education create the employees they need to succeed. New models
that blend educational preparation with workplace experience are
emerging.”
- Teresa Lubbers, Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education

4. The Case for Experiential Learning in
Developing Talent
• 2/3 of Indiana jobs require education beyond high school; however, only 1/3
of Hoosiers have it.
• Indiana needs at least 500,000 more Hoosiers with a degree or credential by
2018.
• Nationally, 76% of CEOS say finding qualified people is a major problem.
• 53% of small business leaders report challenges recruiting non-management
employers.
• 97% of CEOs and executives believe colleges should expand opportunities
for experiential learning.
• 80% of employers want new hires to have completed an internship.
• Only 8% of students report having invested time in internship experiences.
I N D I A N A U N I V E R S I T Y 3
CareerReadyIndiana.org
 Per a recent TechPoint study, disconnects exist between Indiana
colleges/universities and the state’s technology sector employers with regard to
providing sufficient experiential learning opportunities and real-world experience.

5. Addressing The Talent Challenge Through
Collaboration
• To tackle this challenge, Round III of the
Lilly Endowment Inc. (LEI) Initiative to
Promote Opportunities Through
Educational Collaborations provided
$62.7M in grant funding to 39 Indiana
colleges and universities to help improve
employment opportunities for Indiana
college graduates.
• Indiana University received (IU) a $5M
grant matched by a $3.7M institutional
commitment.
I N D I A N A U N I V E R S I T Y 4
LEI is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 as a separate
entity from Eli Lilly and Company committed to advancing community development and
education in Indiana.

6. IU’s Key Convening Role
IU is committed to supplying Indiana businesses and communities
with talented IU graduates by engaging in integrated activities
supported through the grant:
• Facilitating degree completion through IU Online and on-campus
opportunities
• Launching the Career EDGE Program across all IU Campuses
(Exploration, Development, Graduation, and Employment)
• Convening Education-to-Employment (E2E) Conversations:
 Hosting campus-based discussions throughout the year
across all campuses
 Convening an annual conference event involving higher
education administrators and faculty from Indiana colleges
and universities, employers across key industries,
policymakers, and community leaders.
I N D I A N A U N I V E R S I T Y 5

7. Convening Education-to-Employment Conversations
I N D I A N A U N I V E R S I T Y
6
Indiana
Colleges and
Universities
Indiana Employers,
Policymakers, and
Community Leaders
Provide feedback: Identify on
emerging economic development
and workforce needs, priorities,
and challenges
Take Action: Increase investment,
influence, and input into
improving educational outcomes
and degree attainment
Take Action: Implement needed
programmatic improvements
Provide feedback: Identify
emerging educational needs,
priorities and challenges

8. 2015 Inaugural Annual Event: E2E Convergence
Thursday, June 25, 2015
9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Hine Hall Ballroom
IUPUI Campus
850 W. Michigan Street, Indianapolis
Presented by:
Speakers and Panelists representing:
7

9. • Indiana Wesleyan University
• Ivy Tech Community College
of Indiana
• Marian University
• Purdue University
• Rose-Hulman Institute of
Technology
• Trine University
• University of Evansville
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Southern Indiana
• Vincennes University
• Wabash College
• Western Governor's
University Indiana
• Ancilla College
• Ball State University
• Butler University
• DePauw University
• Earlham College
• Franklin College
• Grace College
• Holy Cross College
• Indiana State University
• Indiana University
• IU Bloomington
• IU Northwest
• IPFW Fort Wayne
• IUPUI Indianapolis
• IUPUC Columbus
• IU South Bend
• IU Southeast
Indiana Colleges and Universities
Participating in E2E Convergence
I N D I A N A U N I V E R S I T Y 8
28 Campuses of 22 Institutions and 150
Individuals were represented at event

10. E2E Convergence: Areas of Focus
Primary questions/issues addressed include:
• What skills gaps currently exist in Indiana’s workforce?
• What do employers need to be globally competitive and how can
universities help?
• How can universities optimize curriculum to better prepare
students to enter the workforce?
• How can employers more effectively connect and partner with
universities?
• What pathways need to be expanded or created to facilitate
successful transition from education to career?
• What programs exist or need to be created to sufficiently retrain
and upskill individuals from other industries to meet pressing
workforce needs?
9

11. Moving Forward:
New Actions Reported by Participants Post-Event
• Leveraging new connections from the event to create additional
internship opportunities for students.
• Developing greater connectivity with businesses statewide for specific
input regarding university programs and employer needs.
• Assessing current levels of student workforce preparedness and
implementing program enhancements where needed.
• Developing online internship program for adult learners.
• Engaging across the regional business community to better understand
local workforce needs through facilitated discussions.
• Refining the professional/personal development program and soft skills
training currently being implemented for students.
• Matching career services and community engagement efforts to stated
priorities at the state and local level in workforce development.
I N D I A N A U N I V E R S I T Y 10
Post-event Participant Survey

12. Innovation using Strategic Doing
Building a Digital Technology Hub
Shoals FutureTech Core Team
August 2015
UNA College of Business 11

13. Shoals Digital Technology Timeline
ShoalsFuture-tech
•Jan2014
Innovation
Engineering
•Aug2014
StrategicDoingWorkshop
•Oct2014
IdeaAudition2014
•Nov2014
3DayStartUp
•Feb2015
ShoalsBigIdea
•Mar2015
StrategicDoingCert.
•Apr2015
TechLionsCodingCamp
•Jun/Jul2015
TechMeetup
•Jul2015
BizBuzz
•Sept2015
IdeaAudition
•Nov2015
Launching an Innovation Pipeline
Building a Digital Technology Cluster

14. Strategic Doing enables people to form action-
oriented collaborations quickly, move them
toward measurable outcomes, and make
adjustments along the way.
University Centric Regional Collaboration
• From Purdue Center for Regional Development
• October 20 and 21, 2014 event at UNA campus
• Over 200 people involved over 2 day event
• Pathfinder projects underway
• www.una.edu/strategicdoing

15. Oct 20-21, 2014
University of North Alabama
Florence, AL
Workshop attended by
over 50 people
Focused on Digital
Technology Hub and a
team from Corinth, MS

16. Brainpower
•Big Idea Competition
• March 11
• Launched Tech Meetup
• August 13
Innovation
•Student Coding camp
• 8 camps held
• 150 students served
Quality
Connected
Place
•Broadband
Capability
• Mapped current
network
• 3rd party broadband
franchise agreements
with Mayors
New
Narratives
•Visually Express the
Shoals
• Website underway
Building a
Digital
Technology
Cluster
Pathfinder Project Status- Sept 2015
Capacity for the
future comes
from actions we
take today!

17. UNA College of Business 16
3 Minute Business Pitch Contest

18. UNA College of Business 17
32 pitches- 1
winner!
• Obtained startup
funding
• Incubating at SEC
Idea Audition 2015
November 19, 2015

19. • Feb 27- Mar 1, 2015
• 35 students
• 25 mentors
• 5 panelists
• over 3 days formed and advised
• 6 startups
• April 8-10, 2016

20. Shoals Big Idea – Building the Digital Community
March 10, 2016

21. Innovation Pathfinder
Project
• Over 150 students served
• Black Rocket served 20,000
students last year
• Scholarships available
• Taught by UNA faculty
• Building the digital economy
pipeline

22. Held Monthly on the 2nd Thursday
Over 50 participants each session

23. Meets every Wednesday at 9:00
A fast hour of learning and exchanging ideas
Over 20 participants each week

24. UNA’s student incubator under construction
Opening October 17, 015

26. Mane Capital Fund LLC
• Creating local Angel Investment Fund
• Aligning with national organization
• Fund goal is to invest $1M-$3M
• Focus is North Alabama companies
• Initial work funded by ARC
• Seeking interested parties
• Launched in Sept 2015

27. Expanding the
capability of the
region with
training and
certification
13 people trained
and in process of
certification
Offered annually

28. UNA College of Business 27

30. Human Computer Interaction / User Experience (HCI/UX) Minor
The University of North Alabama partnered with Northrop Grumman
to create new minor program in HCI/UX.
Leading Speaker Series
Featuring Jared Spool
Oct 15, 2015
Jackson Center
Huntsville, AL

31. UNA MBA Concentration
Innovative Economic Development
Starting Spring 2016 Online MBA
Partnered with University of Purdue:
• 21st Century Economic Development (1 credit)
• Regional Innovation Ecosystems (3 credits)
• Collaborative Leadership (3 credits)
• Economic Development & Innovation Strategy (3
credits)
• Economic Development & Innovation Policy (3 credits)
• Capstone Project (2 credits)
Targeting state, regional and local
economic development organizations

32. 2015/16 Innovation Initiatives
Upcoming Events
• Tech Meetup 2nd Thursday monthly – Oct 8, 2015
• Biz Buzz weekly started - Sept 16, 2015
• HCI/UX speaker series – Oct 15, 2015
• UNA Student Incubator Oct 17, 2015 Opening
• Shoals Idea Audition – Nov 19, 2015
• Innovators Series – Feb 16, 2016
• Shoals Big Idea – Mar 10, 2016
• 3 Day Startup – Apr 8-10, 2016

33. Innovating using Strategic Doing
Building a Digital Technology Hub
Shoals FutureTech Core Team
August 2015
UNA College of Business 32

34. Growing our Own Engineering
and High-Tech Workforce:
Community-based, Industry-Integrated
Strategies in Rockford, Illinois
Rena Cotsones, Ph.D.
Associate Vice President for Engagement and Innovation Partnerships
Northern Illinois University
University Economic Development Association September 29, 2015

35. Engaging with Rockford

36. Challenges and Opportunities
The Bad News
• First in, last out of economic
downturn
• Educational attainment 7%
below state average
• Per capita income below
state average
• High unemployment
• Challenged K-12 public
school system
The Good News
• Center of aerospace and
advanced manufacturing
excellence
• 1.5 times national average
of engineers per capita
• Close proximity to Chicago
• Top 25 U.S. cargo airport
with UPS hub and new AAR
MRO facility being built

37. Regional strategies for workforce development
have evolved over a decade
• Collaborative and inclusive approach
• Engagement of higher education, industry, government and
economic development partners
• Federal JIAC grant energized and substantiated the
collaboration
• Focus on both current needs and vision for the future

38. Rockford Area Aerospace Accelerator Project
• NIU convened a group of higher education, economic development and
workforce development leaders to discuss how to accelerate innovation,
job creation and global competitiveness in the robust aerospace cluster.
• In 2010, the collaborative was awarded one of 20 competitive federal Jobs
and Innovation Accelerator Challenge (JIAC) grants, creating a $2.4 million
investment in this effort

39. Collaborative workforce development pathway

40. Rockford area engineering
workforce development issues
• Local companies report that 50% of engineering
talent will turn over in 5 years
• Woodward expansion increases demand for
engineers
• Best and brightest Rockford area students leave
town for college and start their careers elsewhere
• Local companies report difficulty in recruitment
and retention due to public school challenges and
comparatively limited local amenities

41. Rockford area engineering
workforce development issues
• Underrepresentation of minorities in women
• NIU offers 2 + 2 program with local
community college
• NIU College of Engineering & Engineering
Technology located at main campus in DeKalb,
32 miles away from Rockford

42. NIU-RVC Engineering Program
• Just announced: NIU will offer classes beginning Fall 2016
on campus at RVC
– Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering
– Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering
– Bachelor’s in Applied Technology
– Master’s in Integrated Systems Engineering
• Community-based, industry-integrated program
• Industry partners are
– providing access to world-class labs and expanding internship,
mentorship and co-ops for students
– committed to employing graduates
– leading fundraising to support capital and operational needs
• Economic development partners helping to connect to
SMEs for program support, internships, co-ops

43. NIU-RVC Engineering Program

44. Community Declaration of Support
“Our NIU-RVC Engineering Program is a regional game-changer. It will
build and enhance our community’s culture of higher education and
our workforce and develop our economy.”
“We all have a part to play in this historic collaboration. Please sign
your name to indicate your support of this effort to grow our own high-
tech workforce from within. We really are better together.”

45. Workforce Development Outcomes
• Higher level of engagement between higher
education and local manufacturers
• Increased understanding of high-tech workforce
needs
• Collaborative, assets-based approach to regional
innovation, economic and workforce development
and global competitiveness