Smith Stresses Importance of Education and Industry Collaboration
By Mira Radovich, Senior Contributing Writer
As artificial intelligence and emerging technologies continue to transform the workplace, community colleges and employers must work together in new ways to ensure learners have the skills needed for the future.
Rio Salado College President Dr. Kate Smith explored this challenge in a new opinion piece published by the Phoenix Business Journal.
In her op-ed, "How Community Colleges and Business Leaders Can Co-Design the Future of Work in the Age of AI,” Smith shared how stronger partnerships between higher education and industry can help communities prepare for an evolving economy.
Smith highlighted that community colleges have long played a critical role in workforce development by collaborating with employers to align education and training with real-world needs.
However, the rapid pace of technological change, including the rise of artificial intelligence, requires colleges and businesses to move beyond traditional partnerships and create more responsive, forward-thinking approaches.
"The changing world of work will require a more agile relationship between higher education and business," Smith wrote. "One that doesn't just respond to, but anticipates, the needs of the economy."
Read Dr. Kate Smith's full op-ed published in the Phoenix Business Journal.
How Community Colleges and Partners Can Co-Design the Future of Higher Education and Work
Kate Smith, President, Rio Salado College
Community colleges have always been ahead of the game when it comes to collaborating with industry. Our mandate is to drive economic growth and opportunity in our regions, and that can't happen without bringing college and corporate leaders to the table to align curriculum with real-world business needs.
But the age of AI is putting new pressure on those partnerships. Businesses' needs are changing faster than ever: the World Economic Forum predicts that nearly 60% of workers will require reskilling over the next five years. That's a lot for community colleges and industry to keep up with, let alone on their own.
The changing world of work will require a more agile relationship between higher education and business, one that doesn't just respond to, but anticipates, the needs of the economy. The good news is that colleges and their employer partners don't have to start from scratch. Plenty of existing programs already pair industry-specific skills with academics to help learners build in-demand skills and adapt quickly to abrupt shifts in the economy.
Here are three strategies community college leaders should keep in mind to build stronger, more agile employer partnerships for an AI-driven world of work.
Start by understanding what your partner needs.
Whether a college is helping an employer facilitate tuition benefits, upskill workers, grow a talent pool, or develop customized training, it's critical to start with a comprehensive needs analysis of employer and employee goals and competencies. What skills do employees have and hope to gain? Do they have the tools to learn online, and what resources can the employer contribute? Answering those questions takes site visits, direct conversations with employers and workers, and a full evaluation of their operations.
It was through this kind of analysis that we came to understand a key challenge: while Rio Salado's online offerings are attractive to national employers, they often require skills and technology access many adult workers don't yet have. So we built GED preparation, English Language Learning, and other foundational courses, plus technology support, to create onramps into more advanced programs, and used data analytics on persistence and goal attainment to keep students on track.
Relationship-building is an ongoing process.
The most effective partnerships aren't solely transactional. They're ongoing relationships defined by mutual growth and trust, which will only matter more as AI accelerates the pace of change. That begins with active listening and a clear understanding of what employers and employees need, then establishing clear goals, roles, open communication, and transparency. Most importantly, it means including employers and their subject matter experts in the planning, design, launch, and ongoing management of curriculum. It also helps to have dedicated liaisons who maintain those connections and partner employees who serve as field instructors and auditors, keeping the curriculum accurate and relevant.
Be bold and start small.
Customized training programs require time, money, and resources many community colleges lack. That's why it's often more effective to develop pilots and other low-lift approaches that can be adjusted and scaled up if they work.
Starting small can mean building microcredentials, an efficient, cost-effective way to help workers upskill and transition into higher learning. A recent Lumina Foundation report found 85% of learners who earned a short-term credential say it improved their job prospects, while 96% of employers say microcredentials give a candidate a leg up. With support from national nonprofit Education Design Lab, Rio Salado developed a Precision Optics microcredential to meet surging demand for optical technology and help learners find jobs paying above the local median.
Starting small can also lead to something bigger. Arizona leads the nation in semiconductor investment, so employers are always hunting for skilled workers. To meet that demand, we created short-term certificates in semiconductor manufacturing and in microelectronics and nanomanufacturing, expertise that led to a 2024 apprenticeship partnership with Northern Arizona University and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Arizona.
Especially as AI transforms the global economy, building partnerships that produce high-quality education and training will require focused, sustained engagement between community colleges and local employers. By analyzing need, starting small, and committing to lasting relationships, colleges and employers can ensure that learning keeps pace with the rapidly evolving world of work.