Capitol Hill Briefing Highlights State Workforce Partnerships

​Collaboration and cross-sector partnership took center stage on Capitol Hill as policymakers, advocates, and healthcare, business, and higher education leaders gathered for a briefing on strengthening state workforce partnerships.

Opportunity Colleges at Work: Building State Workforce Partnerships brought together higher education leaders, state officials, and industry partners to showcase how colleges are teaming up with states and employers to tackle workforce shortages in innovative ways.

The event featured remarks from Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and a panel consisting of George Mason University President Gregory Washington, Labouré College of Healthcare President Lily Hsu, Ascentria Care Alliance President and CEO Angela Bovill, and Inova Health System President and Chief of Clinical Enterprise John Moynihan

From left to right: George Mason University President Gregory Washington, Inova Health System President and Chief of Clinical Enterprise John Moynihan, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Labouré College of Healthcare President Lily Hsu, Ascentria Care Alliance President and CEO Angela Bovill.

"This conversation couldn't be more timely," Kaine (D-VA) told the packed room. He emphasized that state workforce partnerships are a rare triple win: providing opportunities for students, addressing critical workforce needs, and bolstering the economy.

The event spotlighted the new Carnegie Student Access and Earnings Classification, which identifies Opportunity Colleges and Universities that excel in providing students with access to higher education and pathways to high-quality outcomes. George Mason University and Labouré College of Healthcare-both recently recognized as Opportunity Colleges-were central to the discussion.

ACE's Jon Fansmith opened the program with remarks on how higher education serves as a driver of workforce development and innovation.

"The benefits of these partnerships are enormous-for employers, for the schools, for their communities," Fansmith said. "But they're particularly beneficial for the students themselves."

The event featured a cross-industry panel discussion, moderated by ACE's Heidi Tseu, that explored the role higher education and healthcare providers have in, as Sen. Kaine described it, creating effective win-win-win relationships that improve outcomes, boost employment, and strengthen local economies.

ACE's Heidi Tseu (center) moderates a cross-industry panel on how higher education and healthcare partnerships improve outcomes, boost employment, and strengthen local economies.

Experts on the panel examined how state and national policy can strengthen collaboration between higher education and healthcare providers. They also discussed the need to both expand access and prepare students for high-demand careers.

"We are committed to keeping the bar high and raising it even higher," Hsu said. "These partnerships affect all of us and making them a priority benefits everyone."

"This is ultimately about creating opportunity for the next generation," added Washington. "Opportunity should be at the heart of every partnership we build."

The event closed with audience questions and panel reflections on the need for continuous adaptation to meet tomorrow's challenges.

The briefing was part of ACE's ongoing ACE on the Hill series, which brings state and national experts and leaders together to showcase how higher education drives economies, research, and communities.