By Anvi Goyal
SACSCOC Workforce Communications Intern

Johnston Community College’s workforce program, framed by its employer partnerships within North Carolina, came into the spotlight during a recent meeting of The Commission on Colleges and Universities Workforce Coordinator Network that is supported through Lumina Foundation’s grant funding. 

Commission vice president Dr. Holly Hart hosts a monthly series with the Workforce Coordinator Network, which includes workforce education leaders from Commission member institutions. This series, called Brews and Breakthroughs, brings together the Network to share information, learn from each other, and spotlight institutions that have implemented successful workforce initiatives. The second session in this series, held on Friday, September 25, 2026, focused on the theme of ‘Employer Engagement: Building Meaningful Industry Partnerships.’ The hour-long session raised many interesting concerns and questions and centered around topics such as employer advisory boards, work-based learning, apprenticeships and earn-and-learn, and sustainable partnerships at attending institutions.  

Institution coordinators discussed not only their strengths but also where they saw the greatest opportunity for growth in their workforce strategies. Dr. Hart mediated conversations about partnerships, policies, and practices that helped build employer engagement and which strategies have had the greatest impact on institutions.  

Ryan Bradshaw, the Dean of Business and Digital Technologies at Johnston Community College, presented the successes of the Business and Industry Leadership Teams (BILT) model’s implementation at JCC on Friday. Bradshaw along with Brian Worley, the Dean of Advanced Technology Programs, leads the BILT model implementation at JCC. This presentation highlighted the model’s impact on fostering employer partnerships and securing jobs for graduates.  

The Business and Industry Leadership Teams (BILT) Model was developed by Dr. Ann Beheler to address the growing need for partnerships between educational institutions and industry leaders. This approach emphasizes sustained collaboration between institutions and employers to ensure that academic programs adapt to workforce demands. The BILT model therefore allows industry and business experts to collaborate and “co-lead” programs.