AC’s Employer Summit to recognize outstanding workforce partners
Amarillo College, which is ranked the top College in the nation by the Aspen Institute, will host an Employer Summit to honor the contributions area businesses have made over the past year in support of work-based initiatives for AC students in the STEM, Business, Childcare, Education and Creative Arts fields.
This, the College’s second such Employer Summit, is from 11:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 30 in the College Union Building on the Washington Street Campus. AC’s first such Summit was conducted last May and focused on industries aligned with the College’s technical education programs.
Lunch will be served, attendees will be recognized, and students and faculty will describe their work-based experiences. Additionally, some area business leaders will participate in the Summit’s panel discussion about trends in industry and what abilities and attributes employers deem most appealing in entry-level applicants.
“Our local business community and the members of our Business and Leadership Councils have been indispensable partners in our mission to prepare our students for success in an ever-evolving workforce,” Ryan Francis, AC’s Perkins Activity Coordinator, said.
“Our Employer Summit serves as a platform to acknowledge and celebrate the exceptional contributions of our esteemed workforce partners, as well as facilitate meaningful conversations to help shape the future of our education and industry collaborations.”
AC’s Strategic Plan, No Excuses 2025, has five goals which all focus on student completion, and among them is to align degrees and certificates with labor market demand. The College, therefore, is laser-focused on, among other things, using regional employment data to improve program curriculum and connecting students to viable careers.
Industry partners who actively participate in AC’s Business and Leadership Councils largely support the College’s burgeoning work-based learning model through which students acquire on-the-job training, credit hours and, in many cases, pay.
“Our partners offer our students invaluable experiential learning opportunities that not only open the door for their entry into careers but at the same time fill gaps in the workforce that reinforce and help to ensure economic growth,” Francis said.