Partnership between Business and Higher Education

County Breakfast Series visits Chester and Montgomery counties

The County Breakfast Series, presented by the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce (GPCC) and Wachovia, following the leadership of GPCC’s CEO Council for Growth, identified the region’s institutions of higher education as excellent resources for qualified employees and interns, exceptional professional development and continuing employee education, and cutting-edge research and innovation. Also, colleges are some of the region’s largest employers and purchasers. 

More than 150 business leaders in Chester County kicked off the series on October 4 at The Desmond Hotel & Conference Center, the first of eight events at locations throughout Greater Philadelphia, to discuss the impact of Greater Philadelphia’s 88 colleges and universities on regional economic growth. The breakfast panel highlighted specific examples of ways that institutions of higher education and businesses are collaborating to integrate students into the regional workforce and retain talent.

West Chester University (WCU) Vice President for Advancement Mark Pavlovich, Ph.D., a Chester County panelist, suggested that the key to building successful relationships between institutions of higher education and regional businesses is accommodating customized needs. WCU, the seventh largest employer in Chester County, participated in a unique partnership in which a local pharmaceutical firm supplied cutting-edge equipment and hands-on student internships in exchange for laboratory space at WCU.

“We’re not participating in the brain drain, but the brain gain. Of our 13,000 students, 70 percent stay in the region for their first job,” Dr. Pavlovich said. “Because students are less comfortable in a business setting, every student [at West Chester University] is required to do an internship in a particular industry.  Internships let students see what the real world demands of them.”

At the October 26 Montgomery County Breakfast in Blue Bell, PA, panelists said collaboration among colleges and universities is equally as crucial to economic development as partnerships between businesses and higher education.  Montgomery County Community College is a commuter college, and when it began attracting more than 200 international students, the lack of dormitory space became a critical problem. Gwynedd-Mercy College began sharing its housing and is now one of Montgomery County Community College’s top three transfer schools, along with Villanova University and Temple University.

“We just opened a new residence hall and are now at 101 percent capacity.  As we look toward renovations and new buildings, we want to utilize firms and expertise available to us in Montgomery County,” said Kathleen Owens, Ph.D., President, Gwynedd-Mercy College.     

The Chester County panel also included Lincoln University President Ivory Nelson, PhD, who said that through Lincoln’s Executive Series, regional business leaders familiarize Lincoln students with business practices to prepare them for entrance into the modern workforce; and panelist Judith Spires, President, Acme Markets, said that partnerships between education and business can guide students to successful careers through scholarships and internships, facilitate workforce readiness, and increase entrepreneurship.

The breakfasts also provided an update on Select Greater Philadelphia’s progress over the past year in creating a more attractive region to site selectors and outlined the economic development organization’s new business ambassador initiative.

Next Breakfast

Panelists:
Dr. James T. Harris, President, Widener University
Dr. Amelia Maurizio, Director, Educational Alliances, SAP
Gerald Miller, President & CEO, Crozer Keystone Health System
Dr. Jerry Parker, President, Delaware County Community College
Thomas Morr, President & CEO, Select Greater Philadelphia

Sponsored by: Wachovia

Co-sponsored by: Widener University