Education & Workforce Conference

• Shannon Vickery, Director of Corporate Engagement, PBS North Carolina
• Laura Ipsen, President & CEO, Ellucian

Talent: The Competitiveness and Growth Imperative

The economy is rapidly changing – and the pace of change is increasing. While adopting new technology and developing innovations that drive growth forward has always been part of American business, the pace of disruption is leaving many businesses with newly emerging needs and challenges and leaving workers without clear paths forward.

Even before the accelerated disruption that generative artificial intelligence has brought to the marketplace, 37% of the skills of an average job were replaced in a 5 year period, yet our education and job preparation systems have not adjusted at those paces.

Bridging this gap is critical for business to remain competitive and for workers to see long term economic opportunity. When these two interests meet, communities grow and become competitive for further investment. The places that are getting this right are facilitating partnerships between business, workers, and the civic sector to drive growth and mobility. Communities are deploying new models of education and new partnerships to get this done. It is increasingly happening at the state and local levels too – the community leadership that gets these partnerships right will consistently attract new growth to their community – and serve the people already there.

We will explore the factors that help advance regional and state leadership win new for workers opportunities and business growth.

Stuart Andreason, Executive Director of Programs, Burning Glass Institute

Business to Business

The business community plays a vital role in both growing and maintaining its workforce. By actively engaging with local educational institutions and workforce development programs, businesses can help shape training to meet their specific needs, ensuring a pipeline of skilled workers.

• Scott Nunn, Facilities Engineer, Novo Nordisk
• Tyler Robinson, State Workforce Manager, Transfr Inc.
• Greg Singleton, Dean of Academic Programs, OIC of Rocky Mount
• Moderator: Senator Eddie Settle, North Carolina General Assembly

Higher Education

Many institutions are increasingly emphasizing experiential learning, such as internships and co-ops, to provide traditional and non-traditional students with practical skills and real-world experience, bridging the gap between academia and the professional world.

• Kelly McManus, Vice President, Arnold Ventures
• Laura Rowley, Vice President, Life Sciences Economic Development, North Carolina Biotechnology Center
• Mary Varghese, Senior Associate Vice President of Strategy and Policy, UNC System Office
• Rebecca Villarreal, Senior Director, Jobs for the Future
• Moderator: Katie Loovis, Executive Director, North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation, Inc.

K-12

Early exposure can spark their interests, motivate them in their current studies by showing real-world relevance, and allow them to make more informed decisions about their education and future training. This early engagement helps students develop essential skills like communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, ultimately leading to greater career readiness and a smoother transition into the professional world.

• Ian Brown, Vice President & Chief Employee Experience Officer, Duke University Health System
• Crystal Folger-Hawks,  Executive Director, Surry-Yadkin Works
• Jose Ortega-Luo, Director of Workforce Partnerships, The College Board
• Dr. Monique Perry-Graves, Chief Executive Officer, Road to Hire
• Moderator: Dr. Deanna Townsend-Smith, Senior Director, Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity & Opportunity

Leaning In: Strategically Addressing Talent Pipeline Challenges from the Top Down

For 10 straight years, CEOs and executives have cited talent supply as the largest barrier to business growth. In this fireside chat, hear directly from business leaders who “have been there, and are doing that” to strategically address talent pipeline challenges. You’ll walk away with a better understanding of the important intersection between education and business and how you can engage on a deeper level to improve business outcomes.

• James Banner, Senior Vice President of Administration and Safety, Pike Corporation
• Laura Ipsen, President & CEO, Ellucian
• Moderator: Jim Hansen, Regional President, Southeast Territory Executive, Eastern Carolinas, PNC Bank

Everyone agrees business should be at the table—but too often, engagement between employers and educators feels hollow, scattered, or symbolic. In this session, the NC Chamber Foundation Director of Workforce Competitiveness, Vincent Ginski, will dig into why the current model of business-education partnership isn’t working and offer a sharper diagnosis of the real barriers: inconsistent data, vague goals, insufficient resourcing, and weak coordination.

The session will present a more disciplined approach that treats employers as end-customers, makes educators true co-designers, and ultimately delivers better outcomes for learners. The focus will be on building the infrastructure to align goals, track progress, model resource needs, and ensure accountability—without adding red tape.

Serious progress requires the right infrastructure to enable it.

Vincent Ginski, Director of Workforce Competitiveness, NC Chamber Foundation

Shannon Vickery, Director of Corporate Engagement, PBS North Carolina