The time is ripe for business to partner with higher education on models for upskilling and reskilling. Higher education can demonstrate its value in developing upskilling initiatives in partnership with business in three compelling ways.

This roundtable session focused on “Green Jobs of the Future.” Buoyed by hundreds of billions of federal investments, corporate strategies focused on sustainability, green jobs, and green skills are among the fastest growing in the economy. The discussion centered on how we can address skills needs and cultivate the next generation of green talent.

In a competitive and fast changing global economy, we must build for relevance and impact by aligning education with business and industry needs. So what have decades of experience bridging the working and learning gap taught us about the key, replicable ingredients for success?

The term “green skills” isn’t a new one. But its presence as a driver for policy, workforce investment, job demand, and higher education alignment is roaring back.

The Business-Higher Education Forum convened education and business leaders at Miami Dade College in March 2024 to distill the latest insights on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the workforce and to share and develop proactive and collaborative strategies to address worker and learner needs.