Six Colleges and Universities Named for the First Cohort of the Institutional Capacity Expansion Lab

The Business-Higher Education Forum is helping forward-thinking institutions accelerate  their capacity to meet demand for work-integrated learning 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — September 24, 2026 — Work-integrated learning (WIL) is an essential ingredient that powers positive employment outcomes for learners as they launch their careers. However, a significant gap exists between demand for WIL and the number of opportunities available to learners. In response, institutions are working to build the infrastructure needed to expand and sustain WIL experiences.               

Today, the Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) announces the launch of the Institutional Capacity Expansion Lab (the Lab) through its Work-Integrated Learning Innovation Center (WIL Innovation Center) with its first cohort of six colleges and universities. The Lab will work with a total of 12 colleges and universities over two cohorts to help strengthen their internal capacity to expand inclusive, high-quality WIL thanks to the generous support of ECMC Foundation.  

The following institutions have been selected as the first cohort of the Lab through a national application process. They were selected because of the vision and commitment of their leadership and teams to advance WIL as an integral part of the postsecondary experience. 

• Hudson County Community College (NJ) 

• Western Connecticut State University (CT) 

• Grand Valley State University (MI) 

• University of New Hampshire (NH) 

• California State University, San Bernardino (CA) 

• SUNY New Paltz (NY)  

Participation in the Lab includes customized support from BHEF, opportunities to learn from one another through a community of practice, and access to BHEF’s partner network to help address specific challenges as needed. Institutions will examine their current infrastructure for offering WIL through BHEF’s WIL Institutional Capacity Assessment. The findings will shape institutional priorities, a WIL vision and action plan, and a proof-of-concept pilot. BHEF will help institutions move toward a more coordinated, institution-wide approach to WIL, strengthening how they engage employers and connect employer partnerships with the institutional functions that support these experiences. 

BHEF brings unique experience working with higher education institutions and employers to build institutional capacity and provide support as they develop and implement work-integrated learning strategies. This work comes at an important time when postsecondary institutions are being asked to pivot and adapt at the speed of technology and as business and industry are redesigning early careers. 

“These six institutions are doing the hard mission-critical work of building durable capacity for work-integrated learning—the vision, internal systems, employer relationships, and leadership alignment that turn a pilot into standard practice,” said Kristen Fox, CEO, Business-Higher Education Forum. “That’s the kind of systems-level change BHEF’s network cultivates, and the lessons from this cohort will strengthen how business and higher education partners across the country approach the same work.” 

The Lab will help participating institutions build the infrastructure needed to make WIL more accessible to students and more sustainable over time. The challenges and solutions from this cohort are reflective of those faced by institutions across the country; the lessons will have far-reaching relevance and impact. 

The Lab reflects BHEF’s broader effort to embed WIL into every postsecondary experience. Through the WIL Innovation Center, BHEF works with the nation’s most forward-thinking businesses and institutions to expand WIL as essential infrastructure, connecting talent to opportunity and ensuring industry has the talent it needs. 

BHEF will share those lessons through the WIL Innovation Center as the Lab progresses, including resources that can help other institutions strengthen their approach to WIL. Applications for the second cohort are anticipated to open in June 2027, with the cohort beginning in September 2027 and concluding in August 2028. 

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