University partners with major employers for talent development

Students will work with local firm while in school and then for one year after graduating.

A new partnership between Grand Valley State University and five of West Michigan’s biggest employers aims to help keep talent local, offering graduates work during and after the completion of their degree.  

Grand Valley State University (GVSU) this week announced it is launching a work-and-learning program with five inaugural West Michigan-based partners, designed to accelerate the connection between talent and employers. 

The program, called the Laker Accelerated Talent Link (LATL) will pair GVSU students with partner companies that will provide an enhanced co-op experience for students, the partners investing in the students who become employees during college and after their graduation. 

Greg Williams. Courtesy Acrisure

Acrisure, Amway, Cascade Engineering, Corewell Health and Michigan Software Labs have joined the partnership. GVSU also will serve as an employer partner.

An initial cohort of 25 students, primarily from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, will work with the partners for one year and commit to one additional year of employment after graduating. 

The students will also earn a certificate in an area related to business or technology that best matches the employers’ needs. 

LATL is planned to launch in August, and the partners said they already are excited for the fresh faces it will bring. 

“As a company that is renowned for its growth in the insurance brokerage industry, one of our biggest challenges is filling open roles at a rate that keeps pace with our ambitious targets,” said Acrisure Co-Founder, Chair and CEO Greg Williams. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Grand Valley to help bring young talent into the fintech and financial services space and create a pipeline of candidates for Acrisure.”

Added Jason Joseph, chief digital and information officer for Corewell Health, ”We appreciate GVSU’s innovative commitment to preparing students for the modern digital workplace and we look forward to participating in the LATL program.” 

LATL is not GVSU’s first partnership with Corewell. Early last year, the university signed an agreement with the health system to help alleviate the shortage in skilled nursing.  

Jason Joseph. Courtesy Corewell Health

While providing necessary workplace experience for GVSU students, this new program integrates a career-ready certificate with a paid internship, resulting in a bachelor’s degree designed to meet high-demand competencies like digital analysis while recognizing the importance of a broad-based, liberal arts education. 

GVSU President Philomena Mantella said this program enhances the university’s role as a key talent producer in the region. The university has more than 100,000 alumni in Michigan, 90% of whom have stayed in West Michigan.

“We are grateful to these leading employers in the region for taking this initial step with us to equip dynamic and diverse professionals for the workforce,” Mantella said. “We are addressing labor-shortage concerns and creating a positive impact on the business community. This program will highlight Grand Valley students’ human-centered skills and deep knowledge of their disciplines, and the companies will benefit from well-prepared employees.”

Representatives for the employers said they value the opportunity to work with Grand Valley on this effort to invest in local students and help hone their high-demand skills.

Milind Pant. Courtesy Amway

“As Amway continues to grow, attracting and retaining the best and brightest technology talent is more critical now than ever before. Led by our 15,000 incredible employees and health and wellness entrepreneurs across the globe, it is our commitment to deliver an unrivaled digital experience for Amway business owners and the customers that they serve,” said Amway CEO Milind Pant. “Working alongside GVSU and other incredible businesses and community partners is an avenue to achieve that, which will help solidify West Michigan as a hub for technology and talent.” 

While inaugural partners will help GVSU shape the talent link, Mantella said the university intends to scale the program and is seeking other corporate partners.

This story can be found in the Feb. 20 issue of the Grand Rapids Business Journal. To get more stories like this delivered to your mailbox, subscribe here.