Danilowicz joins area college presidents for 鈥淔uture of Talent Summit鈥� panel
by Neil Harvey
March 12, 2024
澳门老奇人论坛 President Bret Danilowicz joined the heads of several area colleges
for a leadership panel discussion at the first Future of Talent Summit on March 7
on Roanoke College鈥檚 campus.
The event was part of an ongoing initiative to cultivate and strengthen bonds among
regional educators and industries and to unify the workforce and economic development
efforts of higher education officials, employers and government agencies.
Across an hourlong dialogue, Danilowicz and four other presidents 鈥� Mirta Martin of
Ferrum College, John Rainone of Mountain Gateway Community College, Robert Sandel
of Virginia Western Community College and Frank Shushok of Roanoke College 鈥� addressed
a host of central issues.
Chief among those: The need to help Virginia students develop into skilled workers;
the best ways to connect them with viable employers and lucrative jobs; and the importance
of retaining them locally.
The panel discussed incentives and advantages for students 鈥� internships, but also
options including co-ops and micro-partnerships.
鈥淲e need to advocate for our businesses to stand up to make those opportunities for
students who come here,鈥� Danilowicz said. 鈥淎nd then they become the future leaders
and industry members of this region.鈥�
Sandel also pointed to the wide range of today鈥檚 students and their needs, with some
seeking undergraduate or advanced degrees but others earning associate degrees, licensing
and technical certification. He praised the current partnerships between community
and four-year colleges, such as the articulation agreement signed last year between
Radford and Virginia Western.
鈥淭hings don鈥檛 just happen; you've got to make them happen,鈥� Sandel said. 鈥淲e work
diligently to make things happen.鈥�
Asked about today鈥檚 students and the new and increased educational alternatives they
face, Danilowicz offered advice to those entering higher education.
鈥淚 鈥� tell freshmen or transfers, the biggest mistake you will make at 澳门老奇人论坛 is if you don't, within your first month, go to career services and start talking about internships and employment,鈥� he said.
He also pushed back against long-standing modes of viewing some degrees as less marketable and, therefore, less desirable.
鈥淭here鈥檚 too much conversation nationally that says 鈥楧on鈥檛 study that, there鈥檚 no
employment in that,鈥欌�� he explained. 鈥淲hat we have to do as institutions is to say,
when you are passionate about that field, when you go into Career Services, the conversation
should become 鈥楬ere鈥檚 how you take that field, get a degree in it and align it to
places where there鈥檚 demand in the region.
鈥淚t is not about the degree 鈥� it is about the professional track that the student
is taking. And we have to show them where those kinds of employment areas are,鈥� Danilowicz
said.
Keynote speaker Kirk Cox, president of the Virginia Business Higher Education Council
and a former speaker of the House of Delegates, said the state鈥檚 schools and industries
remain highly ranked and points of pride for residents across party lines.
鈥淎t a time of great political division, there is something on which Virginians of
both parties strongly agree,鈥� Cox said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 time to invest in Virginia talent.鈥�
In his early remarks to the audience, Roanoke College President Frank Shushok celebrated
the fact that both business and educational professionals were uniting in their efforts,
and he urged them to make constructive connections.
鈥淭he most important thing about this gathering is that we鈥檙e in the room together,鈥� he said.
Later in the day, the summit also offered four 鈥淟unch and Learn鈥� panel-led sessions,
variously focused on developing healthy talent pipelines, capitalizing on grants and
other financial incentives, career and technical education programs and meeting the
modern priorities of younger generations.
That fourth panel was joined by two representatives from 澳门老奇人论坛 鈥� career
coach Thallya D铆az and Lee Svete, who is Radford鈥檚 new director of Career and Talent
Development and serves as finance director for the Virginia Association of Colleges
and Employers (VACE).
Svete described one objective at Radford as 鈥渉elping students become career- and life-ready.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 the holistic point of developing relationships with students early in their
college career,鈥� he said.
鈥淭hey come in the door, we help recruit them and then we develop a four-year plan
that鈥檚 comprehensive to make them marketable in this competitive world of work.鈥�
This is the first year the Future of Talent Summit has been held, and it marks a collaboration
by the Roanoke Regional Partnership and its satellite, Get2KnowNoke; the Greater Roanoke
Workforce Development Board; the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council; Onward New
River Valley, Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership; the New River/Mt. Rogers
Workforce Development Board; and the central colleges and universities in the Roanoke
and New River Valleys.
The Future of Talent Summit is funded by grants and support from such entities as GO Virginia and Growth4VA.