Dr. Rose B. Bellanca, president of WCC, was an invited participant as a key education leader and panelist for the Governor’s Education Summit on April 22 at Michigan State University. The Summit focused on collaboration between the education and business communities, and included discussions on the strengths of education in Michigan and the role that education will play in Michigan’s future economy. This was the second in a two-part summit series.
“Education is vital to matching Michigan’s talent supply to growing business demand across the state,” said Bellanca. “As educators, we must closely collaborate with business leaders to understand their evolving needs, and to ensure that our students are well trained and job ready. I’m proud to say that Washtenaw Community College is firmly committed to fostering new and creative regional partnerships with business, other educational institutions, and workforce development drivers, which is critical to the success of our College, our regional economy, and our individual students. It is a privilege to be invited to participate in this important Summit.”
The Governor’s Education Summit follows the Governor’s Economic Summit that occurred in March at the Cobo Center in Detroit. Over 500 educators and other participants were expected to attend, and speakers included Lt. Governor Brian Cally and Deborah Loewenberg Ball, education professor at the University of Michigan and head of the Michigan Council for Educator Effectiveness. A collaborative report on the outcomes from the economic and education summits is expected to follow.