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State College
12,500 students
Michigan

Great Lakes College

Building an Employer-Driven Curriculum Strategy

Great Lakes College partnered with 50+ regional employers through SkillsOS to create a truly demand-driven curriculum development process, ensuring graduates have the exact skills employers need.

45
Programs Analyzed
2,100
Skills Mapped
890
Credentials Issued
52
Employer Alignments
1400+
Hours Saved
18
Curriculum Updates

1The Challenge

Despite strong academic programs, Great Lakes College faced declining enrollment in several career-focused programs. Exit interviews revealed that prospective students questioned whether the programs would lead to good jobs. The college needed concrete evidence of employer alignment and a systematic way to incorporate employer feedback into curriculum decisions.

2The Solution

SkillsOS employer signal integration allowed Great Lakes to connect directly with regional employers, gathering real-time data on hiring needs and skill requirements. The platform analyzed job postings, conducted employer surveys, and mapped the results to existing curriculum. Leadership used the strategic planning dashboard to make data-driven decisions about program investments.

3The Results

50+ employer partnerships formalized through platform
89% curriculum-to-job alignment score achieved
22% increase in program enrollment year-over-year
67% of students secured jobs before graduation
$1.8M in new grant funding citing employer alignment data
Named "Most Innovative College" by state education board
The employer signal data changed everything for us. We can now show prospective students exactly how our programs connect to real jobs, and we can show employers exactly what skills our graduates will have. It is a win for everyone.
DRW
Dr. Robert Williams
Vice President of Workforce Development

Ready to Transform Your Institution?

Join Great Lakes College and other leading institutions using SkillsOS to prepare students for the future of work.