A Midwest Blueprint for Employer-Built Talent
When I meet with employers across the Midwest, our conversations almost always come back to the same challenge.
They're looking for more employees, and those employees must have the skills needed in the modern workforce. Healthcare organizations need more clinicians. Manufacturers need more technicians. School districts need more educators. Technology companies need more cybersecurity professionals. Across industries, employers are searching for people with the skills to meet growing demand.
Those conversations have led me to an important conclusion: The solution to workforce shortages doesn't begin with hiring; it begins with talent development.
If we want a stronger workforce, employers must spend as much time developing talent from within their organizations as they do recruiting from outside of them. And higher education institutions have an obligation to help.
Solving Workforce Shortages Starts by Expanding Access to Education
One example of helping an organization grow from within is our partnership with the Autism Center of Illinois. Through this collaboration, approximately 60 employees have greater access to WGU's flexible degree programs through Healthcare Partners Fund scholarships of up to $3,500. The goal isn't simply to offer an employee benefit. It's to make continuing education a practical workforce strategy for an organization serving communities with significant workforce shortages.
Families seeking autism services in rural Illinois often wait years for diagnosis and treatment because there simply aren't enough qualified professionals to meet demand. Those workforce shortages affect far more than healthcare organizations. They affect children waiting for services and families searching for answers.
This long-term investment in workforce development is what makes this partnership so important. Rather than focusing only on filling today's vacancies, we're investing in educational pathways that help strengthen tomorrow's workforce to better serve local communities.
Higher education has always been available. What's often missing is an employer willing to make education part of its workforce strategy by encouraging continued learning, facilitating access to education providers, reducing financial barriers and supporting employees as they advance their careers.
Employee Education Grows Talent from Within
In healthcare fields like autism services, every additional trained professional represents more than another employee. Every new professional can shorten wait times, expand access to care and strengthen support for families who have often waited months or even years for services.
When an employer actively encourages continued learning, connects employees with educational opportunities, helps reduce financial barriers and creates a culture that supports professional growth, education becomes more attainable for working adults balancing careers, families and other responsibilities. Those efforts help organizations develop talent from within rather than relying exclusively on an increasingly competitive labor market.
This commitment to building long-term workforce capacity is what I see in the Autism Center of Illinois partnership. We also see opportunities to build longer-term workforce pathways. WGU has explored developing specialized certificate programs that could prepare more professionals for careers supporting individuals with autism, creating additional entry points into a field with growing demand. While those efforts continue to evolve, they reflect the broader goal of building talent before shortages become crises.
How WGU Supports Local Workforces, Starting with Organizations
The autism center’s mission is to expand access to high-quality autism services for children and families. Our role is not to solve that challenge alone. Our role is to help support the workforce behind that mission by making it easier for professionals to continue developing the knowledge and skills that will strengthen both their careers and the communities they serve.
Dr. Sarah Lewis, founder of the Autism Center of Illinois, described the partnership as "equipping others to equip others." I think that's a powerful way to think about workforce development.
When one employee continues their education, the impact extends beyond that individual. Organizations gain stronger internal expertise. Communities benefit from a more stable workforce. Families gain greater access to experienced professionals. Investments in people have a way of multiplying.
I believe that's a lesson every industry can learn from.
Whether we're talking about healthcare, education, business or technology, employers will continue looking for skilled workers. Higher education can't solve workforce shortages on its own, and employers can't solve them through recruitment alone.
Real progress happens when educators and employers work together to remove barriers, align learning with workforce needs, and invest in the people who are already committed to serving their communities.
WGU leaders and representatives from the Autism Center of Illinois gather following the official partnership signing ceremony. Pictured are WGU Regional Vice President Dr. Terrance Hopson (center left) and Autism Center of Illinois Founder Dr. Sarah Lewis (center right).
Bridging the Gap from Talent to Opportunity
At WGU, we often say that talent exists everywhere, but opportunity does not. I believe our responsibility is to help close that gap, not simply by preparing graduates, but by partnering with employers in ways that strengthen the workforce over the long term.
When we think about workforce development this way, we're not simply helping individuals advance their careers. We're helping communities build the capacity to meet tomorrow's challenges.
If you're an employer looking to strengthen your workforce, I encourage you to ask a different question. Instead of simply asking where you'll find your next employee, ask how you can help develop the talent already within your organization. When employers and educators work together with that mindset, we create stronger organizations, stronger communities and greater opportunities for everyone.
Learn more about partnering with WGU.
