The League for Innovation in the Community College (League) kicked off its 2026 Innovations Conference on Sunday morning, March 15, 2026, with a major announcement from President and CEO Rufus Glasper, launching the organization’s new Center for Workforce Solutions (CWS). In the opening breakfast session, Geoff Cramer, Founder, Futures Inc., moderated a panel discussion centered around CWS programming that is leading national, industry-driven collaboration and placing community colleges more directly at the center of workforce and economic development. Panelists included Jon Gardner, Senior Leader, Strategic Partnerships and Learning and Development, Owens Corning Roofing; Holly Miller, Federal Liaison, NASA Office of STEM Engagement; Nate Hurn, Director, Government Affairs, CAT Simulators; and Lisa Larson, CEO, Education Design Lab.

The session, titled “Education at the Speed of Business: How Community Colleges Are Becoming the Engine of America’s Workforce and Economic Growth,” focused on emerging models, partnerships, and strategies that align education with rapidly evolving workforce needs. Through CWS, the League is engaging employers at the outset of program development to help identify high-demand career pathways, validate workforce skills, and align education more closely with real jobs. Early efforts are already underway in the construction industry and the aerospace and defense sector, offering a national blueprint for how industry and education can work together at scale.

“The future of America’s workforce will be built through bold collaboration, and community colleges will lead the way,” said Glasper. CWS programming centers around helping community colleges strengthen partnerships with industry, adopt new organizational models, and align education more closely with workforce and economic priorities.

Sunday morning’s session began four days of programming at the League’s annual Innovations Conference, hosted this year by Ivy Tech Community College. The conference featured more than 100 breakout sessions in four tracks: leadership and organization, learning and teaching, student support and development, and workforce preparation and development. Also featured were curated leadership tracks for presidents and vice presidents, a Solutions Center highlighting tools and services that support institutional growth and innovation, and celebrations of the League’s Innovation of the Year Award and Excellence Award recipients.