NASH launches regional talent strategy with New England higher ed and employers

NASH brought together public higher education leaders, industry partners and workforce officials in Providence on June 25 to push Talent Readiness-New England into its implementation phase. The effort aims to better align colleges and universities with employer needs in healthcare, advanced manufacturing and the blue and marine economy.

Why it matters: - New England’s public higher education systems are trying to build a shared talent pipeline for jobs that employers say are hardest to fill. - The effort targets healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and the blue and marine economy, where workforce shortages and skills mismatches are pressing. - NASH says regional coordination can help address problems that no single state or institution can solve alone.

What happened: - The National Association of Higher Education Systems convened leaders from seven public higher education systems in New England on June 25, 2026, in Providence, Rhode Island. - The Talent Readiness-New England Leadership Forum also brought in industry and workforce partners. - Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner hosted the forum. - The forum moved Talent Readiness-New England into its next phase of coordinated regional action.

The details: - NASH’s Office of Workforce Development first gathered input from individual state systems representing more than 1.1 million students. - Leaders discussed how to better align higher education programs with regional workforce demand. - The agenda focused on employer needs, real-time workforce pressures, demographic shifts and skills mismatches. - Participants identified regional priority areas for coordinated action. - Leaders also agreed on a shared regional framework for talent development. - The forum ended with a commitment from leaders to advance implementation. - The discussion covered barriers including fragmented data systems, uneven employer engagement and the challenge of scaling programs across state lines. - Debbi Perkul, consultant at Impact Workforce Strategies and the Healthcare Anchor Network, said healthcare employers need a direct, unified pipeline into higher education to close skills gaps and co-design career pathways. - Colleen Thouez, vice president for workforce development at NASH, said automation and artificial intelligence are driving an unprecedented need to reskill and upskill workers.

Between the lines: - The forum signals a shift from planning to execution for a first-of-its-kind multi-state workforce effort. - The emphasis on employer participation suggests New England schools are trying to make programs more responsive to hiring needs, not just enrollment trends. - Regional collaboration could help systems move faster on data sharing and program design than separate state efforts. - NASH President Nancy L. Zimpher said collective action gives New England’s public higher education systems a chance to address talent shortages at a scale no single institution or state could achieve alone.

What's next: - TRNE will advance targeted regional pilots. - NASH plans convenings through year-end to build implementation infrastructure through 2028. - More information is available in NASH's workforce page.

The bottom line: - New England’s public colleges and universities are moving from conversation to coordinated action to help meet the region’s workforce needs.