Excited to share a new partnership advancing workforce alignment and industry engagement in Southern California.
MNA is proud to serve as the external evaluator for the Strong Workforce Program (SWP) TIPSS initiative led by Coast Community College District.
This regional effort is tackling a challenge we hear across the country: Too many advisory meetings, not enough actionable outcomes.
Through the implementation of the Business Industry Leadership Team (BILT) model, this project brings employers, colleges, and workforce partners into true co-leadership—especially within the automotive, culinary, and healthcare sectors. The goal is simple but powerful:
✔ Align curriculum with real-time workforce needs
✔ Validate priority skills directly with employers
✔ Strengthen pathways to high-demand, living-wage careers
As the external evaluator, MNA will conduct a sector-focused case study using surveys and interviews examining how BILT is operationalized in practice—capturing perspectives from employers, faculty, administrators, and program completers.
Our work will focus on:
• Employer-driven skill identification and validation
• Curriculum responsiveness and program alignment
• Student preparedness and early workforce outcomes
• Regional collaboration models that actually work
The outcome will be a dissemination-ready case study highlighting lessons learned, effective practices, and strategic recommendations to support scaling and sustainability.
This is the kind of work that moves beyond advisory structures toward true workforce transformation—and we’re excited to be part of it.
Looking forward to sharing insights as this work unfolds over the coming months.
