4 minute read
Partnerships with Purpose
BY HELANA RODRIGUEZ
THE PARTNERSHIP, INC., THE 501(C)(3) workforce development affiliate, was created to develop and foster programs that encourage private sector involvement in workforce development and education. Dedicated to building and retaining talent in the First State, the Partnership consists of four flagship programs: Delaware Principal for a Day, Superstars in Education and Training, Intern Delaware, and the Delaware Young Professionals Network.
The climate of our workforce is ever-evolving. Now more than ever, it’s imperative for our education and business communities to invest in the next generation of prospective employees together—and our programs aim to reflect that. Over the past two years, the Partnership’s new board of directors, chaired by Rick Deadwyler of Corteva Agriscience, has assessed and revitalized its programs, making strategic changes to become better focused on creating a strong pipeline of talent.
Delaware Principal for a Day has been creating strong connections between educators and the business community for over 30 years, and with a reimagined focus this year, schools and business leaders were strategically matched to help facilitate intentional and impactful partnerships. The program was responsible for 80 visits in 61 schools across the state. Our business community was able to see first-hand the transformative and innovative workforce development programs that already exist in our schools. They also had the opportunity to share with students their own professional experiences; define what job readiness means in their industry; discuss open job and co-op opportunities; hear from principals, educators, and counselors; and much more.
The trend of evolution and growth continued to our Superstars in Education and Training awards program. This year, we shifted our focus to honoring high school, postsecondary, and independent training and certificate programs. The contributions of impactful workforce development programs in our state deserve to be recognized. It was our privilege to award Hodgson Vocational High Schools’ ACE Mentoring Program, Year Up Wilmington, and the Food Bank of Delaware’s L.O.G.I.C Training Program and Culinary School for their innovative and effective programs.
Intern Delaware welcomed its third cohort—and its first year of in-person programming. With 70 percent of Delaware companies offering a summer internship program, the state has a huge opportunity to attract and retain emerging talent through well-rounded internships. As an ‘add-on’ to a company’s existing intern program, Intern Delaware provided over 200 interns with access to professional development programming, featuring 24 speakers at 16 unique events. The participants also had exposure to networking opportunities with business leaders and peers across all industries. The eight-week summer program was designed to help interns truly experience what Delaware’s unique economy and culture has to offer.
The Delaware Young Professionals Network (DYPN) encourages ambitious young people in Delaware to get involved in the State Chamber. Governed by its own committee, the DYPN appointed 15 new committee members to focus its efforts on strategic partnerships in 2022. The committee hosted six unique events including volunteerism, lunch and learns, social events, and more. The DYPN serves as mentors to our very own Intern Delaware participants and partnered with outside organizations such as Leadership Delaware and Connect Delaware.
– Yvette Santiago, Nemours Children’s Health Care System
Deadwyler reflects on the year: “After this—the first full year of the newly established organization structure and leadership team, I am thrilled to witness The Partnership truly fulfilling its mission. We are working to prepare and support Delaware’s next generation of leaders and workforce through our engaging, informative, and inspiring programs that directly connect to interns, young professionals, and our schools. Now more than ever, The Partnership adds value to our State Chamber members and supports a vibrant economic future for our state.”
