The Employer University Alignment Journey with Kristen Fox, CEO of Business-Higher Education Forum

Across the U.S., the conversation about the value of a college degree is increasingly tied to one central question: Does higher education actually prepare students for the workforce? As artificial intelligence reshapes how work gets done and employers rethink the skills they need, universities are under growing pressure to ensure graduates leave not just with knowledge, but with practical experience. Research from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) consistently shows that students who complete internships or other work-based learning experiences receive significantly more job offers and higher starting salaries than those who do not. That reality has pushed experiential learning and employer partnerships to the center of higher education strategy.But if work-based learning is so critical to career readiness, how can colleges and employers work together to scale these opportunities for far more students?That’s the question at the heart of this episode of Signals in Higher Ed. In the latest episode, host Darin Francis sits down with Kristen Fox, CEO of the Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF), to explore how institutions and employers can collaborate more effectively to build a future-ready workforce. Their conversation examines the evolving skills landscape in the age of AI, the structural barriers preventing work-based learning from scaling, and the models emerging to connect students, employers, and universities more meaningfully.What you’ll learn…Why employer demand is the missing piece in scaling internships and experiential learning—not just university supply.How AI is reshaping expectations for entry-level talent, making early workplace exposure and real-world experience more important than ever.How new partnership models are expanding work-integrated learning, from project-based collaborations to regional employer–university networks that go beyond traditional internships.Kristen Fox is the CEO of the Business-Higher Education Forum, where she leads a national coalition of corporate and university leaders working to align higher education with workforce needs and expand work-integrated learning opportunities. With more than 20 years of experience in education innovation, digital learning, and workforce development, she has held leadership roles at Tyton Partners and Eduventures, advising universities, edtech companies, and nonprofits on strategy, market growth, and the future of learning and work. At Northeastern University, she helped launch major experiential learning initiatives—including the Experiential Network—designed to scale career-connected education and improve student career mobility.