To help close a persistent gap between student demand for internships and available opportunities, Hudson County Community College (HCCC) has been chosen as one of just six higher education institutions nationwide—and the sole community college—to participate in the inaugural cohort of the Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) Institutional Capacity Expansion Lab.
Operating through its WIL Innovation Center, HCCC will join the ECMC Foundation-supported lab to accelerate and sustain work-integrated learning (WIL) programs such as internships, apprenticeships, and project-based learning.
National data underscores the urgency of the initiative. According to a 2024 BHEF study, while 55% of two-year college students want to intern, only 13% are able to secure opportunities due to socioeconomic barriers and employer operational constraints.
“Hudson County Community College continues to expand our robust workforce development initiatives across all our programs,” HCCC Interim President Dr. Lisa Dougherty said. “High-quality work-integrated learning opportunities provide students with significant advantages in the job market. We thank BHEF for selecting Hudson County Community College and look forward to learning and implementing new strategies that benefit our students and community partners.”
As part of the cohort, HCCC will receive tailored support, peer-learning opportunities, and access to BHEF’s extensive network. The college will conduct institutional assessments and data collection to review its current WIL infrastructure, ultimately shaping new institutional priorities, a strategic action plan, and a proof-of-concept pilot program.
“These six institutions are doing the hard mission-critical work of building durable capacity for work-integrated learning – the vision, internal systems, employer relationships, and leadership alignment that turn a pilot into standard practice,” Kristen Fox, BHEF CEO, said.
Serving more than 20,000 credit and non-credit students annually, HCCC offers over 90 degree and certificate programs and has earned widespread national recognition for student success, innovation, and workplace excellence, including multiple honors from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).
