ACC welcomes vice president of business and industry partnerships

Austin Community College (ACC) has named Garrett Groves vice president of business and industry partnerships.

Groves will work with area businesses to identify emerging needs, evaluate opportunities for collaboration, and build strategic partnerships benefiting the region and ACC students.

“Collaborative education models are changing the way we deliver education,” says Dr. Richard Rhodes, ACC president/CEO. “We’re transforming how we work with our local businesses and industries to provide students more opportunities to gain the skills they need.”

Mutually beneficial partnerships between the college and local businesses and industries are growing. ACC’s Career ACCelerator, a competency-based IT program, is one such example that includes a one-year paid internship with the Housing Authority of the City of Austin. After launching in fall 2015, participation in the program has more than doubled.

“The demand for skilled workers continues to grow across our region. We must be proactive if we’re going to keep up with demand, ” says Groves. “Opportunities to collaborate directly with industry not only provide companies the skilled workforce they need, but also the networking and experience students need for a seamless transition into their career.”

Groves graduated from the University of Denver and earned his master’s degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas-Austin. He is a scholar in residence at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas where he continues his studies of workforce practices and consumer credit conditions in the state. He directed the Economic Opportunity Program at the Center for Public Policy Priorities and served at the National Governors Association where he worked with state and local entities on workforce, postsecondary education, and economic development policy.

Groves’ appointment was effective February 26.

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