University Business launches summit on skills-first higher ed

University Business is launching an invitation-only leadership summit in Orlando in January 2027 to help college and university leaders align degrees, credentials and workforce strategy with employer demand. The event, co-located with FETC, will focus on skills-based hiring, regional economic leadership and higher education’s role in closing talent gaps.

Why it matters: - Higher education leaders are under pressure to show clear workforce value as employers struggle to find skilled talent. - The summit is built around the shift toward stackable, employer-aligned credentials and skills-based hiring. - The event aims to push colleges and universities to take a bigger role in regional economic leadership, not just classroom instruction.

What happened: - University Business announced the inaugural UB Executive Leadership Summit as a three-day, invitation-only convening for college and university presidents, provosts and chief academic officers. - The summit will take place Jan. 26-28, 2027, at the Hilton Orlando and Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. - The event will be co-located with the Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC). - The summit is intended to bring together presidents, provosts, CFOs and chief academic officers to discuss workforce strategy and higher education’s mission.

The details: - University Business is framing the event around data showing 72% of U.S. jobs require postsecondary education or training. - ManpowerGroup reports that 69% of employers have trouble finding the skilled talent they need. - Research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York shows roughly one-third of graduates work in jobs that do not require their level of education. - Programming will include mastermind sessions, peer roundtables, thought leadership presentations and curated receptions with solution providers. - Sessions under development are grouped into seven issue areas: designing credentials for today’s learner and employer; rethinking curriculum through course-sharing and competency-based pathways; strengthening employer intermediaries and career connection infrastructure; AI in institutional leadership and academic innovation; transforming the business model while preserving academic mission; professional development strategies that build institutional capacity; and K-20 models for career readiness. - Leaders likely to help shape the program include presidents and provosts from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Florida Atlantic University, Roanoke College, Rollins College, Millersville University, Unity Environmental University, La Roche University, Adrian College and Drew University. - Speaker announcements will follow as the program is finalized in the coming months. - A dedicated UB Tech Track for CIOs and CTOs is being developed with FETC. - That track will focus on the intersection of institutional strategy and education technology for higher education technology leaders. - More information is available here.

Between the lines: - The event reflects a broader effort to move higher ed discussion from concern to execution, especially around employability and institutional relevance. - The inclusion of both academic and technology leaders suggests the summit is positioning workforce change as an enterprise-wide challenge, not just an academic one. - The FETC partnership signals that education technology will be treated as part of the workforce strategy conversation, not a separate track.

What's next: - University Business will release speaker announcements in the coming months as the program is finalized. - Interest in participation is now being accepted through the summit website. - The UB Tech Track will continue to take shape alongside the broader summit agenda.

The bottom line: - University Business is using the summit to press higher education leaders to rethink credentials, curriculum and institutional strategy around employer demand and skills-first outcomes.