You’ve done the hard part. Through coffees, site visits, and genuine listening, you’ve built employer partnerships that work. Learners land jobs. Supervisors are happy.
That’s real progress.
But here’s what I see happen all too often: those partnerships stay quiet. They live in advisory meetings and email threads. They don’t show up on your website, LinkedIn feed, in recruitment emails, or at open houses. And because learners can’t see the connection between your program and their future jobs, they hesitate or choose someone else.
In this article, I’ll give you some valuable tips for leveraging your employer partnerships to drive enrollment, strengthen placement outcomes, and attract more partners.
Your best recruitment tool is proof your program delivers real outcomes.
Think about the last graduate who landed a job through one of your partner employers. What made them stand out? What skill clicked? Now imagine sharing that story on your program page, in your next recruitment email, and at an upcoming open house.
Here’s the simple formula: one graduate + one supervisor + two authentic quotes = a story that moves the needle.
Ask your graduate: “What’s one thing you learned here that you use every single day on the job?” Ask their supervisor: “What made you want to hire them?” Grab a quick photo. Then share it everywhere.
When prospective learners see real people saying, “I was nervous too, but look where I am now,” something shifts. The program stops feeling like a gamble and starts feeling like a pathway.
And here’s the bonus: when you share these stories with your employer partners, they often forward them internally. Suddenly, in addition to recruiting learners, you’re strengthening the partnership and reminding hiring managers why they love working with you.
Your partners want to hire your graduates. So why not leverage that desire to help recruit the next cohort?
Imagine this: A prospective learner shows up to your open house, uncertain if this program is right for them. Then a supervisor from one of your partner companies stands up and says, “We’re actively hiring. We need people with exactly the skills you’ll learn here. And we’ve hired three graduates from this program in the last six months.”
You don’t need to make it a chore for your partners. A five-minute welcome. A quick Q&A. Even a 30-second video recorded on the job site works. The key is visibility. When learners can picture themselves working for the person standing in front of them, enrollment decisions become much easier.
Your partners benefit, too. They get early access to motivated candidates and a chance to build their employer brand in the community. It’s a win on every side.
Right now, your website probably lists your employer partners. Maybe there’s a logo grid, and a line that says, “Our graduates work at leading companies.”
That’s nice, but it’s not compelling.
Instead, what if visitors landed on a page where they could see:
• A video of a supervisor explaining why they hire from your program
• Photos of recent graduates on the job
• Direct quotes about the skills that matter most
• A clear statement: “Our partners are hiring — and they want to meet you”
The goal of your website should be to express the connection between training and employment so clearly that prospective learners can see themselves in the story.
And when you update this content regularly — even just once a quarter — it signals momentum. It tells visitors your program is active, connected, and leading somewhere real.
The strongest partnerships are built on regular, meaningful conversations followed by action.
I learned this at CUNY: instead of leading with what we wanted to offer, I asked hiring managers, “What gaps are you trying to fill? What skills would make your next hire twice as valuable?” Then I worked backwards from there, shaping training that solved specific talent challenges over generic career readiness.
Try this: Once a month, reach out to a partner with a quick update. Share a recent placement, a curriculum change, or a learner success. Then ask one focused question: “What’s one thing we could do better?” or “What skill would make your next hire even stronger?”
When they respond, take action — even if it’s something small. Add a module. Adjust your interview prep. Tweak your practicum requirements. Then close the loop: “Based on your feedback, here’s what we changed.”
This does something powerful. It shows your partners their voice matters. It gives you material to improve your program. And it creates stories you can share with prospective learners: “Local employers told us they need stronger communication skills, so we added hands-on practice to every course.”
Here’s what happens when you start making your employer partnerships visible:
Current partners feel valued and become more engaged. Prospective learners enroll with confidence. And new employers start reaching out, asking how they can get involved.
When companies see that you’re actively promoting your partnerships — celebrating placements, featuring supervisors, sharing real outcomes — they recognize the value. They see an opportunity to solve their own hiring challenges while building community goodwill.
You don’t need to overhaul your entire marketing strategy this week. Just pick one thing:
Option 1: Reach out to one employer partner and one recent graduate. Collect two quotes and a photo. Share the story on LinkedIn and tag both the graduate and the company. See what happens.
Option 2: Invite a supervisor from a partner company to your next orientation or open house. Give them five minutes to talk about what they look for in candidates and why they love hiring your graduates.
Option 3: Add one success story to your website this month. Pick the one that feels easiest. Do it well. Then do it again next month.
When you shine a light on what’s working, three things happen: enrollment grows, placements strengthen, and new partnerships find you.
You’ve built something worth celebrating. Now go show it off — and if you’d like a partner to help you do it, we’re here.
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