The BILT Academy

The BILT Academy® provides leadership development for faculty, college administrators, and industry partners to build sustainable collaborations that deliver measurable benefits for students, employers, and local communities.

Through tailored technical assistance, participants are guided step by step in implementing the BILT model—a proven framework and method for strategic employer engagement in curriculum development and continuous improvement.

BILT Academy services include:

Expert guidance from experienced BILT coaches to support planning, implementation, and ongoing refinement
Interactive professional development sessions designed to build capacity and momentum for effective employer engagement
Practical tools and resources, including customizable templates, guides, and action plans
Facilitation support for conducting a Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA) analysis session to identify and prioritize the competencies graduates will need to be workforce-ready in the next 12–36 months

BILT Academy coaching is customized to meet the needs of your program, employer partners, and institution.

Ready to explore how the BILT Academy can support your college?

Complete our interest form to get started.

Feedback from Academy Participants

“Our IT support program went through the BILT process at the same time we were piloting ABET accreditation — a double challenge that turned out to be an advantage. The BILT structure helped us strengthen our industry connections and clearly document how curriculum aligns with workforce needs, which directly supported our accreditation through 2030. It also brought new industry partners
to our advisory board who hadn’t been represented before.”

“I love the industry-driven format. The resources were more than I could have hoped for—
getting our program started through BILT has been incredibly successful.”

“The coaching support from the BILT Academy team was outstanding. Our coach’s guidance helped us stay focused and build a strong foundation for our BILT process. One of the most helpful parts of the Academy was hearing how other colleges approached the process differently. That peer exchange gave us new ideas to adapt for our own programs. BILT has also created real momentum. We grew from just four to eighteen active BILT members, and that growth continues as employers see the value of co-leading the process.”

Pathways to Innovation is a project of the Center for Occupational Research and Development supported by the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education Program [DUE 2039395]. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF.
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