The traditional pathway from college to career is starting to break down—and both universities and employers are feeling the strain. Higher education is under mounting pressure to prove career outcomes as employers question graduate readiness and internships decline. In fact, many institutions are reporting shrinking internship pipelines even as employers continue to prioritize prior experience—creating a growing structural mismatch in the talent market. As a result, universities are being pushed to rethink how they prepare students—not just through isolated programs, but through scalable, system-wide approaches to career readiness. The stakes are clear: institutions that fail to adapt risk losing relevance in an increasingly outcomes-driven era.

So what happens when traditional pathways—like internships—can no longer carry the full weight of workforce preparation? And how can universities proactively build a more reliable, scalable “talent supply chain” for industry?

These questions sit at the heart of the latest episode of Signals in Higher Ed. Host Darin Francis sits down with Steve Russell, Chief Partnership Officer at Bowling Green State University, to explore how institutions can move beyond transactional employer relationships toward deeply integrated partnerships that reshape student outcomes. The conversation spans experiential learning, industry engagement, and the evolving infrastructure needed to connect education with workforce demands.

What you’ll learn…

Why internships alone can’t meet demand—and how scalable, project-based learning can fill the gap.
How to turn employer relationships from one-off transactions into long-term, value-driven partnerships.
What a “talent supply chain” really means—and how it could reshape collaboration between universities and industry.

Steve Russell is a higher education executive with over a decade of experience leading corporate engagement, workforce development, and career design initiatives that connect universities with industry. He currently serves as Chief Partnership Officer at Bowling Green State University, where he builds strategic partnerships to scale work-integrated learning, research collaboration, and talent pipelines that drive student career outcomes. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a strong track record in partnership development, team leadership, and launching large-scale student success initiatives, including building a multimillion-dollar student success center and expanding corporate engagement efforts across institutions.