University Business to Convene Higher Education Leaders to Create an Agenda for Building a Skills-First Economy

The UB Executive Leadership Summit, co-located at FETC, will tackle workforce readiness, employer-aligned credentials, and regional economic leadership

WEST PALM BEACH, FL, UNITED STATES, October 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — With 72% of jobs in the U.S. requiring a postsecondary education or training, University Business today announced the inaugural UB Executive Leadership Summit, a three-day, invitation-only convening for college and university presidents, provosts and chief academic officers. The Summit will bring together postsecondary presidents, provosts, and chief academic leaders to explore how to refine their mission and purpose to meet the growing need to prepare students with stackable, employer-aligned credentials, embrace skills-based hiring, and step into regional economic leadership.

The Summit is happening at a pivotal moment for higher education and aims to address urgent and real needs raised by employers. According to Manpower Group, 69% of employers report difficulty finding the skilled talent they need, and research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York shows that roughly one-third of graduates work in jobs that do not require their level of education.

“We’ve all seen the data, and it is clear — the gap between what institutions are producing and what employers need is an operational conversation. The question now is what to do about it. The UB Executive Leadership Summit is designed to move that conversation forward, from awareness to action,” said Amy Dujon, Vice President of Education, ARC Network.

The UB Executive Leadership Summit will be held Jan. 26-28, 2027, at the Hilton Orlando and Orange County Convention Center, co-located with the Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC).

The Summit breaks down traditional silos in higher education. It will bring together presidents, provosts, CFOs, and chief academic officers for a unique opportunity to collaborate and create workforce strategy. The programming will blend mastermind sessions, peer roundtables, thought leadership presentations, and curated receptions with solution providers.

Sessions, all under development, will fall within seven critical issue areas.

1. Designing the higher education credential for today’s learner and employer.
2. Rethinking curriculum through emerging models such as course-sharing and competency-based pathways.
3. Strengthening employer intermediaries and career connection infrastructure.
4. AI’s role in institutional leadership and academic innovation.
5. Transforming the business model while preserving academic mission.
6. Professional development strategies that build institutional capacity.
7. K-20 models addressing career readiness across the education continuum.

Key institutional leaders likely to lead the conversation with the Summit’s program team are 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 specifically for chief information officers and chief technology officers at colleges and universities is being designed in partnership with FETC. This track will provide curated content at the intersection of institutional strategy and education technology, ensuring higher education’s technology leadership engages in programming built for their role alongside a broader K-20 leadership convening.

For additional information about the UB Executive Leadership Summit and to express interest in participating, visit https://universitybusiness.com/leadership-summit/.

About University Business
University Business is an online publication focused on higher education, reaching more than 107,000 senior leaders at colleges and universities across the country, spanning executive, academic, financial, and technology roles. The publication provides strategies, research, and exclusive interviews on the issues shaping higher education today and in the years ahead, helping cabinet-level leaders make informed decisions that advance student success and institutional effectiveness.

About FETC
The Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC) is a premier event and year-round community for technology decision-makers, innovators, and educators. Its annual conference brings together education leaders for cutting-edge sessions, intensives, hands-on workshops, and an expansive exhibit hall featuring more than 450 leading solution providers.

Arc
Arc is a B2B events, data, and media platform, backed by investment funds managed by EagleTree Capital. Founded to redefine business networking, Arc organizes over 120 events a year and operates critical content platforms in HR technology, agriculture and food, financial services, investing, and education technology. With over 300 talented colleagues in the U.S., U.K., Netherlands, and Singapore, Arc creates new ways to connect communities, wherever, whenever, or however people need to come together to grow their businesses.

Jodie E Buenning
Buenning Strategies
+1 804-986-6911
Jodie@buenningstrategies.com

Media gallery