Textron – Corporate/College Partnerships
Gwen Callas-Miller, Executive Director of Global Leadership Development

Hiring a school or organization to create a partnership is not an easy task. Textron goes through a rigorous process when it comes to searching through proposals, and wants to make sure the university they chose can put together a program that is customized specifically for Textron.

Textron leaders believe that it is important that the school works closely with the company executives to assure that the university understands the Textron model as if they were employees, as opposed to simply being teachers. Creating a successful program is a yearlong process, not the stereotypical few weeks that are typically invested in curriculum creation. Textron also continually educates their university partners on what they are doing, not just in a particular topic area, but as a company as a whole. The goal is for educators to be able to stand up and speak “Textron.”

The key to a successful program lies in the partnership, and level of commitment from both parties. A company has to know it, feel it, and be confident that the university is willing to invest their resources and take the time to understand how to support their needs.