Closing Thoughts: Mark Bilotta, CEO of the Colleges of Worcester Consortium
Giving it the old college try
Mark Bilotta joined the Colleges of Worcester Consortium in August of 2006 after a nearly 20-year career working for several Worcester universities, including Assumption College, where he was executive assistant to the president, a cabinet-level position.
Since joining the consortium, Bilotta has overseen the March 2007 launch of an online internship database that aims to connect local employers with college interns. Here he discusses that initiative, as well as other plans at the 39-year-old organization.
Since its launch, how many students have signed up for the online intern database? How many businesses?
Bilotta: The database was launched in March. We currently have 383 students registered, 119 employers registered and 93 jobs have been posted. Our goal is to have 400 businesses registered by the end of the year.
Mark Bilotta, CEO of the Colleges of Worcester Consortium.What do you hope is accomplished by having the online database?
Bilotta: The Worcester Regional Research Bureau had conducted a survey of about 5,000 local college graduates that found the more engaged students are in the community in meaningful ways, the more apt they were to stay after graduating. What interested us at the consortium was following up on the finding, which was issued in 2006, to see if we could find a more interesting way to engage students.
One of first things we settled on was to take a look at expanding internship opportunities by creating a clearinghouse. The goal is to increase the number of internships. If we can increase that, then obviously the data suggests that will increase the number of students staying in the community after school, ensuring the workforce of tomorrow.
Can businesses outside Worcester register if they are looking for interns?
Bilotta: They could. There is no geographic boundary. There are students who would intern outside of Worcester and who would be willing to commute, especially if they live elsewhere. And another important point is that it's free for a business to register.
What advice do you have for a business looking to recruit an intern for the first time?
Bilotta: Part of our job is to educate employers on when to post. You kind of have to think like a college student and how he or she plans his or her class schedule. Students are planning their classes in March and April for the fall semester. For example, students are looking to establish an internship in September or October for the January or February semester. We're trying to get the word out that employers need to be thinking three or four months in advance.
Also, once the internship information is posted, it remains in place and businesses get a reminder that they can update their information at anytime. So, if you're looking for someone starting Sept. 1, registering on the last week of August is not going to net you the ideal candidate, if any.
What are some of the future initiatives the consortium is considering?
Bilotta: We have to try to figure out what role we can or will play with City Square (the redevelopment of the Common Outlets into retail/residential/office space). Our role at the consortium is in part to promote Worcester as a premier location for undergraduate and graduate students. So, downtown's revitalization is part of that. We're also putting together a 4-minute web video with the help of the advertising firm RDW Group that is set to launch on Aug. 14. The video is primarily for our admissions departments at the colleges with the intention to be able to promote Worcester as a destination to prospective students.
When you attended Holy Cross, did you ever come to downtown Worcester?
Bilotta: I think the farthest we went was to Miss Wo's (the Miss Worcester Diner on Southbridge Street). I say that somewhat facetiously, though. Holy Cross has always had very active community service programs, some of which I participated in. Plus I worked off campus. But overall I'd say the social life was on campus.
So, bringing students into the heart of the city isn't a new problem. What is the consortium planning to help change that?
Bilotta: We have recognized that a lot students are isolated socially in that they tend to stay on their campuses. Part of it is systemic within the colleges, because typically student activity directors are measured based on participation levels for programming on campus. But we're working with student affairs directors at the colleges to look at changing that and creating more opportunities for students off campus. For example, on Sept. 1 we're helping organize Taste of Shrewsbury Street for the Colleges, which we are excited about.
To complement that, in August, we're initiating an evening shuttle for students at five participating colleges. The evening shuttle will operate on the weekends from 5:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.
The interview was conducted and edited for length by Christina H. Davis.
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