Creating Talent and Opportunity for Others with Geoffrey Roche

Geoffrey Roche is a SVP, National Health Care Practice & Workforce Partnerships at Core Education PBC, and is on a mission to transform the healthcare system and create partnerships between healthcare and education to deliver quality care. He’s also passionate about education and workforce development. During our conversation, we spoke about some of the challenges that Geofrey is seeing out there with attracting and retaining talent, and some of the innovative ideas and approaches he’s seen to solving some of these challenges.

What is your current role, and what motivates you to do the work you do each day?

Geoffrey: I currently serve as Senior Vice President, National Health Care Practice & Workforce Partnerships at Core Education PBC. I also advise numerous startups in digital health. I am motivated by the critical need to transform our healthcare system with a constant focus on innovative engagement and partnership between healthcare and education. 

Who are your clients/customers, and what are the challenges that they face when it comes to attracting and/or retaining talent?

Geoffrey: Given my ecosystem work, my clients are numerous small to mid-sized colleges and universities all throughout the United States as well as the employers in each of their regions. The industries include healthcare, information technology, advanced manufacturing, among others. It is so important to highlight that there are many challenges by each specific organization when it comes to attracting and retaining talent. 

This includes the need for a more robust focus on addressing culture within their organizations including an intentional effort to create a sense of belonging, investing in your employees from an education and upskilling end, as well as creating the best possible workplace and environment. Additionally, on the recruitment level it is vital to ensure there is a strong focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as building pathways from K-12. 

What are new and innovative ways that companies can think about attracting and retaining talent?

In October, I had the privilege of attending the 2022 Imaginator Summit at the University of Colorado Denver and this truly was a transformational experience. The focus was on how courageous imagination is the art and science of stories that shape the future. Our focus was on putting creativity, belonging and collaboration research to work in this meeting of the minds summit where policymakers, innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs, creatives, and futurists helped to co-create a culture algorithm capable of sensing where the next cultural and economic value will appear. To that end, attracting and retaining talent really comes down to creativity, belonging, and collaboration. 

2022 Imaginator Summit | Imaginator Academy

What are some examples of innovative learning+training+upskilling programs you’ve seen implemented?

Geoffrey: I recently learned about the amazing Level Up program that Lackawanna College has implemented with tremendous success. The Level Up program at Lackawanna College was created in response to the national crisis related to the rising cost of higher education, the increased time that students spend in college before completing their degree, and the need for students to graduate from their secondary experience prepared to succeed in a major program of their choice. 

By creating a new model that offers students concrete educational pathways during their high school experience, the College aims to reduce or eliminate barriers to enrollment in higher education, boost student retention and completion rates, and link early educational pipelines with family-sustaining careers for students of all socioeconomic backgrounds.

Lackawanna College Level Up Program | Lackawanna College

This is another program that I was a leader involved in with East Stroudsburg University and it was significant from various healthcare academic programs that provided innovative learning and training. ESU Insider ESU Students Take On New Role As Health Coaches in Collaborative New Program with Pocono Medical Center

Why is career mobility important to creating a more diverse and equitable workforce?

Geoffrey: Career mobility must be viewed through an equitable lens and it is critical that it include a strong focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. In many industries, we have not had a robust focus on career mobility and this is an area of our workplaces that is more critical than ever. 

It is also important to share career mobility early on, even within K-12 so that individuals clearly understand the opportunities and possibilities that exist with a focus on a career journey. We know many individuals cite not knowing clear pathways when it comes to various roles and opportunities.

What are some initiatives or programs companies can implement to create more career mobility for their employees?

One aspect of this is that we should ask employees their desires from a career mobility perspective and then to assist them in understanding the potential pathways. This is where mentorship particularly comes in and I know it made all of the world of difference for me particularly earlier in my career. 

Additionally, this should be developed in a visual fashion so that individuals could better understand mobility opportunities. Obviously, this also includes support for continued education and professional development. 

What does your ideal future of work look like, and what needs to be true, in order for that to happen?

Geoffrey: As I mentioned earlier, as a graduate of the Courageous Imaginator Academy, the future would include the art and science of stories that shape the future. This focus would include putting creativity, belonging and collaboration research to work in this meeting of the minds summit where policymakers, innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs, creatives, and futurists help to continually co-create a culture algorithm capable of sensing where the next cultural and economic value will appear. To that end, the future of work comes down to creativity, belonging, and collaboration. 

Who is someone that you know who is doing great work in this space that you would encourage us to follow?

Geoffrey: In healthcare, I would particularly highlight Carrie Berg, Vice President Learning & Development at Teladoc Health and Hillary Miller, Vice President and Chief Learning Officer at Penn State Health. 

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