Sara Hillis Ousby

About Sara Hillis Ousby

I\'ve spent the last 15+ years at the intersection of higher education, workforce development, and economic opportunity — and I\'ve come to believe that the most powerful thing an institution can do is build genuine, lasting bridges between learners and the labor market. As Executive Director of Business & Industry at Pennsylvania College of Technology, I lead a workforce development operation serving employers across Pennsylvania. My team designs and delivers technical training solutions in manufacturing, industrial automation, plastics, transportation, and business leadership — connecting industry demand to skilled talent pipelines through customized training, registered apprenticeships, and strategic employer partnerships.My work sits at the strategic level: building the case for new programs before they exist, identifying labor market gaps before they become crises, and developing the partnerships and funding structures that make workforce solutions sustainable. Currently, I manage the implementation of our USDOL ABA 2 grant focused on apprenticeship initiatives to support manufacturing pipeline talent development. Before moving into workforce development, I spent over a decade in higher education administration — in student affairs, institutional effectiveness, and assessment — which gave me something most workforce practitioners don\'t have: a deep understanding of the learner experience, institutional culture, and what it actually takes to move an organization through change. I bring that perspective into every employer partnership and every program I build.I hold an Ed.D. in Leadership & Management and approach strategy through a data-informed lens, with applied experience in labor market analysis, program evaluation, and translating complex data into decisions that drive institutional investment.I\'m a first-generation college graduate, and that identity is not incidental to this work — it\'s the reason I care about it. Workforce development done well creates genuine economic mobility. I\'ve seen it, and I\'ve built programs designed around it. I\'m particularly interested in work that is at the intersection of workforce development, economic development, and public-sector or higher education leadership — where the goal is not just training delivery, but building systems that work for employers, learners, and communities over the long term.

Experience

1. Executive Director, Business & Industry

   Penn College Workforce Development

   Sep 2025 — Present · Williamsport, PA, US

   Lead a regional workforce development division serving employers across Pennsylvania, overseeing a portfolio of $2.5M and a team of 9 staff including, relationship managers, program managers, and training consultants.Secured a $4M DOL ABA 2 grant to expand access to manufacturing pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship, leading the program implementation and partnership cultivation. Lead labor market analysis and institutional case-building for a proposed workforce training programs in the manufacturing and transportation sectors. Secured $600k in a PA DOLI PA SMART grant to launch and scale a Bus Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Public Transit Association.

Education

• University of Arkansas

  Master of Education, Higher Education

• University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

  Bachelor of Business Administration, Marketing (Minor in Art)

• Drexel University

  Ed. D., Educational Leadership and Management

Skills

• Research
• Academic Advising
• Leadership Development
• Microsoft Office
• Powerpoint
• Student Leadership
• Social Media
• Fundraising
• Social Justice
• Student Activities
• Graphic Design
• Student Engagement
• Volunteer Management
• Publicity
• Learning Outcomes
• Student Development
• Contract Management
• Budgets
• Admissions
• Community Outreach
• Event Planning
• Leadership
• Grant Writing
• Residence Life
• Program Development
• Student Affairs
• Higher Education
• Editing
• Teaching
• Time Management
• Proposal Writing
• Staff Development
• Staff Supervision
• Public Speaking