Key Named Assistant Commissioner of Workforce and Executive Director of the Rhode Island Higher Education & Industry Centers at Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner
Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner has named Jessica L. Key as the assistant commissioner of workforce and executive director of the Rhode Island Higher Education & Industry Centers (RIHEIC). RIHEIC manages and operates three workforce development centers: Westerly Education Center, Woonsocket Education Center, and RI Nursing Education Center in Providence.
Key will be responsible for developing and overseeing Rhode Island’s system-wide postsecondary workforce strategy and policies. She will monitor campus-level progress on key state workforce goals and advance state-level work on aligning Rhode Island’s higher education system with the current and future workforce needs of the state.
Most recently Key worked at General Dynamics Electric Boat, serving in the role of manager of supplier and workforce development where she oversaw more than 40 adult training pipeline and K-12/CTE program in three states. During her 10-year employment with Electric Boat, she developed networks within the company and across broader workforce and supply chain organizations serving the defense industry to effectively implement and scale up workforce readiness programs supporting the submarine industrial base.
“Jess Key’s track record in developing and executing talent pipeline strategies for one of the largest employers in New England was a critical factor in choosing her for leading Rhode Island’s strategy for aligning higher education to the workforce needs of the economy,” said Rhode Island Postsecondary Commissioner Shannon Gilkey, Ed.D. “Among her first priorities as assistant commissioner will be to assess the state’s talent needs and to coordinate with higher education providers to align degrees and credentials with the current and projected needs of the labor market. As seven out of 10 good jobs by 2030 will require a postsecondary credential, it is essential for Rhode Islanders to meet the qualifications of those positions that will be the backbone of our economy. Her talents and experience will surely aid in our office’s mission to boost postsecondary attainment, and I’m pleased to welcome her to our team.”
Key earned an MBA from the University of Florida and two bachelor’s degrees from University of South Florida, Tampa.
