2022 40 Under Forty Awards
Amy Grzybowski, 39
Assistant commissioner of workforce, R.I. Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner
How has COVID-19 changed your industry? Many of our higher education and training providers create online or hybrid content, which may be more conducive for some adult learners. The “great resignation” provides opportunities for in-roads to great-paying jobs. Employers are reevaluating their job descriptions and are motivated to fill vacancies. This is allowing job seekers to find their career pathway. Employers are more willing to take on the cost of workforce training because it directly benefits their abilities to attract and retain talent.
Where do you see yourself in five years? I hope to have completed my doctorate and our oldest daughter will graduate high school. I hope to continue to show my children that they can set goals, break barriers and achieve their dreams. I hope that my husband and I’s passion for lifelong learning will instill an understanding that education will lead them to whatever pathway they may choose.
What moment changed your life more than any other? Getting married and having my husband deploy a few days later.
What led you to pursuing a career in your current industry? I was intrigued about building something from the ground up. The intersection of government, higher education and industry in the Westerly Education Center’s inception provided an amazing opportunity for our state.
