Case Study: Williamson College of the Trades achieves full campus integration and a modern mobile student experience with Blackbaud

How Williamson College of the Trades delivered a big-university experience from a tight-knit community with the right education management partner

Williamson College of the Trades is a small, mission-driven residential college that gives about 100 young men each year a fully funded three‑year education (valued near $97–100K) in skilled trades and leadership. Facing growing expectations from faculty and students and an overreliance on spreadsheets and siloed records, the college needed a more robust, integrated education management system to modernize operations and improve student and staff access.

Williamson chose Blackbaud’s cloud solution for higher education—covering enrollment, student information, learning management, billing, fundraising, and financial management—to centralize data, enable real‑time access, and deliver a mobile, personalized experience. The integration streamlined back‑office processes and student engagement, positioned the college to offer a big‑university experience within a tight‑knit community, and supports strong outcomes (Williamson reports a 98% job placement rate and highly competitive employer demand for graduates).

Williamson College of the Trades

Todd Zachary

Senior Vice President and Chief of Staf