Podcasts about strada education network

Ben Wildavsky is a veteran higher education strategist and writer, and host of the Higher Ed Spotlight podcast. He brings decades of experience in journalism and education policy, including leadership roles at Strada Education Network, the College Board, and US News & World Report. He is the author of The Career Arts: Making the Most of College, Credentials, and Connections and an award-winning expert on education-to-workforce initiatives. In this episode of Hardly Working we explore the German model of dual studies, a unique blend of vocational training and academic education, and examine its implications for the US as industries continue to evolve in the face of technological change. Ben's insights, drawn from years of leadership in education, offer valuable lessons on the future of workforce development.Mentioned in the Episode:Germany Jumps on Degree ApprenticeshipsNational Center for the Apprenticeship DegreeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing CompanyThe Career Arts: Making the Most of College, Credentials & Connections

Empowering Students for Career Success: Villanova's Innovative Approach In this episode of Changing Higher Ed, Dr. Drumm McNaughton talks with Kevin Grubb, Associate Vice Provost for Career and Professional Development at Villanova University, about the innovative ways Villanova is preparing students for a successful start to their careers and setting them up to beat the odds of 43% under employment for many college graduates. Learn how Villanova embeds career readiness skills into the curriculum and prioritizes student well-being throughout the process.   Key Discussion Points Preparing Students for Career Success from Orientation Onward: Using the Clifton Strengths Assessment to help students develop a strengths-based mindset. Research demonstrating the positive impact of strengths-based programming on student outcomes.   High-Tech, High-Touch Approach: Villanova's balanced approach to career education, combining technology and personal interaction to enhance student career preparedness. The responsible, effective, and ethical use of generative AI in crafting resumes and cover letters, and decoding job descriptions. Embedding Career Readiness Skills into the Curriculum: Providing career assessments and resources throughout the student journey. Offering for-credit courses on job search skills, networking, and professional development. Involving faculty in teaching career readiness competencies and integrating them into coursework.   Addressing Student Well-Being through Career Readiness: Recognizing career readiness as a significant source of stress and concern for students. Proactively supporting students throughout their journey to alleviate stress and promote well-being.   Three Key Takeaways for Higher Education Presidents and Boards Embed career development into the student experience, making it a core component rather than an optional activity. Prioritize student well-being by acknowledging the stress associated with career readiness and providing proactive support. Embrace generative AI to benefit students and better prepare them for the future, while addressing its use thoughtfully.   Final Thoughts  The episode highlights Villanova's innovative approach to preparing students for career success. By embedding career readiness into the curriculum, using strengths-based learning and career focus, leveraging tools like AI, and prioritizing student well-being, Villanova is setting an example for other institutions looking to empower their students for the future. The insights shared offer valuable guidance for higher education leaders seeking to enhance their career readiness initiatives.   Read the transcript on our website: https://changinghighered.com/beyond-career-and-job-ready-graduates-beating-underemployment-odds/   About Our Guest Kevin Grubb serves as the Associate Vice Provost for Professional Development and Chief Career Officer at Villanova University. He spearheads the strategic vision for career and professional development, aiming for top-notch career outcomes for students and alumni. His role includes integrating support across various university sectors, contributing to Villanova's national acclaim in career services and professional development. His leadership has earned recognition from prestigious organizations, including the National Association of Colleges & Employers and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Grubb, a respected figure in the field, has received accolades for his contributions to career services and college recruiting from several bodies, including LinkedIn and Strada Education Network. He holds a BS in Psychology, an MA in Higher Education Administration, and a certificate in Leadership in Performance Coaching. Grubb is an Associate Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation and a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, demonstrating his commitment to professional excellence and leadership. Kevin Grubb on LinkedIn →   About the Host Dr. Drumm McNaughton is a consultant to higher education institutions in governance, accreditation, strategy and change, and mergers. To learn more about his services and other thought leadership pieces, visit his firm's website: https://changinghighered.com/. The Change Leader's Social Media Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdrumm/ Twitter: @thechangeldr Email: podcast@changinghighered.com #VillanovaUniversity #HigherEducation #CareerReady    

EPISODE 1845: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Ben Wildavsky, author of THE CAREER ARTS, about how to use college to successfully build a careerBen Wildavsky is a veteran higher education writer, strategist, and speaker, host of the Higher Ed Spotlight podcast and author of The Career Arts: Making the Most of College, Credentials, and Connections. A frequent keynote speaker and moderator at education conferences and retreats, Ben cuts through the noise and anxiety surrounding this issue to offer sensible, clear-eyed guidance for anyone who is making decisions about education and career preparation with a view to getting ahead in the workforce. He has held senior roles at the Brookings Institution, the College Board Policy Center, Strada Education Network and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. He is currently a visiting scholar at the University of Virginia.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.

Villanova University is creating career-ready graduates despite the current negative perception of higher ed that is partly fueled by students having difficulties finding jobs upon graduation. Part of this comes from approximately 94% of Villanova students being accepted into internships. Anyone can see these successes for themselves since the private Roman Catholic research institution shares what their alumni are actually saying and experiencing online.   In his latest podcast episode, Dr. Drumm McNaughton talks with Associate Vice Provost for Career and Professional Development Kevin Grubb about how Villanova keeps student outcomes transparent, how transparency helps attract and retain students, how to involve the entire university system in this practice, how career skills are built into Villanova's educational experience, and how Villanova's internship program works and why it's so successful.   Podcast Highlights   The University Learning Goals page on the Villanova website contains searchable student career outcome information from the past five years that can be sorted by college and major. This data updates annually from surveys where graduates share their career experiences upon graduating. In addition to asking if graduates have a job, where they work, and what their salary is, the surveys ask how successful graduates feel in their first job, if their current job will help them achieve their goals, if the Villanova experience prepared them for their career, to rate Villanova's professional development (PD), and what Villanova could do differently. The University Learning Goals page helps the recruitment process by showing prospective students and their families what and how successful some career pathways are. Retention is improved since the results motivate and help students feel like they belong. Everything that goes on or informs the University Learning Goals page is shared with the admissions team to help with recruitment. The career and PD team also presents career outcomes and experiences to inform other departments of its findings and to get feedback from them. In addition, the career and PD team asks what other departments are hearing from students and how the career and PD team can help if they have questions. This culture is also instilled at the faculty level. Some Villanova schools and colleges offer a required class on career and PD. This includes first-years writing a resume, keeping in mind research opportunities, part-time jobs, or internships they might apply for in the future. These resumes are individually reviewed and spark a conversation between students, staff, and faculty. In addition, students are asked what they did during each experience, what skills they gained, what they liked, and what they didn't like. This leads to more in-depth conversations on what's important to them and what they want to do next. Students participate in mock interviews. This includes preparing for asynchronous interviews where students complete a pre-recorded asynchronous interview. Villanova also provides networking opportunities with employers, alums, and professionals within industries students are interested in. These are completed in low-stress environments where jobs or internships aren't on the line. Villanova also has a subscription to LinkedIn Learning, so undergraduate and graduate students can quickly upskill at no cost. Internships are not required for most Villanova programs, but between 91-94% of students who apply intern once during their enrollment. About half of these students intern twice or more. Villanova typically encourages employers to pay interns.   #StudentServices #JobReady #HigherEd   Read the transcript →   About Our Podcast Guest Kevin Grubb Kevin Grubb is an internationally and nationally recognized expert on career services delivery in higher education. Kevin serves as Villanova University's Associate Vice Provost for Career & Professional Development and has held multiple roles within Villanova's Career Center over the last 13 years. In his current position, Kevin is responsible for the strategic direction of the University's career and professional development functions, leading cross-university task forces and spearheading institutional projects to enhance college-to-career success. Kevin's expertise focuses on community-driven approaches to career education, a high-tech, high-touch approach, and prioritizes equitable access to career services, especially for those historically excluded from higher education.    Kevin's expertise has been acknowledged by several organizations whose mission is to provide innovative career services and education about college student engagement. He has been named the “Rising Star” twice in his career, first in 2014 by the American College Personnel Association and second in 2015 by the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE). Kevin has also been invited to share insights about career development and outcomes by organizations such as LinkedIn and Strada Education Network. Additionally, he has held several leadership positions for non-profit organizations such as the NACE, the BIG EAST Conference Career Consortium, and Campus Philly.   About the Host  Dr. Drumm McNaughton is a consultant to higher education institutions and CEO of The Change Leader consulting firm. Drumm's focus is in the areas of governance, accreditation, strategy, change management, and mergers. To learn more about his services and other thought leadership pieces, visit his firm's website at changinghighered.com.   The Change Leader's Social Media Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdrumm/ Twitter: @thechangeldr Email: podcast@changinghighered.com  

College boards of trustees are responsible for helping ensure that students receive the best college experiences possible. In this episode, Alison Griffin and Dr. P. talk about the roles and responsibilities of boards of trustees, including common misconceptions and the ways in which the work of a board can positively impact students. Alison Griffin is Senior Vice President at Whiteboard Advisors, a mission-driven communications, research, and consulting firm that supports organizations working to advance educational equity and economic mobility. Alison's experience on the implementation side of higher education and workforce development, and as a grantmaker, is reflected in her practical understanding of how policy shapes practice. Her career in postsecondary education policy includes two terms as a policy advisor to the Chairman of the U.S. House of Education and the Workforce, as well as an early career role with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities where she guided state policy development. Alison joined Whiteboard Advisors after leading national engagement, government relations and external affairs for Strada Education Network.Alison believes the solutions to our most pressing education and workforce challenges from access to affordability to the alignment between skills and employment are rooted in thoughtful collaboration among a growing community of diverse voices. As a natural convener and connector across policymakers, impact investors, entrepreneurs, practitioners and employers, Alison is often at the center of moderating conversations and guiding solutions among national and state-level subject matter experts.Alison is a frequent commentator in the media on issues at the intersection of postsecondary education and employment. She is a Forbes contributor and her opinion pieces have appeared in The Hill, The Washington Post and EdSurge. Alison co-leads Whiteboard's postsecondary education practice from Boulder, Colorado. Appointed by Governor Jared Polis (D) in 2019 to the Colorado Mesa University Board of Trustees, Alison currently serves as chair of the Board. She is the vice chair of the Board of the Colorado League of Charter Schools and served the state of Colorado as a 2020 Governor's Fellow. Alison holds a masters degree in education from the University of Georgia and graduated with undergraduate degrees in business and psychology from Southern Methodist University. As an avid reader and live music lover, her goal each year is to read more than 52 books and see at least 20 concerts.Alison Griffin on Twitter, LinkedIn, and ForbesResources Mentioned in This EpisodeColorado Mesa University Got a question about college? Email Dr. P. at amelia@speakingofcollege.com   

GoodJob, the #1 pre-hire assessment software available in the marketplace today, announced a partnership with Merge, the Unified API for B2B integrations. As a result of this partnership, GoodJob's software now supports integrations with over 50 popular Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), including Workday, SmartRecruiters, Lever and Greenhouse.  Recruiters, HR teams and business leaders can use GoodJob's software within their current ATS, allowing them to hire confidently and retain high-performing candidates. https://hrtechfeed.com/goodjob-partners-with-merge-to-integrate-with-over-50-applicant-tracking-systems-ats/ DALLAS — HireLogic, an artificial intelligence (AI) enabled hiring interview intelligence solution, today announced a $6M series A funding round led by Joseph P. Landy, former Partner and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Warburg Pincus. Existing investors from HireLogic's seed round also participated, bringing total funding raised to over $10M. This investment will be used to advance the capabilities of HireLogic's conversational analytics platform, expand go to market activities, and meet the demands of the firm's growing customer base. https://hrtechfeed.com/hirelogic-secures-6m-series-a-funding/ ATLANTA — LaborWorx, a tech-enabled staffing startup that helps construction and manufacturing companies connect with on-demand workers, has raised $4.2 million to continue its mission of solving the skilled worker shortage. https://hrtechfeed.com/laborworx-raises-4-2-million-for-skilled-worker-recruiting-platform/ CANADA - talent assessment platform Plum today announced details of its $6 million USD round of growth funding. Led by Pearson Ventures, other new investors include JFF Ventures and Strada Education Network. Existing investors Export Development Canada (EDC), Real Ventures, BDC Capital's Women in Technology Venture Fund, EduLab Capital Partners, and Impact Engine also participated. https://hrtechfeed.com/plum-raises-6-million-for-talent-assessment-platform/ ZipRecruiter® announced financial results for the quarter and full year ended December 31, 2022. Quarterly revenue $210.5 million, down 4% y/y Full-year revenue $904.6 million, up 22% y/y – fast approaching the billion dollar mark https://www.jobboardsecrets.com/2023/02/22/ziprecruiter-announces-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2022-results/

Feel like you're a job hopper? You're not alone! Turns out job hopping — and switching fields — are about to become the reality for most of us, says today's HRchat guest.Joining Bill is education and workforce strategist Dr. Michelle Weise.Michelle is the author of Long-Life Learning: Preparing for Jobs that Don't Even Exist Yet (Wiley, 2021). Her book was awarded the 2021 Phillip E. Frandson Award for Literature by UPCEA (University Professional and Continuing Education Association), recognizing the author and publisher of an outstanding work of continuing higher education literature. Thinkers50 named her one of 30 management and leadership thinkers in the world to watch in 2021.Michelle leads Rise & Design, an advisory service tailored for organizations seeking to design education and workforce strategies that will prepare working-age adults for the jobs of today and tomorrow. Questions Include:  * You talk about how the future of work is the future of education. What do you mean by that? * Tell me about your book, Long-Life Learning: Preparing for Jobs that Don't Even Exist Yet - what's it about, who it's aimed at and what are some of the hoped-for learning outcomes? * You suggest that "employers will have to begin viewing themselves as not just talent consumers, but talent creators." What do you mean by this? * What advice would you give to leaders and HR managers about how to shape an effective L&D program that supports worker retention and advancement?More About MichelleHer service work includes advising BrightHive, a data collaboration platform, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP), the SkillUp Coalition, Basta, Hitch, Bayes Impact, Clayton Christensen Institute Social Capital R&D Project, and World Education's Personal and Workplace Success Skills Library. She has also served as a commissioner for Massachusetts Governor Baker's Commission on Digital Innovation and Lifelong Learning, Harvard University's Task Force on Skills and Employability, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences' Commission on the Future of Undergraduate Education.Her commentaries on redesigning higher education and developing more innovative workforce and talent pipeline strategies have been featured in The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Harvard Business Review.In the past, she has served as Vice Chancellor of Strategy and Innovation at National University System, Senior Advisor at Imaginable Futures, a venture of The Omidyar Group. She was also the Chief Innovation Officer of Strada Education Network as well as of Southern New Hampshire University. With Clayton Christensen, she coauthored Hire Education: Mastery, Modularization, and the Workforce Revolution (2014) while leading the higher education practice at Christensen's Institute for Disruptive Innovation.​Michelle is a former Fulbright Scholar and a graduate of Harvard and Stanford.

Stephen Moret is a leading expert in the connection between education and work. In this episode, Dr. Moret shares lessons and successes from his many years leading state and local economic development efforts, educational fundraising efforts, and his new role as CEO of Strada Education Network, a social impact organization helping all students access and make the most of their educational opportunities. Mentioned in the episodeStrada Education NetworkStephen Moret Student Body President LSU FoundationVirginia Economic Development PartnershipStephen Moret Dissertation Huey LongSt. John's CollegeVirginia Talent Accelerator Program Georgia Quick Start ProgramLouisiana Fast Start Program – Economist ArticleTim BartikVirginia Office of Education – VOEEStrada Institute for the Future of Work – New Learning Ecosystem KYStats Non-technical skills in career development Increase in Master's degrees 1 counselor for every 1000 students Joe May

The trend of higher education employees leaving their jobs before they have been offered another is an under-mentioned aspect of the “Great Resignation”. Whether the reason could be due to caregiving for a family member or friend, or the acceleration of wage growth in sectors outside of higher ed, it has highlighted a lack of pay, work/life balance and/or growth opportunities (i.e. “career paths”) for those who work at colleges. Simply put, we have focused on that for our students, but we have done a poor job of mentoring and growing our employees. This is especially important to those who start as entry level staff in academic advising, athletics marketing and communications (events and promotions), and media who want to be able to rise through the organization. Credentials, Entrepreneurship and Certificates are part of the workforce future in higher education. My guests today work for a company that has produced some remarkable research in this area, calling attention to an opportunity for higher ed workplaces to focus on how to grow employees, not just hire them. Dr. Ruth Watkins is the President of Strada Impact, a part of the Strada Educational Network. She is the former president and provost at the University of Utah. We are also joined by Dr. Courtney McBeth, Senior Vice President and Chief Program Officer for the Strada Education Network. Courtney was a soccer student-athlete at the University of Utah. Both bring powerful expertise to a discussion that includes NIL, entrepreneurship and the high turnover rates in athletic department employees. We also discuss the impact on the University of Utah's entrance into the Pac-12, what it means both from an institutional alignment perspective and from a career opportunity perspective for Utah student athletes. More info on Strada: Strada Education Network is a national nonprofit social impact organization that collaborates with learners, educators, employers, and policy makers across the U.S. to bring to life a postsecondary education and training (PSET) ecosystem that provides equitable pathways to opportunity. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/karen-weaver/message

Is it even possible to center humanity in our work and our systems?  We have become numb to the fact that so many of our government policies, social programs, and even corporate cultures exist to serve every other purpose but our shared humanity.  They fail to acknowledge that humans are complex and that we can't compartmentalize inputs in order to get successful outputs. The solution is to become more developmentally informed to build systems and cultures that center humanity - while still being widely successful and profitable. My guest today talking about these big concepts as well as how they are relevant to the future of work is Michael O'Bryan. Mike shares what it means to be developmentally informed, what shared humanity means, and the real cost of dehumanization. He shares the difference between narrative and story and the influencers of human behavior. We discuss narrative intelligence and how the lack of it can lead to violence and racism like we saw in Buffalo, NY weeks ago. And how all of these concepts relate to the future of work and economic policies and systems. We go deep in this one, but I think you will love the conversation! Key Takeaways:You cannot have the wrong activities and produce the right outcomes. Diversity is a fact. Equity is a choice. Inclusion is an activity. Belongingness is an outcome.You tend to imagine more with pictures with the things that are close to you than the things that are distant from you.  It is to shape your children with narratives; it can take a minute to teach love or hate with an answer to a question.The narratives that you hear shape you. We have to be more critical about what we are hearing, understanding the bias of where those narratives are coming from, and what it is costing us.  “You have got to be cognizant of the fact that you will meet narratives and stories about groups of people before you ever meaningfully engage in a relationship with them.” Mike O'Bryan About Michael O'Bryan + Founder/CEO:Michael O'Bryan is a practitioner and researcher in the fields of community development, organizational culture, and human well-being. He is a Distinguished Resident Fellow at The Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation at Drexel University where he is building a research lab focused on the future of work, economic policies, and systems through the lens of developmental science and social equity. Michael is also the founder of Humanature, a design strategy firm working with a mission of supporting organizations and leaders in centering humanity in the context of their work. Past and current clients include NeighborWorks America, The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, New Jersey Community Capital, Strada Education Network, The Opportunity Finance Network, and The United Negro College Fund. Michael has spoken about his work at such venues as Cornell University's Institute on Employment and Disability, SOCAP, and the Apollo Theater in New York. He is on faculty in Career Studies at the Curtis Institute of Music, a lecturer in city planning at the University of Pennsylvania's Stuart Weitzman School of Design, and most recently served on the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Commission on the Arts. Michael also serves on the boards of two philanthropic institutions in Philadelphia: the Samuel S. Fels Fund and the Philadelphia Cultural Fund.Connect with Michael O'BryanWebsite: https://www.humanature.works/Twitter: https://twitter.com/MisticQuestLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeobryan613/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.obryan25/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/books_and_ish/Empathy Lab: https://www.empathylab.works/Resources Mentioned:Heather Hiscox interview on The Empathy Edge: The Surprising Empathy Gap in Social Impact That Hinders ChangeThe Possibility ProjectOzark on NetflixSeverance on Apple TVJames Ehrlich interview on The Empathy Edge: The Neighborhood of the Future is HereThe Social Instinct: How Cooperation Shaped the World by Nichola RaihaniTeddy Roosevelt Speech: On American Motherhood: https://www.bartleby.com/268/10/29.html   Don't forget to download your free guide! Discover The 5 Business Benefits of Empathy: http://red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathy  Connect with Maria: Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.comLearn more about Maria's brand strategy work and books: Red-Slice.comHire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossTake my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with EmpathyLinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaTwitter: @redsliceFacebook: Red Slice

Is it even possible to center humanity in our work and our systems?  We have become numb to the fact that so many of our government policies, social programs, and even corporate cultures exist to serve every other purpose but our shared humanity.  They fail to acknowledge that humans are complex and that we can't compartmentalize inputs in order to get successful outputs. The solution is to become more developmentally informed to build systems and cultures that center humanity - while still being widely successful and profitable. My guest today talking about these big concepts as well as how they are relevant to the future of work is Michael O'Bryan. Mike shares what it means to be developmentally informed, what shared humanity means, and the real cost of dehumanization. He shares the difference between narrative and story and the influencers of human behavior. We discuss narrative intelligence and how the lack of it can lead to violence and racism like we saw in Buffalo, NY weeks ago. And how all of these concepts relate to the future of work and economic policies and systems. We go deep in this one, but I think you will love the conversation! Key Takeaways:You cannot have the wrong activities and produce the right outcomes. Diversity is a fact. Equity is a choice. Inclusion is an activity. Belongingness is an outcome.You tend to imagine more with pictures with the things that are close to you than the things that are distant from you.  It is to shape your children with narratives; it can take a minute to teach love or hate with an answer to a question.The narratives that you hear shape you. We have to be more critical about what we are hearing, understanding the bias of where those narratives are coming from, and what it is costing us.  “You have got to be cognizant of the fact that you will meet narratives and stories about groups of people before you ever meaningfully engage in a relationship with them.” Mike O'Bryan About Michael O'Bryan + Founder/CEO:Michael O'Bryan is a practitioner and researcher in the fields of community development, organizational culture, and human well-being. He is a Distinguished Resident Fellow at The Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation at Drexel University where he is building a research lab focused on the future of work, economic policies, and systems through the lens of developmental science and social equity. Michael is also the founder of Humanature, a design strategy firm working with a mission of supporting organizations and leaders in centering humanity in the context of their work. Past and current clients include NeighborWorks America, The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, New Jersey Community Capital, Strada Education Network, The Opportunity Finance Network, and The United Negro College Fund. Michael has spoken about his work at such venues as Cornell University's Institute on Employment and Disability, SOCAP, and the Apollo Theater in New York. He is on faculty in Career Studies at the Curtis Institute of Music, a lecturer in city planning at the University of Pennsylvania's Stuart Weitzman School of Design, and most recently served on the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Commission on the Arts. Michael also serves on the boards of two philanthropic institutions in Philadelphia: the Samuel S. Fels Fund and the Philadelphia Cultural Fund.Connect with Michael O'BryanWebsite: https://www.humanature.works/Twitter: https://twitter.com/MisticQuestLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeobryan613/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.obryan25/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/books_and_ish/Empathy Lab: https://www.empathylab.works/Resources Mentioned:Heather Hiscox interview on The Empathy Edge: The Surprising Empathy Gap in Social Impact That Hinders ChangeThe Possibility ProjectOzark on NetflixSeverance on Apple TVJames Ehrlich interview on The Empathy Edge: The Neighborhood of the Future is HereThe Social Instinct: How Cooperation Shaped the World by Nichola RaihaniTeddy Roosevelt Speech: On American Motherhood: https://www.bartleby.com/268/10/29.html   Don't forget to download your free guide! Discover The 5 Business Benefits of Empathy: http://red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathy  Connect with Maria: Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.comLearn more about Maria's brand strategy work and books: Red-Slice.comHire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossTake my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with EmpathyLinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaTwitter: @redsliceFacebook: Red Slice

David Helene is the founder and CEO of Edquity (www.edquity.co), a provider of equitable and effective cash transfer administration technology for institutional and government partners. Under his leadership, Edquity has worked with over 30 innovative partners in postsecondary education to process over $85 million in emergency grants to over 90,000 students, 40% of whom have been student parents, as well municipalities that include the City of Baltimore. He has helped the organization attract over $8 million in support from some of the most innovation national postsecondary funding partners in the country, including ECMC Foundation, the Lumina Foundation, Strada Education Network, Imaginable Futures, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact, Spring Point Partners, WGU Labs, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and others. For his work at Edquity, David was named to 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 in Social Entrepreneurship.Prior to Edquity, David founded a non-profit college access organization called UniFi Scholars, where he worked with over 400 students around college financial planning, and spent nearly three years at The Clearing House, a financial trade association and payments company representing the interests of the nation's largest commercial banks. David joins me today to discuss changing demographics in students, the importance and purpose of higher ed, why college costs keep rising, taking policy risks as a startup, launching a second product and the role of business in politics. “About 75% of students are going to community colleges or open enrollment for your institutions. And that's really where we should be focusing our time and attention, because those are the institutions that are educating the vast majority of the next generation of our workforce.” - David HeleneToday on Startups for Good we cover:Fighting structural inequalityRising college costsBalancing two customer basesPolicy risk and evaluationShould companies take political positions?Learn more about Edquity on their website and with David at david@edquity.coSubscribe, Rate & Share Your Favorite Episodes!Thanks for tuning into today's episode of Startups For Good with your host, Miles Lasater. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast listening app.Don't forget to visit our website, connect with Miles on Twitter or LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes across social media. For more information about The Giving Circle

We welcome YOU back to America's leading higher education podcast, The EdUp Experience! In this episode, YOUR guest is Tom Dawson, Interim President & CEO at Strada Education Network, YOUR host is Dr. Joe Sallustio, & YOUR sponsor is Unmudl! Listen in as Joe talks with Tom about how Strada works with colleges, students, & employers to create & refine education to workforce pathways. Thomas C. Dawson is Strada Education Network's interim president and chief executive officer. He previously was executive vice president and chief operating officer, overseeing the shared services that support the Strada network, including finance, impact evaluation, information technology, and philanthropic partnerships. As COO, he was also responsible for overseeing Strada's nonprofit affiliates — CAEL, Education at Work, InsideTrack, and Roadtrip Nation — and ensuring they met their growth, sustainability, and impact goals. Make sure to be the first person to claim YOUR school on Unmudl! Thank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp! Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - Elvin Freytes & Dr. Joe Sallustio ● If YOU want to get involved, leave us YOUR EdUp review on YOUR preferred listening platform or at The EdUp Experience! ● Join YOUR EdUp community at The EdUp Experience! ● YOU can follow us on Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube Thank YOU for listening! We make education YOUR business!

This summer, we've been speaking with employers to learn how businesses are adopting technology in the workplace, and if COVID-19 accelerated these efforts; how digital transformation is impacting skill needs for frontline workers; and what approaches businesses are taking to support development of digital skills for frontline workers.This virtual event looks at what we have learned from employers and what can and should be done to help workers build the skills they need to advance in the workplace. This is the third part of a year-long study looking at how COVID-19 and heightened attention to racial inequality were affecting businesses, their operations, skill needs, hiring and HR practices, and education and training programs. Speakers include Andres Alcantar (Senior Workforce Lead, Texas Association of Community Colleges), Kelly Ryan Bailey (Global Skills Evangelist, Emsi Burning Glass), Amy Blair (Research Director, The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program), Patti Constantakis (Director, Corporate Philanthropy, Walmart.org), Maureen Conway (Vice President, The Aspen Institute; Executive Director, The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program), Reggie Davis (Senior Director of Distribution, The Container Store), Daryl Graham (Senior Vice President of Philanthropy, Strada Education Network), Rachael Stephens (Program Director, Workforce Development & Economic Policy, National Governors Association), and moderator Jaime Fall (Director, UpSkill America at the Aspen Institute). The Economic Opportunities Program's Opportunity in America discussion series has moved to an all-virtual format as we all do what we can to slow the spread of COVID-19. But the conversations about the changing landscape of economic opportunity in the US and implications for individuals, families, and communities across the country remain vitally important. We hope you will participate as we bring our discussions to you in virtual formats, and we look forward to your feedback. We are grateful to the Ford Foundation, Prudential Financial, Walmart.org, the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, and the Surdna Foundation for their support of this series.

  In this next episode in America's Comeback from COVID Series, Dr. Nichole Torpey-Saboe, Director of Research and Insights for the Strada Education Network, joins the program to discuss youth – and the special challenges they face in reconnecting to education and getting back on track towards a career. Nichole shares insights from a research project that Strada conducted about how youth are feeling at this time. You'll also hear clips from young people about how the pandemic has impacted them on their educational and career journeys. 

In this episode you'll hear about:  • Links between education attainment and keeping a job during Covid-19.  • How 900,000 new jobs created in March included only 1% for workers with a high school education or less.• Ways impact investments can support post-secondary education and helping nontraditional students succeed.• How Edquity supports post-secondary education, which is seen as key to breaking the cycle of poverty and helping Americans attain livable wages.  • What outcomes financing is and why it may change impact investing. Related story: Providing the building blocks of financial literacy training  Guest bios: Christa Velasquez, strategy director of Lumina Impact Ventures, sources, structures, underwrites and negotiates social investments to support the strategic priorities at Lumina Foundation, an private foundation in Indianapolis committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all.David Helene, founder and CEO of Edquity, which provides emergency aid platforms for high school and college students. Under his leadership, Edquity has worked with principal partners across K-12 and higher education. He has helped the organization attract significant investment funding from the Gates Foundation, Lumina Foundation, Strada Education Network and others. Andrea Phillips, managing partner of the Community Outcomes Fund  and co-founder of Maycomb Capital, has more than 25 years of experience leading, designing and implementing large scale, public-private partnerships that leverage private investment to address pressing social challenges. At Goldman Sachs, she launched and managed the Goldman Sachs Social Impact Fund and led signature social impact bond investments for the firm including the investment in the Rikers Island Social Impact Bond, the first such transaction ever executed by a financial institution and in the U.S. market. United Nations SDG #4 information“Great Jobs Report”  Lumina Foundation  Community Outcomes Fund 

Lifelong learning is an essential element of a satisfying retirement. And lifelong learning is an increasingly vital part of a successful career, including a second career. Our special guest, Dr. Michelle Weise, explains how longer lifespans are changing the nature of careers and education, and why lifelong learning is important for individuals and employers. _________________________ Bio Dr. Michelle R. Weise is the author of Long-Life Learning: Preparing for Jobs that Don’t Even Exist Yet. Thinkers50 named her one of 30 management and leadership thinkers in the world to watch in 2021. She is a senior advisor at Imaginable Futures, a venture of The Omidyar Group. Dr. Weise's work over the last decade has concentrated on preparing working-age adults for the jobs of today and tomorrow. She was the chief innovation officer of Strada Education Network as well as Southern New Hampshire University. With Clayton Christensen, she coauthored Hire Education: Mastery, Modularization, and the Workforce Revolution (2014) while leading the higher education practice at Christensen’s Institute for Disruptive Innovation. Dr. Weise also advises BrightHive, a data collaboration platform, the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP), the SkillUp Coalition, Strategic Education Inc.’s HIRE board, MIT SOLVE, Village Capital, Western Governors University Teachers College, Clayton Christensen Institute Social Capital R&D Project, and World Education’s Personal and Workplace Success Skills Library. She has also served as a commissioner for Massachusetts Governor Baker’s Commission on Digital Innovation and Lifelong Learning, Harvard University’s Task Force on Skills and Employability, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’ Commission on the Future of Undergraduate Education. Her commentaries on redesigning higher education and developing more innovative workforce and talent pipeline strategies have been featured in The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Harvard Business Review and on PBS Newshour. ​Michelle is a former Fulbright Scholar and graduate of Harvard and Stanford. __________________________ Wise Quotes On Longevity "...basically since the 1840s, every year we've added on an average of three months to our lifespans. And there's no sign that that's actually stopping or lessening over time. I think we do have an interesting phenomenon here with the pandemic that is kind of shaping our mortality rates, obviously in this century, in this year, in this decade. But for the most part, we know that our lifespans have been extending. And then there are different kinds of futurists and experts on aging and longevity who are proposing that the first people to live to be a hundred and years old have already been born. So if we just take this concept of a hundred-year life or 150 year work-life, even if we don't maybe fully buy into it, or want to buy into it because we don't want to live 150 years, that's still a very helpful mental model for us to think about how do we actually thrive in this future, where we are already seeing that a lot of working-age adults are staying in the workforce for far longer than they had ever anticipated well into their sixties and seventies.   On Preparing for an Extended Worklife "We see that early baby boomers are experiencing 12 job changes on average by the time they retire. So even if we just extend a little bit in terms of thinking about an extended work-life, whether it's 60, 80, or a hundred years, it's not actually that difficult for us to extrapolate and think, 'Oh, we could possibly face maybe 20 or 30 job changes by the time we retire' - and how in the world are we going to do that when navigating one [job change] is so difficult. And so the way that I think about a way to visualize this idea of long-life learning is really the future of work and the future of education are going to become inextricably tied.

The events of the past year have led to unprecedented changes in how businesses operate and the way people live and work. These changes have included the acceleration and adoption of digital technology in the workplace. UpSkill America, with the support of Strada Education Network and Walmart.org, spent six months conducting interviews and surveys with employers about how the events of 2020 have affected their businesses. In the process, we learned about how businesses have adopted new technologies to respond to workers' and customers' needs. For many companies, digital transformation has led to changes in how they think about the skills frontline workers need to be successful in their jobs and the investments in education and training programs needed to support workers' development. Learn about results of our survey of over 340 business leaders and hear directly from leading employers in food service, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail. Panelists share how their businesses have responded to events in 2020, including ways they have responded to technological change and racial inequities in employment. Our speakers include Patti Constantakis (Director, Corporate Philanthropy, Walmart.org), Maureen Conway (Vice President, The Aspen Institute; Executive Director, The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program), Hao Dinh (Director, Global Digital Industrial Operations, Electrolux), Jaime Fall (Director, UpSkill America at the Aspen Institute), Daryl Graham (Senior Vice President of Philanthropy, Strada Education Network), Ranita Jain (Senior Evaluation Manager, The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program), Julius Ridgley (Manager of Talent Development, Eat'n Park), Missy Sparks (Vice President of Talent Management, Ochsner Health), and Ken Taylor (President, Training Industry, Inc.).

How do we prepare for jobs that don't exist yet? Michelle Weise guides us through this transition with thoughtful insight and tons of examples.  Michelle explains how the system needs to be transformed in order to support new workers and workforce. This conversation keeps innovation at the forefront with many ideas that can be easily applied beyond higher education. Post a review. Subscribe. Michelle Weise is a renowned thought leader and author.  She is an Entrepreneur in Residence and Senior Advisor with the US global education team of Imaginable Futures.  Before that, Michelle served as Chief Innovation Officer of Strada Education Network.  Her writing has appeared in The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, The Harvard Business Review, and her most recent book, Long Life Learning. Music: Believin Stephen Shout outs:  Strada Institute for the Future of Work, Wil Zemp, Gunnar Counselman, and Michael Horn. Links:  Strada Education Network.  The Omidyar Group.  The Strada Institute of the Future of Work.  Harvard Business Review. The Economist.  Wall Street Journal.  Long Life Learning  https://claytonchristensen.com   Mursion.  Simon Sinek Podcast ad:  RethinkingEDU

Michelle Weise sheds light on the learning challenges professionals will face in the near future—and how we can prepare for them. — YOU'LL LEARN — 1) How to surface your hidden skills 2) How to keep AI from making you irrelevant 3) Nifty tools for upskilling quickly Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep644 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT MICHELLE — Michelle Weise was just named to the Thinkers50 thinkers to watch in 2021. She is senior advisor to Imaginable Futures, a venture of The Omidyar Group, and BrightHive, a data collaboration platform. She is former chief innovation officer of Strada Education Network and Southern New Hampshire University. She led the higher education practice at Clay Christensen's Institute for Disruptive Innovation. Her most recent book is LONG LIFE LEARNING: Preparing for Jobs that Don't Even Exist Yet (Wiley, 2020). Her first book, with Clay Christensen (2014) is Hire Education: Mastery, Modularization, and the Workforce Revolution. • Michelle's book: Long Life Learning: Preparing for Jobs that Don't Even Exist Yet • Michelle's LinkedIn: Michelle R. Weise • Michelle's Twitter: @rwmichelle • Michelle's website: RiseAndDesign.io — RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Tool: Freestyle2 Keyboard for PC • Website: Skills Match • Software: GLEAC • Software: Mursion • Company: FutureFit AI • Company: Skyhigh Manpower Recruitment International • Company: InnoCentive • Company: Climb Hire • Book: Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein • Book: Beloved by Toni Morrison • Previous episode: 376: How to Become the Success Nobody Saw Coming: Research Insights into “Dark Horses” from Harvard's Todd Rose — THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • MunkPack. Save 20% on delicious, keto-friendly snacks at Munkpack.com with the promo code AWESOME.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

According to Strada Education Network and Gallup, 51% US audits has second thoughts on their education decisions.  They would change their degree, field of study, or change institution.  This is a waste of resources and our businesses ended up with trouble to fill jobs.Olympic High School took an different approach that they are making sure students are as career ready as college ready.  We interview Mike Realon about the success with this different approach as well the best project learning experience: the FIRST robotics program.This episode also feature a past TEDx speaker India Gregory, a Olympic High School graduate on her experience how FIRST robotics helped to maintain the learning interest and eventually lead to a great career.Want to know more about:What school could be (https://teddintersmith.com/what-school-could-be/)FIRST Robotics (http://firstinspires.org/)NAF career academy (https://naf.org/)Olympic High School (https://schools.cms.k12.nc.us/olympicHS)You can watch this episode on YouTube and follow our channel @ Joint STEM Initiative

Michelle Weise is the author of Long Life Learning: Preparing for Jobs That Don't Even Exist Yet. Michelle is also a Senior Advisor at the philanthropic investment group, Imaginable Futures. On this episode, she joins Mike Palmer to discuss her new book and how we can reimagine our learning ecosystem in response to longer lifespans, automation, and rapid transformation of the 21st Century. We begin with Michelle’s origin story, how she moved from being an English professor into educational technology including stints at Clayton Christensen’s Institute for Disruptive Innovation, Southern New Hampshire University, and Strada Education Network. Michelle notes the difficulty of predicting actual future careers, and how her book focuses on the type of worker and the type of problem solver we all need to become. We need to offload much of the current tasks that AI can do better while developing both our “human-plus” skills as well as the technical expertise required to exercise judgment. Mike and Michelle discuss “T-shaped” learners, and how they develop over a long career. Michelle talks about later-life learners, and how they can profitably upskill. Pursuing a four-year degree may not appeal to 55+ learners, and even the current MOOCs may not meet their needs. Given all the challenges, Mike asks Michelle to provide some hope. She tells him how Clay Christensen helped her stay optimistic, and how the wide variety of innovators should stick to the shared agenda of creating a robust ecosystem: breaking down the walls that obtain between K-12, higher ed, and workforce learning. And how the pandemic has further exposed this need. Mike and Michelle discuss the work of Suzanne Simard regarding the surprising subterranean ecosystem of trees and how it can serve as a model of the idealized education ecosystem. They then discuss the power of such metaphors. They also note David Epstein’s Range, and the importance of the generalist in the world of specialization. “Far transfer” is also on the table. Finally, Michelle discusses “skills compasses”. Enterprises often do not know the skills their employees have, and let them go despite their potential usefulness. She notes a few innovative companies that help those laid off find the training they need to meet the skills demanded in their labor market.   There's plenty to explore in this conversation you don't want to miss! For further information: Emsi Suzanne Simard, Finding the Mother Tree SkyHive Future Fit The Americans with Disabilities Act How to Find Michelle: Twitter: @rwmichelle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rwmichelle/ riseanddesign.io How to Find Mike: Twitter: @TrendingInEd Email: mike@palmer.media If you like what you’re hearing, follow us at TrendinginEducation.com and wherever you get your podcasts.

“In general, we continue to have this real disconnect between supply and demand for skilled workers.” In this week’s Work in Progress podcast, I talk with Ben Wildavsky, the senior vice president of National Engagement for Strada Education Network. Wildavsky says over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic recession, and even in […] The post Bridge builders have an important role in a post-COVID recovery appeared first on WorkingNation.

This week, Tom is sitting down with author and advisor, Michelle Weise, to discuss her new book, Long Life Learning: Preparing for Jobs that Don't Even Exist Yet. Michelle is currently serving as an entrepreneur-in-residence and Senior Advisor at Imaginable Futures, a venture of The Omidyar Group. Michelle was formerly the Chief Innovation Officer at Strada Education Network’s Institute for the Future of Work, and Sandbox Collaborative, the innovation center of Southern New Hampshire University. She was also the co-author of Hire Education: Mastery, Modularization, and the Workforce Revolution, with Clayton Christensen. In this conversation, Tom and Michelle discuss her background in the arts and innovation; how and why she came to write her new book, Long Life Learning; what long life learning means to her; what she predicts to be the future of business models for long life learning; and her advice on how we can all make good decisions about what to learn next no matter where we are on our long life learning journey.   Key Takeaways: [:10] About today’s episode with Michelle Weise. [:55] Tom Vander Ark welcomes Michelle to the podcast. [:59] Tom congratulates Michelle on her new book, Long Life Learning. [1:37] When did Michelle’s interest in language, literature, and poetry begin? [2:27] Michelle elaborates on her deep passion for poetry and how both reading and writing it helped her get through the death of her 10th-grade chemistry teacher. [3:07] Michelle’s exploration of Asian-American and African-American poetry and fiction in graduate school. [3:58] Michelle’s favorite African-American poet and what drew her to Asian-American poetry in particular. [4:57] Tom highlights a poet whose work he recently fell in love with: Rita Dove. [5:14] How and why Michelle came to be a Fulbright Scholar in Seoul, South Korea. [6:20] Michelle’s path after coming from Korea and why she decided to join an ed-tech start-up with Gunnar Counselman. [9:15] After a short stint at Fidelis, Michelle joined the Clayton Christensen Institute as a Senior Research Fellow of Higher Education for nearly 2½ years. There, she also had the opportunity to write a book with him called, Education: Mastery, Modularization, and the Workforce Revolution. [9:38] Michelle’s experience working with Clayton on their book together. [10:57] Tom reflects on a past experience with Clay and Michelle shares an important lesson that she learned through working with him. [13:16] After Christensen Institute, Michelle did another three-year stint at Strada, a non-profit impact fund in Indianapolis. [13:50] About Michelle’s role at Strada and how it led to her writing her new book, Long Life Learning. [15:53] At Strada, Michelle had the opportunity to interview hundreds of people. Was this specific to Long Life Learning or was it more for the R&D center at Strada? [17:00] Young people today are not only going to live longer but they’re also going to experience more change in their lifetimes than previous generations. The old model of education and work is already becoming obsolete. As Michelle shares in her book, we need to begin thinking about long life learning. [20:22] With this knowledge, is it becoming less critical to make a decision about where you go to college immediately after high school? [22:44] Would Michelle agree or disagree with the sentiment Ryan Craig expressed in his 2018 book, A New U, that unless you can get a free or subsidized education at a selective university you really should think about a hard sprint to a good first job as an entry point to an earn-and-learn ladder? [25:58] Does Michelle foresee Gen Zrs having careers somewhat resembling her own? I.e. taking a “tour of duty” approach? [28:17] What are the business models for long life learning going to be? [32:03] What advice do people need to make good decisions about what to learn next? [37:24] Does Michelle see AI making it easier for us to learn in the direction we point to? [40:28] Is Michelle optimistic about adaptive learning? [42:17] Some of the other ways Michelle sees AI aiding us in the future. [43:58] Does AI have the potential to make hiring more equitable? Or is Michelle concerned that more inequity will surface in AI-driven systems? [46:11] As a long-life learner herself, how does Michelle continue her journey every day in “getting smart?” [45:56] Would Michelle agree that Louise Glück was a good choice for the 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature? [47:53] Tom plugs Michelle’s book, Long Life Learning. [48:23] Tom thanks Michelle for joining the podcast. [48:48] About Tom and Emily’s book, Difference Making at the Heart of Learning.   Mentioned in This Episode: Michelle Weise’s LinkedIn Long Life Learning: Preparing for Jobs that Don't Even Exist Yet, by Michelle Weise Imaginable Futures The Omidyar Group Education: Mastery, Modularization, and the Workforce Revolution, by Clayton Christensen and Michelle Weise The Power of Place: Authentic Learning Through Place-Based Education, by Tom Vander Ark, Emily Liebtag, and Nate McClennon Emily Dickinson (Poet) The Art of Hunger: Essays, Prefaces, Interviews, by Paul Auster Kamau Brathwaite (Poet) Rita Dove (Poet) Fulbright Korea Gunnar Counselman Michael Horn Strada Education Network Derek Thompson on The Atlantic Crazy/Genius Podcast by Derek Thompson Stanford d.school Harvard Extension School A New U: Faster + Cheaper Alternatives to College, by Ryan Craig David Blake Learn In Louise Glück Wins the 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature Getting Smart Podcast Ep. 285: “Amy Klement on Equity and Imaginable Futures” Difference Making at the Heart of Learning: Students, Schools, and Communities Alive With Possibility, by Tom Vander Ark and Emily Liebtag   Get Involved: Check out the blog at GettingSmart.com. Find the Getting Smart Podcast on iTunes, leave a review, and subscribe.   Is There Somebody You’ve Been Wanting to Learn From or a Topic You’d Like Covered? To get in contact: Email Editor@GettingSmart.com and include “Podcast” in the subject line. The Getting Smart team will be sure to add them to their list!  

On today’s Chancellor’s Report we take a look at what UWM is doing to retain students that have been affected by the on-going pandemic, especially students of color. We will also explore the recently completed education survey conducted by Strada Education Network and the perils of delaying college and the value of UWM in a post-pandemic world.

On today’s Chancellor’s Report we take a look at what UWM is doing to retain students that have been affected by the on-going pandemic, especially students of color. We will also explore the recently completed education survey conducted by Strada Education Network and the perils of delaying college and the value of UWM in a post-pandemic world.

How can we better equip learners with the skills they need for today's jobs? What roles should educators, employers, and policymakers play in transforming education after high school? And how do we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic with new insights about what's working and what's not? In Lessons Earned, Strada Education Network's Ben Wildavsky and co-host Aimée Eubanks Davis of Braven sit down with bold thinkers who are challenging the status quo and exploring ideas to help all Americans navigate between learning and earning. 

Michelle R. Weise, Ph.D., is the author of Long-Life Learning: Preparing for Jobs that Don't Even Exist Yet (2020). She is currently serving as an entrepreneur-in-residence and senior advisor at Imaginable Futures, a venture of The Omidyar Group. Michelle’s work over the last decade has concentrated on preparing working-age adults for the jobs of today and tomorrow. She was the chief innovation officer of Strada Education Network’s Institute for the Future of Work and Sandbox Collaborative, the innovation center of Southern New Hampshire University. With Clayton Christensen, she coauthored Hire Education: Mastery, Modularization, and the Workforce Revolution (2014) while leading the higher education practice at Christensen’s Institute for Disruptive Innovation.,Michelle can be reached at riseanddesign.io or through LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/rwmichelle/ And the link to her book is here: https://www.amazon.com/Career-Century-Students-Future-Prepare/dp/111959748X Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hownottothink)

Moderator:Jeff Livingston, CEO, EdSolutions; Co-Founder, Center for Education Market DynamicsPanelists:Brandon Anderson, Founder & CEO, Raheem.ai; 2019 TED FellowAnurima Bhargava, President, Anthem of Us; Former Chief, Educational Opportunities Section of the Civil Rights Division, U.S. Dept. of Justice; Former Director of the Education Practice, NAACP Legal Defense Fund; Senior Advisor, Whiteboard Advisors.Sharhonda Bossier, Deputy Director, Education Leaders of ColorAshley Munson, Legislative Affairs Manager, Illinois Network of Charter Schools; Chicago community organizer & activistThe ASU GSV Summit wishes to thank our sponsor partners, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Google, and Strada Education Network. Please visit www.asugsvsummit.com for more information.

The pandemic and unrest over racism in society have further exposed existing inequity in higher education and the workforce. For example, survey data from the Strada Education Network show that black and Latino Americans are more likely than white Americans to have been laid off during the crisis, and to have changed or canceled their postsecondary education plans. To get a broad perspective on these problems, we spoke with Johnny Taylor, president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management. Taylor is the former president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and was appointed by President Trump to chair the White House advisory board on historically black colleges and universities. We also spoke with Lorelle Espinosa, vice president for research at the American Council on Education. Espinosa has researched how minority-serving institutions serve as engines of upward mobility, and she's an expert on equity in higher education. This episode is sponsored by the ECMC Foundation, which supports building a postsecondary education system that works for all learners through its grant making focus areas of college success and career readiness.

Moderator:Julia Stiglitz, Partner, GSV VenturesPanelists:Andrew Grauer, Co-Founder & CEO, CourseHeroJudy Olian, President, Quinnipiac UniversityChip Paucek, Co-Founder & CEO, 2UMike Silagadze, Founder & CEO, Top HatThe ASU GSV Summit wishes to thank our sponsor partners, including Strada Education Network, 2U, and American Student Assistance. Please visit www.asugsvsummit.com for more information.

This episode is hosted by Julia Stiglitz, Partner, GSV VenturesOur guests today include:Dick George, Chairman, President & CEO, Ascendium Education Group, Inc.Bill Hansen, President & CEO, Strada Education NetworkJamie Merisotis, President & CEO, Lumina FoundationJeremy Wheaton, President & CEO, ECMC Group The ASU GSV Summit wishes to thank our sponsor partners, including Strada Education Network, ECMC Group, and Walton Family Foundation. Please visit www.asugsvsummit.com for more information.

Hello and welcome to the GSV Ventures Podcast, where we will be discussing the age of digital learning that has been kickstarted by the 1.6B learners forced online by the Coronavirus pandemic. As the world transitions from B.C. (Before Coronavirus) to A.D. (After Disease), an enormous catalyst has accelerated the opportunity of the future to today. Join industry leaders, educators, government officials, entrepreneurs, and investors as we explore the A.D. world. This episode is hosted by Michael Moe, Founder, GSVOur guests today include:Mercedes Bent, Partner, Lightspeed Venture PartnersRyan Craig, Co-Founder & Managing Director, University VenturesAlexis Horowitz-Burdick, Managing Director, LEGO VenturesRob Hutter, Founder & Managing Partner, Learn CapitalThis episode of the GSV podcast is brought to you by the 2020 ASU GSV Summit, September 29th through October 1st at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California. The ASU GSV Summit wishes to thank our sponsor partners, including ECMC Group, Strada Education Network, Walton Family Foundation. Please visit www.asugsvsummit.com for more information.

Hello and welcome to the GSV Ventures Podcast, where we will be discussing the age of digital learning that has been kickstarted by the 1.6B learners forced online by the Coronavirus pandemic. As the world transitions from B.C. (Before Coronavirus) to A.D. (After Disease), an enormous catalyst has accelerated the opportunity of the future to today. Join industry leaders, educators, government officials, entrepreneurs, and investors as we explore the A.D. world. This episode is hosted by Michael Moe, Founder, GSVOur guests today include:Ellie Bertani, Senior Director, Learning & Reskilling, Walmart USDavid Blake, CEO, Learnin, Founder, DegreedLeighanne Levensaler, Chief Marketing Officer & EVP of Corporate Strategy, WorkdayRachel Romer Carlson, Co-Founder & CEO, Guild EducationRick Shangraw, Managing Director, HighRize; Member, Board of Directors, InStrideThis episode of the GSV podcast is brought to you by the 2020 ASU GSV Summit, September 29th through October 1st at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California. The ASU GSV Summit wishes to thank our sponsor partners, including Microsoft, Strada Education Network, and Sanford Program at National University. Please visit www.asugsvsummit.com for more information.

Hello and welcome to the GSV Ventures Podcast, where we will be discussing the age of digital learning that has been kickstarted by the 1.6B learners forced online by the Coronavirus pandemic. As the world transitions from B.C. (Before Coronavirus) to A.D. (After Disease), an enormous catalyst has accelerated the opportunity of the future to today. Join industry leaders, educators, government officials, entrepreneurs, and investors as we explore the A.D. world. This episode is hosted by Bridget Burns, Executive Director, University Innovation Alliance. Our guests today include:Marni Baker Stein, Provost & Chief Academic Officer, Western Governors UniversityArne Duncan, Former U.S. Secretary of EducationSal Khan, Founder & CEO, Khan AcademyPaul LeBlanc, President, Southern New Hampshire UniversityTed Mitchell, President, American Council on EducationThis episode of the GSV podcast is brought to you by the 2020 ASU GSV Summit, September 29th through October 1st at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California. The ASU GSV Summit wishes to thank our sponsor partners, including Strada Education Network, Kaplan, and Chegg. Please visit www.asugsvsummit.com for more information.

How long is your business plan? Does it fit on one page? Leadership coach Craig P. Anderson says too many companies create business plans that are dozens, if not hundreds of pages long and are just too complicated to follow. As president of his previous company, Student Connections, and his work at Strada Education Network and JPMorgan Chase, Craig says he learned that a concise, straightforward business plan is the key to success—not just in normal times, but especially now, when the economy has been thrown for a loop.Through his company, Clear Path Coaching and Consulting, he leads business leaders through the process of creating a one-page plan. And today, he’s going to share with us how to do it.--IBJ's Beyond COVID podcast is brought to you by James Allen Insurance. --Music for IBJ's Beyond COVID podcast is by Septahelix and is licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. 

This week we go back to that mysterious, pre-Pandemic world where we all went outside and met other humans! Remember them days? Sigh. In this case, it’s one of the excellent Workplace Learning humans I had the deep pleasure to meet at last September’s ‘Learning Leaders’ conference in Washington, DC (and after which we’ve named this Season 5 stream of the podcast). That’s Marie A. Cini, Ph.D., who’s the President of Strada Education Network affiliate CAEL (the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning). In our half hour together in that warm, balmy Washington afternoon, Marie was kind enough to explain to me the CAEL history and what’s changing with it now, as well as: her organization’s new focus on the whole post-secondary education universe, as well as employers and even regional development policymaking teams; how places like Pittsburgh and Houston know there aren’t that many steel mills or oil derricks any more for locals, and so are working with her team to not just spot the next careers for residents, but help seed them; how CAEL helped McDonald’s develop an app to inform team members of what they could do next if they wanted to, either inside or outside the Golden Arches; her call for dialog with CLOs like you to better inform her and her colleagues about the adult learner challenges and opportunities in your industry that she needs to know about - so go to the CAEL conference in November! And much more.

In this episode of In The Know, ACCT’s Senior Policy Analyst Allison Beer talks with Dave Clayton, Strada Education Network’s Senior Vice President for Consumer Insights. Allison and Dave dive into what students actually think about higher education, guided by a recent Strada consumer insights survey. Visit StradaEducation.org for more information. This episode was recorded during the 50th Annual ACCT Leadership Congress in San Francisco, California.  

Most IT Support pros at small/medium-size businesses are overworked, underpaid, and as a result, often overwhelmed. We are given projects and tasks constantly, which have to somehow balance on top of the regular everyday onslaught of our ticketing systems. Putting proper project management in place will not only help you keep track of everything you need to do, but will give you a way to measure your success to your bosses. Rose has had an amazing career that started by studying to be an elementary school teacher and pivoting into tech. Gotta love how most people have a crazy story getting into IT! Now she works running project management, #SaasOps, and more. Join us to learn how to run a project taking into account the different steps needed for a smooth rollout, and keep your users happy. Enjoy and Subscribe! Learn more about tabGeeks: The IT Support Conference at www.tabgeeks.com/tg20Our conference is coming up in April with a focus on all the things you need to know in SMB IT. Join us! Continue the conversation by Joining the tabGeeks slack community: No sponsors and No assholery allowed at tabGeeks.com/Slack or on twitter by following me @MrJNowlin and tabGeeks @tabgeeks

Are we sending too many people to college — or not enough? How can we better equip learners with the skills they need for today's jobs? What role should business play in transforming education after high school? In Lessons Earned, Ben Wildavsky and his Strada Education Network colleagues sit down with educators, employers, and policymakers who are challenging the status quo and exploring bold ideas to help all Americans navigate the path from learning to earning.

What is driving large employers to invest in new upskilling programs and what types of programs are they investing in? What is working well and what needs to get better? What advice do they have for other companies? This clip features Eva Sage-Gavin (Senior Managing Director, Talent & Organization Consulting, Accenture), Shweta Srivastava (Director of 21st Century Employability, Microsoft), Van Ton-Quinlivan (CEO, Futuro Health), Chris Trout (Vice President Learning and Development, The Walt Disney Company), and Matthew Heimer (Senior Features Editor, Fortune Magazine). The fifth anniversary of UpSkill America is here! At this special event, we look both back at what we have learned about upskilling the last five years and forward to what the upskilling movement needs to achieve in the years ahead. Since our founding, momentum for upskilling has continued to grow, with businesses large and small across the country creating new programs and developing innovative approaches to make it easier for employees to access training and education that can help advance their careers. These new strategies for upskilling represent a sea change in businesses' approach to education, as they see the value of advancing the skills of employees at all levels in supporting opportunity and helping their bottom lines. To celebrate this anniversary, we bring together leaders in business, researchers, policymakers, and upskilling program graduates to share what we've learned over the past five years, highlight innovative approaches to upskilling, discuss solutions to common challenges, and explore the future of the upskilling movement. We're thankful to Accenture, Lumina Foundation, Pearson, Strada Education Network, Study.com, and Walmart for their support of our work and this event. For others looking to support the work of UpSkill America, please contact Jaime Fall: jaime.fall@aspeninst.org.

This clip features Maureen Conway (Vice President for Policy Programs, The Aspen Institute; Executive Director, Economic Opportunities Program), Dan Porterfield (President and CEO, The Aspen Institute), Eva Sage-Gavin (Senior Managing Director, Talent & Organization Consulting, Accenture), and Ellie Bertani (Senior Director and Portfolio Owner of Digital Transformation and Reskilling, Walmart US). The fifth anniversary of UpSkill America is here! At this special event, we look both back at what we have learned about upskilling the last five years and forward to what the upskilling movement needs to achieve in the years ahead. Since our founding, momentum for upskilling has continued to grow, with businesses large and small across the country creating new programs and developing innovative approaches to make it easier for employees to access training and education that can help advance their careers. These new strategies for upskilling represent a sea change in businesses' approach to education, as they see the value of advancing the skills of employees at all levels in supporting opportunity and helping their bottom lines. To celebrate this anniversary, we bring together leaders in business, researchers, policymakers, and upskilling program graduates to share what we've learned over the past five years, highlight innovative approaches to upskilling, discuss solutions to common challenges, and explore the future of the upskilling movement. We're thankful to Accenture, Lumina Foundation, Pearson, Strada Education Network, Study.com, and Walmart for their support of our work and this event. For others looking to support the work of UpSkill America, please contact Jaime Fall: jaime.fall@aspeninst.org.

What can civic and education leaders do to create an ecosystem that encourages employer and education partnerships that lead to upskilling programs? How do they ensure these programs develop a skilled workforce within a community that will serve existing employers and attract new ones? This clip features Daryl Graham (Senior Vice President of Philanthropy, Strada Education Network), Reg Javier (Deputy Executive Officer, San Bernardino County California), Amanda Winters (Program Director, Economic Opportunity, Center for Best Practices, National Governors Association), and Lauren Weber (The Wall Street Journal). The fifth anniversary of UpSkill America is here! At this special event, we look both back at what we have learned about upskilling the last five years and forward to what the upskilling movement needs to achieve in the years ahead. Since our founding, momentum for upskilling has continued to grow, with businesses large and small across the country creating new programs and developing innovative approaches to make it easier for employees to access training and education that can help advance their careers. These new strategies for upskilling represent a sea change in businesses' approach to education, as they see the value of advancing the skills of employees at all levels in supporting opportunity and helping their bottom lines. To celebrate this anniversary, we bring together leaders in business, researchers, policymakers, and upskilling program graduates to share what we've learned over the past five years, highlight innovative approaches to upskilling, discuss solutions to common challenges, and explore the future of the upskilling movement. We're thankful to Accenture, Lumina Foundation, Pearson, Strada Education Network, Study.com, and Walmart for their support of our work and this event. For others looking to support the work of UpSkill America, please contact Jaime Fall: jaime.fall@aspeninst.org.

Upskilling program graduates from across the country and industries will share their personal experiences, how their program helped them, and what advice they would have for other participants and employers who are considering such programs. This clip features Yenis Blanco (Training Manager, McDonald's), Lisa Gauthier (City Council Member, East Palo Alto, California), Kimberly Vaughn (IT Project Manager, IT Governance, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis), and Amanda Newman (Senior Project Manager, The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program). The fifth anniversary of UpSkill America is here! At this special event, we look both back at what we have learned about upskilling the last five years and forward to what the upskilling movement needs to achieve in the years ahead. Since our founding, momentum for upskilling has continued to grow, with businesses large and small across the country creating new programs and developing innovative approaches to make it easier for employees to access training and education that can help advance their careers. These new strategies for upskilling represent a sea change in businesses' approach to education, as they see the value of advancing the skills of employees at all levels in supporting opportunity and helping their bottom lines. To celebrate this anniversary, we bring together leaders in business, researchers, policymakers, and upskilling program graduates to share what we've learned over the past five years, highlight innovative approaches to upskilling, discuss solutions to common challenges, and explore the future of the upskilling movement. We're thankful to Accenture, Lumina Foundation, Pearson, Strada Education Network, Study.com, and Walmart for their support of our work and this event. For others looking to support the work of UpSkill America, please contact Jaime Fall: jaime.fall@aspeninst.org.

This clip features Maureen Conway (Vice President for Policy Programs, The Aspen Institute; Executive Director, Economic Opportunities Program), Nick Pinchuk (Chairman and CEO, Snap-on), and Jaime Fall (Director, UpSkill America). The fifth anniversary of UpSkill America is here! At this special event, we look both back at what we have learned about upskilling the last five years and forward to what the upskilling movement needs to achieve in the years ahead. Since our founding, momentum for upskilling has continued to grow, with businesses large and small across the country creating new programs and developing innovative approaches to make it easier for employees to access training and education that can help advance their careers. These new strategies for upskilling represent a sea change in businesses' approach to education, as they see the value of advancing the skills of employees at all levels in supporting opportunity and helping their bottom lines. To celebrate this anniversary, we bring together leaders in business, researchers, policymakers, and upskilling program graduates to share what we've learned over the past five years, highlight innovative approaches to upskilling, discuss solutions to common challenges, and explore the future of the upskilling movement. We're thankful to Accenture, Lumina Foundation, Pearson, Strada Education Network, Study.com, and Walmart for their support of our work and this event. For others looking to support the work of UpSkill America, please contact Jaime Fall: jaime.fall@aspeninst.org.

As a thought-provoking conclusion to season one, Higher Ed Rewired will highlight a conversation on the future of higher education between three national higher education innovators and experts. Doug Lederman, Michelle Weise, and Alexandra Bernadotte tackle big questions like: How is higher education keeping up with our changing society? How can we change the way we support students to and through college? What is the relationship between higher education and the workforce? Where does higher education go from here?Listen in on this conversation on the changing landscape of higher education and reflections on what must happen to ensure student success in the future of our colleges and universities.If you haven’t already, please review us on  Apple Podcasts. It will help bring new listeners to learn more about student success efforts. Higher Ed ReWired is produced by California State University.

We know storytelling’s place in the business world, but have you considered the role it plays in academic institutions across the nation? In our first episode of What’s Your Story?, Season 2, Sally speaks with Pete Wheelan of InsideTrack about how he uses storytelling alongside professional coaching, technology, and data analytics to increase the enrollment, completion, and career readiness of students. More About Pete Wheelan Pete Wheelan is dedicated to leading mission-driven, high-growth companies unlocking human potential and currently serves as CEO of InsideTrack, the nation’s leading student success coaching organization. Under Pete’s leadership, InsideTrack has now served 2 million + students and 4000+ academic programs for clients including Harvard, the Cal State System and Ivy Tech. He led the purchase of InsideTrack by Strada Education Network, a $1.4 billion public charity focused on improving high education outcomes, and InsideTrack’s acquisition of Logrado, the foundation for InsideTrack’s uCoach technology and analytics platform. Pete also serves as Executive Chairman at Roadtrip Nation, a fellow Strada Education Network affiliate. Before InsideTrack, Pete served as COO/CRO of Blurb, a leader in self-published books, and as SVP of strategic marketing and business development for Lonely Planet. He also founded online portal Adventureseek and was a strategy consultant with BCG. Pete received a B.A. from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. and J.D. from Northwestern University.   Show Highlights What is the power of stories in academic settings? Inside Track is a company that started in 2001 that was trying to solve the issue that college is hard and most institutions don’t provide support that is not academic or financial aid related What are the big issues that stop students from completing their academic programs? For communication, the best way is to meet students where they are, utilizing email and texting and not just a phone call. What are students seeking with InsideTrack's service?  Most higher education institutes have gone from a growth mindset to a fixed mindset Why is the sense of belonging a big struggle for new students? What are the causes of a student actually dropping out? How do you approach universities to integrate this program? How does the storyline with the school take shape?  Inside Track coached 300-400,000 students in 2019 Inside Track has access to student satisfaction and work to help remove obstacles and challenges for students Student success has become increasingly important in the institution What are some things InsideTrack provides for students? InsideTrack has been a resource for over 2 million students With students, InsideTrack provides reputation and relationships that develop over time - it’s not a one and done.  How do you keep the human at the core of your program but use technology to enable them?  To sell this program the best case is having partners and clients tell their story via a case study, Teaching sales to lead with stories in their conversations Bring coaches and coach managers into early conversations with potential partners  Use first generation students as coaches to represent and share their story- makes it real and relatable Stories that are repeated by other institutions using their stories and coming back as a referral InsideTrack is a predominantly virtual workforce. Advice on inspiring employees?  Communication Authenticity  Repetition Clarity and consistency  When you are approachable it provides credibility for the other communications to an employee.    

Terry Holloway is the Senior Vice President and Chief Talent Officer at Strada Education Network.  Strada applies a unique combination of philanthropy, research, and creative solutions to improve the college to career connection. Terry is a critical part of their strategy, and he knows what great leadership looks like.  We can easily get caught up in selfish thoughts such as, “Why isn’t this happening for me?” or “I’m not getting what I deserve right now!”  How can you address this in the moment? Listen in to Being [at Work] as Terry explains the importance of humility.  Connect with Terry Learn more about Strada Education Network Connect with Andrea  Learn more about HRD Advisory Group

This episode features ACCT Senior Policy Analyst Allison Beer, Harper College President Ken Ender, and San Jacinto College Chancellor Brenda Hellyer discussing different apprenticeship program models profiled in our new report, called "Apprenticeships: An Emerging Community College Strategy for Workforce Development." This project is supported by Strada Education Network. ACCT is solely responsible for its content; the views expressed in the report and in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Strada Education Network or its affiliates. 

When it comes to disruption in education and the future of work – a topic growing increasingly important for all learning business leaders to be knowledgeable about – few people know more than Michelle Weise. As senior vice president, workforce strategies of Strada Education Network and chief innovation officer of the Strada Institute for the Future of Work, Michelle is a thought leader and expert in innovation and the connections between higher education and the workforce. And her book, Hire Education: Mastery, Modularization, and the Workforce Revolution, co-authored with Clayton Christensen, describes the disruptive potential of online competency-based education aligned to workforce needs. In this episode of the Leading Learning podcast, Jeff talks with Michelle about the future of work and the future of learning. They discuss findings and implications from the recently released Strada report, Robot-Ready: Human+ Skills for the Future of Work as well as the challenges and opportunities we are all facing as we adapt to this rapidly changing learning landscape. Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode164.  Our sponsor for this episode is Learning • Technology • Design™ (LTD), our annual virtual conference designed specifically for those who work in the business of lifelong learning, continuing education, and professional development. This will be our fourth time offering LTD, and we know from all the feedback we have received that past attendees have found it a unique and highly valuable experience. Registration is open at ltd.tagoras.com. We are also offering the opportunity to be a Patron for the event, an option that may be of interest to companies that serve learning businesses. You can find out about that by going to ltd.tagoras.com/patron. And we would like to spotlight some of our current patrons including: 360factor (Oasis LMS) Authentic Learning Labs Avilar Digitell Event Garde ReviewMyLMS Web Courseworks We have also highlighted these Patrons on the LTD Web site. Definitely do take the time to find out more about them because these companies have demonstrated their commitment to learning businesses by becoming Patrons, so we encourage you to support them.

Michelle Weise, the Chief Innovation Officer & SVP, Workforce Strategies at Strada Education Network, talks to Michael and Jeff about the future of work and what it means for higher education.

The need for a seamless intersection between higher education and workforce development has led Carol D’Amico, Executive Vice President of Strada Education Network to lead a major national effort to drive change in these sectors. Her focus? “Completion with a Purpose.” Learn how on this Episode 24 of Reality Check.

I come to our topic today with mixed feelings.  We have talked about it on numerous occasions and written about it in our books.  It’s a topic that lends itself to some data-based analysis, but I have to say that it also causes me to think about my own philosophy about academics and what is important and what isn’t.  So, this is a big topic, and it is college majors. As I have been working with students during this round of college applications, I listen to them talk about choosing colleges to apply to because those colleges have good departments in this or that--whatever they think they want to major in, at this point in their young lives.  Often these kids want to become doctors--doesn’t everyone?--and I listen to them talk about the biology departments and the research opportunities that the colleges on their lists have.  And I wonder how many of them will still be pre-med by the time they are sophomores.  At the other extreme are the kids who believe they have a wide variety of academic interests and want to find colleges where they can pursue all of them.  One recent experience I had was with a student who talked with equal enthusiasm about chemistry, music, business, and one or two others I can’t even remember.  One of my most interesting students this year talked about majoring in Czech as a tribute to her grandfather’s heritage (by the way, she was already taking Czech courses outside of school at the local consulate); that is one of my favorite stories ever.  Rarely do I think their college major choices will stick (though I am secretly pulling for the Czech major).   Two articles I have read recently caused me to think about this topic from a couple of other perspectives, so let’s explore them.  1. Where Students Get Their Advice  Let me open with a premise from an article I read way back last September, an article which I have been saving for the perfect episode.  Writing in U.S. News & World Report, education reporter Lauren Camera opened with this: When it comes to choosing college majors – a crucial decision that lays the groundwork for future employment and earnings – students often rely on the least reliable sources for advice: family and friends. Work colleagues and employers are among the best sources of information for students seeking advice about choosing a major. But according to a new survey by Gallup and Strada Education Network, . . . they are the least utilized. “This causes us to rethink the entire college advice mechanism,” Brandon Busteed, executive director of education and workforce development at Gallup, says. “There is a lot of pretty bad advice out there.” When choosing a major field of study, the survey shows, students most commonly sought advice from “informal social networks.” In fact, more than half of adults, or 55 percent, with an associate degree, some college or a bachelor’s degree depended on their social network for advice about choosing a major, most frequently from friends and family. The next most commonly consulted source of advice, which 44 percent of people reported considering, was college and high school counselors, as well as media-based information. The least consulted group, which 20 percent reported consulting, were work-based networks, including former employers and work colleagues. (quoted from the article) None of this is surprising.  I think the data would be about the same if you asked people how they chose the colleges they applied to; most would say they relied on family and friends for advice--who, by the way, are equally unreliable as a source of appropriate colleges.  And, of course, how can high school seniors really consult with employers and work colleagues about the choice of a major when lots of them are not working at all and the rest are working part time, mostly in places they hope to get out of by going to college.  So, what does the report recommend?  Ms. Camera’s article says this: The report recommends relying less on high school and college counselors, who are overworked and often responsible for an unrealistic number of students, and more on potential employers and faculty members. “Taken together, the challenges facing the formal channels of student guidance suggest that retooling the traditional model of advising to fit the changing needs of students could bolster its effectiveness,” the report reads. (quoted from the article) All of that is interesting, but I think it is more likely to work for students already in college than for high schoolers thinking about a future college major choice.  And, of course, the liberal arts enthusiast in me, which our regular listeners know from previous episodes, still wonders whether college does have to be all about getting a future career--though I have to admit that even I said to my student, “What would you ever do with that Czech major?”  Carol D’Amico, executive vice president of mission advancement and philanthropy at Strada Education Network, was quoted in the article as saying this:  “We know your choice of major is not necessarily the choice of career, but it puts you on a pathway and commits you to a pathway. . . .  Most everyone who goes to higher education these days say they are going to launch a career. That’s a fact. So how do we become much more intentional about getting them to their desired career?” (quoted from the article) I wish it weren’t so, but perhaps it.  I am certainly willing to put students on a pathway, but I am far less willing to commit students to a pathway.  I believe that most liberal arts majors give students a choice of many different pathways and that the student’s choice can change over time precisely because of that liberal arts background.  But that’s a different episode.  2. Changing College Majors So, let’s move on to something that everyone always says to kids, but that I never saw any actual data about until recently—that is, how many kids change their majors once they are in college.  Last December, Doug Lederman wrote an article for Inside Higher Ed, which asked and answered the question posed in his headline:  “Who Changes Majors? (Not Who You Think).”  Here is the whole answer: [A] brief report from the Education Department’s National Center for Education Statistics, drawn from the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study, finds that 33 percent of bachelor’s degree pursuers who entered college in 2011-12 and 28 percent of students in associate degree programs had changed their major at least once by 2014.  About one in 10 had changed majors twice. (quoted from the article) Well, there you have it:  About one-third of college students change their majors, and that’s enough so that your kid shouldn’t feel uncomfortable about doing the same thing in the next year or two.  I am all for that, speaking as someone who changed her major in the first month of college (that shows you how well prepared I was, and I am quite sure that I never got any advice from anyone when choosing either my original major or my final major, perhaps more’s the pity).  For all the kids who think they want to be science majors, here are a few more statistics from Mr. Lederman’s article: Students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs were likelier than those in non-STEM fields (35 versus 29 percent) to change majors. And students who started out studying math were likeliest of all: 52 percent of those who initially declared as math majors ended up majoring in something else, followed by 40 percent of those in the natural sciences, 37 percent in education, 36 percent in humanities disciplines and 32 percent in engineering and general studies. . . .  (quoted from the article) Truly, I am not sure that there is much practical significant difference  between 35 percent in STEM fields and 29 percent in non-STEM fields changing majors--or among 40 percent in natural sciences, 37 percent in education, 36 percent in humanities disciplines, and even 32 percent in engineering and general studies.  However, apart from relative comparisons of one major to another, it does seem like changes in majors by 52 percent of mathematics majors and 40 percent of natural science majors might be worth noting.  Mr. Lederman’s article gives a number of plausible explanations for the abandonment of mathematics, which you are welcome to go read.  3. Choosing a College Because of a Major So, what’s the point?  It is simply that I want your kid to be very careful this spring when choosing a college to attend.  Where did your kid get his or her idea about what to major in?  Was it a well-informed choice?  Does the major have a future, either in a specific career field or in something that can serve as the underpinning for many career fields? Given the statistics, basing the choice of a college on a potential major (assuming your kid is lucky enough to have some good options available once the acceptances come in) might not be the best thinking.  In other words, choosing to attend one college over another largely because of a great biology department, when you think you are going to be pre-med, might not be the best decision. I know we all have struggled with the college application questions that ask for a kid’s major--and sometimes even for a back-up major!  I know we have struggled with the college application essays about why that major is particularly interesting to the kid.  I have certainly helped lots of kids write lots of those essays.  Here is what I always said to them:  This essay is an exercise in presenting yourself in an appealing and persuasive way to this college.  You should not think of it as an irrevocable promise that you are going to pursue this major that you are writing about.  And so, help your kid understand that he or she might want to change that major, perhaps more than once, and that making such a change is okay with you and even okay with the college. What are the exceptions, and there are always some?  Obviously, there are kids who have applied to a specialized school, like a music school in a larger university, or kids who have auditioned for and applied to a specific arts-related school or program, like dance or studio art.  These are kids who have devoted a lot of their young lives to their talent and, if they are accepted, are very likely going to choose a college because of that particular program.  That is perfectly reasonable.  But, as it turns out, even those kids can change their minds; and, if they do, being in a specialized school within a larger university might be useful if it comes time to reconsider their choices. Find our books on Amazon! How To Find the Right College: A Workbook for Parents of High School Students (available as a Kindle ebook and in paperback) How To Explore Your College Options: A Workbook for High School Students (available in paperback) Ask your questions or share your feedback by... Leaving a comment on the show notes for this episode at http://usacollegechat.org/episode152 Calling us at (516) 900-6922 to record a question on our USACollegeChat voicemail if you want us to answer your question live on our podcast Connect with us through... Subscribing to our podcast on Google Play Music, iTunes, Stitcher, or TuneIn Liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter Reviewing parent materials we have available at www.policystudies.org Inquiring about our consulting services if you need individualized help Reading Regina's blog, Parent Chat with Regina