Work Forces

By: Work Forces
Listen for free

  • Summary

  • Seeking to optimize your organization for the future of work and learning? Join workforce and education strategists Julian Alssid and Kaitlin LeMoine as they speak with the innovators who are shaping the future of workforce and career preparation. Together, they will unpack the big problems these individuals are solving and discuss the strategies and tactics that really work. This bi-weekly show is for practitioners and policymakers looking for practical workforce and learning solutions that can be scaled and sustained.
    2024
    Show More Show Less
Economics
Show More Show Less
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2
Episodes
  • Brandon Busteed on the Power of Experiential Learning

    Brandon Busteed on the Power of Experiential Learning
    Jan 6 2025
    Brandon Busteed, CEO of BrandEd, joins Work Forces to discuss the power of industry immersion in education. He shares his background as an edtech entrepreneur and executive at Kaplan and Gallup, and his journey to BrandEd, a company that partners with global brands like Sotheby's and The New York Times to offer experiential education programs built and taught jointly by industry leaders and academics. The conversation also explores the importance of hands-on learning and how better align educational experiences with the world of work. Transcript Julian Alssid: Welcome to Work Forces. I'm Julian Alssid. Kaitlin LeMoine: And I'm Kaitlin LeMoine, and we speak with the innovators who shape the future of work and learning. Julian Alssid: Together, we unpack the complex elements of workforce and career preparation and offer practical solutions that can be scaled and sustained. Kaitlin LeMoine: Work Forces is supported by Lumina Foundation. Lumina is an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. Let's dive in. Welcome back. We're excited to be kicking off season four of Work Forces. Julian Alssid: As we kick off this new season, we're looking forward to diving into topics that resonate with you, our listeners, and connect with our consulting work as well. Kaitlin LeMoine: One topic that's top of mind for us is how to most effectively prepare learners for the jobs and careers they enter upon graduation. We're seeing more of an emphasis on models that bridge education and work, from work based learning to apprenticeships and internships. Julian Alssid: With increasing skill demand, we know that students need more experience when they graduate, whether from high school or post secondary programs. And in our work, we're involved with initiatives that are tackling this issue from different levels, from community colleges to statewide consortia. Kaitlin LeMoine: We're looking forward to our discussion with today's guests to explore how corporations can act as a driver of high quality industry aligned education. Brandon Busteed is the CEO of BrandEd, a family owned education company that partners with global brands like Sotheby's and the New York Times to offer experiential learning courses. He's a passionate advocate for work integrated learning, and believes the future of education will seamlessly blend learning and work environments. With a background as an ed tech entrepreneur and executive at Kaplan and Gallup, Brandon brings a wealth of experience to his current role. He's a recognized thought leader in education and workforce development, having founded a successful ed tech company and authored numerous articles and publications, Brandon is also a sought after speaker and serves on the boards of several organizations dedicated to improving education and workforce outcomes. We're thrilled to have him join us today for a deep dive into the exciting intersection of learning and work. So welcome to the Work Forces podcast, Brandon. Brandon Busteed: Yeah, thanks that to me is the most exciting intersection to be in the middle of, and I know you guys in your podcast have sat at that intersection as well, so I'm glad that we had an opportunity to meet up virtually here. Thanks for having me. Julian Alssid: Well, yeah, it is great to have you Brandon. And yes, we often use the that analogy of the intersection and what a messy intersection it is, but for people like you who help help us all trying to make sense of this crazy intersection. So yes, welcome. Kaitlin gave a little bit of your background, but we'd love to hear in your own words -- about your background and your current role at BrandEd. Brandon Busteed: Yeah. So you know, as you guys noted, I started down this education path literally right out of college as an undergrad. If you had asked me my senior year in college whether I was going to be in the education space, I would have probably told you no, really wasn't on the radar. And then, you know, I started a company. I started an education company that was focused on addressing a really important issue of college binge drinking, which at the time was, you know, at the top of the list of concerns among college leaders. And so that was, you know, kind of my first run as a founder and CEO of outside the classroom and in a very specific space, trying to address dangerous drinking and other drinking related behaviors on campus. And you know, when the organization was acquired, I had an opportunity to go help Gallup build an education and workforce development division. And that really in terms of, you know, where, where I am at. BrandEd is a bit of my origin story to why BrandEd. Because you guys may recall that during that time, Gallup issued this massive study on the outcome of college graduates. It was, you know, under the heading of the Gallup-Purdue Index, and to this day, still the largest ...
    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
  • Siya Raj Purohit on AI in Education

    Siya Raj Purohit on AI in Education
    Dec 17 2024
    Siya Raj Purohit is an education leader, author, and investor who works on education at OpenAI and is a General Partner at Pathway Ventures, an early-stage fund investing in the future of learning and work. Siya joins us to discuss the transformative role of AI in education and work. The conversation explores significant applications of OpenAI in education, including personalized learning experiences, dynamic content engagement, and AI-assisted knowledge work. We delve into the practical aspects of implementing AI in educational settings, addressing misconceptions, and highlighting the evolving skills needed for effective AI utilization. Transcript Julian Alssid: Welcome to Work Forces. I'm Julian Alssid. Kaitlin LeMoin: And I'm Kaitlin LeMoine, and we speak with the innovators who shape the future of work and learning. Julian Alssid: Together, we unpack the complex elements of workforce and career preparation and offer practical solutions that can be scaled and sustained. Kaitlin LeMoine: Work Forces is supported by Lumina Foundation. Lumina is an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. Let's dive in. Can you believe it? Julian, it feels like just yesterday we were kicking off season three with Kermit Kaleba. Julian Alssid: I know time flies when you're having fun and exploring the future of work. This season has been a whirlwind of insights and inspiration, and it's the gift that keeps on giving. It's the best seminar I've taken and with no final exam. Kaitlin LeMoine: Absolutely And speaking of gifts, the richness of this podcast season comes from the recurring themes that weave throughout each episode. We've seen how these themes are shaping the thinking of our listeners and informing our own consulting work. Julian Alssid: Yeah, one of the most powerful themes has been the undeniable connection between education and the evolving needs of the labor market. And Kermit really emphasized the importance of building high quality credentialing programs and aligning education with those needs. Kaitlin LeMoine: Right. And then Sasha Thackaberry opened our eyes to the innovation and flexibility happening and Workforce Solutions, especially with technology driven upskilling. We also had insightful discussions with Michael Horn about career development in a changing job landscape, and Matt Marino on addressing healthcare talent gaps through tech. And an undercurrent throughout our conversation in Season 3, and really over the past year and a half since we started this podcast, has been the impact of artificial intelligence on education and work. Julian Alssid: Yeah, it certainly seems like all roads these days are leading to AI and technology and education, and it's clear that technology is playing a pivotal role in reshaping the entire educational landscape. Kaitlin LeMoine: Which brings us to today's guest Siya Raj Perohit is an education leader, author, and investor. She works on education at OpenAI and is a general partner at Pathway Ventures, an early stage fund investing in the future of learning and work. Siya was an early employee at Udacity and Springboard an investor at GVB Ventures and the founding edtech workforce category lead for AWS Marketplace. She's the author of Engineering America, a book on the country's job skills gap. We're thrilled to have her insights as we wrap up this season. So welcome to the workforces podcast, Siyal. Siya Raj Purohit: Hi. Thanks so much for having me. I really enjoyed your conversation with Michael Horn a few weeks ago. Julian Alssid: Yes, we appreciate that. So Siya, Kaitlin's given a little intro, but we'd love to have you tell us about your background and your current role with open AI. Siya Raj Purohit: So, I started working in education when I was 18 as a student in college, I quickly recognized like the job skills gap that exists, like American universities were not teaching the skills that students needed to land jobs in the industry, especially in the technology industry. So I did this research project that became the book that you mentioned, Engineering America, that was published when I was 19. So I was a sophomore, and at that point, I'm like, okay, I want to help fix this problem, because I felt so deeply about people getting locked out of their potential careers and like new socio economic classes because they weren't learning skills in the way that made sense to them. So since then, they've been trying to bridge the job skills gap in some ways, and trying to make education more accessible. So that led me to the startups, to venture capital, to AWS, and I joined Open AI, because honestly, in the 12 years I've been in education, personalized learning always seemed like the ultimate goal for the education sector. We always said that if we achieve personalized learning, we've made it. And I think with ChatGPT, we actually achieved it. Now I have a ...
    Show More Show Less
    27 mins
  • Julia Freeland Fisher & Luther Jackson: The Power of Networks

    Julia Freeland Fisher & Luther Jackson: The Power of Networks
    Dec 3 2024
    Career success requires more than just skills. Luther Jackson, workforce development expert and Non-Resident Fellow at Brookings Metro, and Julia Freeland Fisher, Director of Education Research at the Clayton Christensen Institute and author of Who You Know, join Work Forces to unpack the critical role of social capital in navigating today's turbulent labor market. They discuss the "network gap" and how intentional relationship-building can open doors to opportunity, especially for those from underserved communities. Tune in to learn practical strategies and discover how institutions can become catalysts for connection. Transcript Julian Alssid: Welcome to Work Forces. I'm Julian Alssid. Kaitlin LeMoine: And I'm Kaitlin LeMoine, and we speak with the innovators who shape the future of work and learning. Julian Alssid: Together, we unpack the complex elements of workforce and career preparation and offer practical solutions that can be scaled and sustained. Kaitlin LeMoine: Work Forces is supported by Lumina Foundation. Lumina is an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. Let's dive in. Julian Alssid: Many of our conversations are about skills and different models of skill development and how we all need to carry our skills from one job to another along our career journeys. Kaitlin LeMoine: But we also recognize that career success is not driven by skill attainment alone. One area that we're excited to dive into today is the importance of social capital along an individual's career journey, and we're excited to have our guests on today to explore this topic further. Luther Jackson is a workforce development expert based in Silicon Valley with a focus on preparing individuals from underserved communities for careers in high growth sectors. With extensive experience at the NOVA Workforce Development Board, he has led initiatives preparing individuals from historically excluded communities for well being careers in high growth industry sectors including software development and zero emission transportation. His work also emphasizes the importance of lifelong learning, professional networks and broad access to career opportunities. A non resident Fellow at Brookings Metro. Jackson also serves on several boards, including Hack the Hood and the Everett Program. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and a former labor union leader and journalist. And Julia Freeland Fisher is the Director of Education Research at the Clayton Christensen Institute. The Institute's research educates policy makers and community leaders on the power of disruptive innovation in the K-12 and higher education spheres. Julia is the author of who you know, unlocking innovations that expand students networks. Her work focuses on innovations that deepen and diversify students stock of social capital by enhancing their access to and ability to navigate peer mentor and professional networks. Julia started her career at New Schools Venture Fund. She holds a BA from Princeton University and a JD from Yale Law School. Welcome to you both. We're so excited to have you on the workforces podcast today. Julia Freeland Fisher: Thank you. So excited to be here with Luther. Luther Jackson: Great to be here. Thank you. Julian Alssid: We get a twofer today, two experts for the price of one. Oh no, we don't charge for this podcast. I forgot. So to kick us off, would love to hear you talk a bit about your respective backgrounds and how you've connected in this work. And Luther, why don't you go first? Luther Jackson: Sure. Well, again, I'm delighted to be here, particularly because I'm such a big fan of the podcast. My interest in social capital started early on in my tenure at NOVA workforce development in Silicon Valley. Our director at the time, Khris Stadelman, asked me to focus on workforce trends in tech, which, of course, is Silicon Valley's hometown industry, I came to learn of job seekers who, in my mind, checked all of the boxes for career success. They had graduated with advanced degrees from prestigious universities, and they had many years of experience in software development and related tech disciplines, and yet some had been unemployed for many months. So clearly something was missing. So this started me on a quest to understand what I call the career success equation. In 2014 we at NOVA surveyed and interviewed 120 tech professionals to help inform this equation, and we basically wanted to know, how are they able to thrive in a chaotic economy when a given day, some tech companies are laying off and hiring. Based on our findings, we wrote a report called Bridge to Career Success, and subsequently identified what we call the Five Truths of Career Success, what it takes to remain relevant in a disruptive economy. And those truths are self awareness, networking, relationship management, organizational reading, ...
    Show More Show Less
    34 mins

What listeners say about Work Forces

Average customer ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.co.uk reviews

Amazon reviews
No Reviews are Available