Can technology solve humanity’s biggest problems without losing sight of ethics, business reality and human purpose? This episode explores a new definition of innovation for the next workforce.
A live panel from ACTE on how educators, employers, and students each shape work-based learning, career readiness, and stronger pathways from high school into the workforce.
What happens when the future of work stops being just a technology conversation and becomes a leadership one? Former Johnson & Johnson CHRO Peter Fasolo joins Matt Kirchner to explain why HR leaders now play a bigger role in workforce strategy, talent decisions, and the company’s ability to stay competitive.
FANUC America CEO Mike Cicco explains the company’s NVIDIA partnership, physical AI, digital twins, ROS 2, open-source robotics, and the future of automation.
The Mission Generation Wants Impact. Must They Choose Between Tech and Public Service? Arun Gupta, CEO of NobleReach Foundation and Co-Author of The Mission Generation Love the episode? Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ What if the
Is Your Organization Drifting? The 9-Step System to Reset and Lead with Clarity Jay C. Richards, U.S. Navy SWCC (Ret.), Author of The Standdown Framework Love the episode? Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ What can organizational
How is AI changing industrial automation? Nikki Gonzales (Automation Ladies) explains HMIs, MCP, process knowledge, and the future of automation skills.
What do employers actually want from today’s technical workforce? Justin Allen of Bosch breaks down the hard skills vs. soft skills debate, the rise of digital fluency, and why stronger alignment between education and industry matters for both students and incumbent workers.
How to Stay Sharper Longer: The New Science of Brain Aging Dr. Christin Glorioso, CEO and Co-founder of NeuroAge Therapeutics Love the episode? Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Imagine being able to track your brain health
The AI Boom is Forcing a Reckoning on Risk and Regulation Patrick Sullivan, Vice President of Strategy & Innovation at A-LIGN Love the episode? Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Artificial intelligence is moving from novel feature
Listener questions lead to a wide-ranging discussion on education, careers, entrepreneurship, technology, and the evolving expectations shaping today’s workforce and tomorrow’s opportunities.
AI isn’t coming to CTE — it’s already here. Andrew Neuendorf explains how applied AI is reshaping technical programs, where disruption is real, and why education must move faster.
As employers shift toward skills-based hiring, trusted third-party credentials are gaining importance. Kathleen McNally explains how rigorous certifications reduce risk, create workforce alignment, and support lifelong learning across industries.
Many young professionals entered the workforce after formative years spent in isolation and Zoom classrooms. As a result, workplace courtesies that once felt intuitive now require explicit instruction. Leaders can no longer assume professional norms are ingrained, so here’s how to reset expectations without blame.
For Young Professionals, Workplace Courtesy Is No Longer a Given Episode Details »
Career Exploration Without Barriers: A Middle & High School J-Term Experiment Josh Davis & Melissa Phillips, Camanche Community School District Love the episode? Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Imagine giving middle and high school students a
Your organization doesn’t have a data problem. It has an intelligence problem—and this episode is about what it takes to close that gap. You’ll hear what makes AI reliable enough to act on, why insights don’t drive change unless they’re delivered to the right “change agent,” and how to build systems that create repeatable wins instead of one-time findings.
You Don’t Have a Data Problem. You Have an Intelligence Problem – The Hive Health Episode Details »
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum discusses America’s strategic priorities: achieving energy dominance, securing critical minerals independence from China, building AI infrastructure, and why data centers are now “intelligence factories.” Learn how rare earth minerals, nuclear power, and the Bureau of Indian Education fit into America’s competitive future.
Culture shifts when trust and influence align. In this episode, Ben Johnson and Bobby Dodd share the Cultural Mapping framework leaders use to see how influence really moves through an organization, identify formal and informal influencers, and build the trust that turns resistance into momentum.
Higher education is shifting toward a connected model where colleges and universities work as one learner ecosystem. This episode explains what that looks like in practice—stackable credentials, seamless transfer, and flexible pathways that let learners move in and out of education without losing momentum.
Go inside Amazon’s highly automated facilities and learn how the RME team develops the technicians who keep complex robotics and mechatronics systems running. This episode breaks down the apprenticeship model, core skills, and workforce strategy behind one of the country’s most advanced automation environments.
States are stepping directly into venture capital — and Michigan is leading the way. In this episode, Matt Kirchner talks with Alison Todak of the MEDC and Pete Martin of the MSU Research Foundation about why state-backed VC is rising, how PitchMI fuels early-stage innovation, and what this shift means for founders, investors, and the future of tech and talent in the Midwest.
The Rise of State-Backed VC: Michigan’s Bet on Emerging Entrepreneurs Episode Details »
Predictions for Technical Education in 2026 Matt Kirchner, Host of The TechEd Podcast Love the episode? Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ With the pace of change in technology, geopolitics, infrastructure, and the economy, what should technical
13 Predictions for Technical Education in 2026 Episode Details »
Ask Us Anything: Workforce ROI, AI Hallucinations, and World-Class CTE Matt Kirchner – Host & Melissa Martin – Producer of The TechEd Podcast Love the episode? Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ After the feedback on our
Recorded live at The Reagan Center, Matt and Governor Scott Walker discuss the character, ranch life, and legacy of President Ronald Reagan
How do you build an AI- and data-driven strategy without losing sight of values or customer experience? Irv and Ryan Blumkin of Nebraska Furniture Mart share the playbook.
China is moving at a speed and scale the U.S. has never seen—and we saw it firsthand. In this episode, Matt Kirchner and Ashley Furniture CEO Todd Wanek break down what they witnessed inside China’s most advanced tech companies, robotics labs, logistics hubs, and manufacturing clusters, revealing insights few Americans ever get access to.
Artificial intelligence isn’t just ChatGPT anymore. LtGen Brian Cavanaugh, CEO of VigilanteX, joins Matt Kirchner to talk AI agents on the edge, safety and security, national defense, and why students must understand the full edge-to-cloud continuum.
Southwest Ohio built a high school aviation campus shaped by its regional economic DNA. Learn what CTE leaders everywhere can take from Butler Tech’s flight, maintenance, and engineering model.
MATC President Dr. Anthony Cruz breaks down how technical colleges can end generational poverty, build economic mobility, and prepare students for an AI-driven workforce—all while serving one of the nation’s most diverse student populations.
Moving from “Just-in-Case” Education to a Demand-Driven, Industry-Led Model Paul Lavoie, Vice President of Innovation and Applied Technology at the University of New Haven Love the episode? Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Higher education can’t keep