Apprenticeship 2.0

In this episode of Apprenticeship 2.0, Joe and Kiko are joined by Dr. Eric Dunker, Co-founder of the National Center for the Apprenticeship Degree and Chief Advancement Officer at Reach University, and Dr. Anastasia Wickham, Provost and Chief Acadmic Officer at Reach. Together, they listen and react to four clips from a panel from the International Convening for the Apprenticeship Degree (ICAD) 2025 at the University of Oxford. The ICAD 2025 panel, titled Global Perspectives: Systems Level Reform Required to Scale Apprenticeship Degrees, was moderated by Dr. Mandy Crawford-Lee, Chief Executive of the University Vocational Awards Council in the U.K., and featured the following panelists:

• Terence Ho, Deputy Executive Director and Associate Professor at the Institute for Adult Learning at the Singapore University of Social Sciences
• Dr. Guillaume Morlet, Lecturer in the Department of Management, Technology, and Economics at ETH Zürich
• Honorable Sven Otto Littorin, former Swedish Minister for Employment
• Lauren Conceicao, Director of Skills Frontier

Music by Evgeny Bardyuzha from Pixabay.

In this episode of Apprenticeship 2.0, Joe and Kiko listen and react to three clips from a panel from the International Convening for the Apprenticeship Degree (ICAD) 2025 at the University of Oxford. The ICAD 2025 panel, titled Global Perspectives: The Impact of Political Leadership to Scale Apprenticeship Degrees, was moderated by Luke Rhine, Vice President of Postsecondary Success at the Rodel Foundation, and featured the following panelists:

• Right Honorable Robert Halfon, former U.K. Skills Minister and Chair of the House of Commons Education Select Committee
• Melissa Smith, Vice President of Public Policy, Talent, and Workforce Development, Strada Education Foundation
• Dr. Michael Gessler, Professor, University of Bremen

This episode also includes a special message from Joe and Kiko: a thank-you to Apprenticeship 2.0 marketing partners, guests, staff, and others who have supported the show over the first 50 episodes.

Music by Evgeny Bardyuzha from Pixabay.

In this episode of Apprenticeship 2.0, Joe and Kiko chat with Jim Rosapepe, Maryland State Senator, and Jake Hsu, Baltimore-based Tech Investor and Entrepreneur. Together, they discuss how apprenticeship benefits Maryland's economy; the state's progress toward its goal of establishing complete apprenticeships for high school graduates; reimagining apprenticeship in the AI era; barriers to growing apprenticeship in Maryland; how recent funding could bolster apprenticeship opportunities for underrepresented communities; and much more.

Music by Evgeny Bardyuzha from Pixabay.

In this episode of Apprenticeship 2.0, Joe and Kiko chat with Shalin Jyotishi, Founder and Managing Director of New America's Future of Work and Innovation Economy Initiative, where he specializes in the intersection of science, workforce, and industrial policy and their implementation. Together, they discuss the White House's AI action plan and what that could mean for apprenticeship; the potential for AI apprenticeships in secondary and postsecondary education; the role of state workforce development departments and regional and state associations in advancing AI and apprenticeship; and much more.

Shalin can be found on LinkedIn, X, and Bluesky.

Related resources:

• https://dcjournal.com/how-community-colleges-can-realize-the-promise-of-ai-action-plan/
• https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/edcentral/whats-new-in-ai-focused-skilled-technical-workforce-education/
• https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/in-the-news/we-need-more-bottom-up-efforts-to-build-workforce-capacity-at-community-colleges/
• https://www.newamerica.org/center-education-labor/events/online-ai-education-at-community-colleges-the-state-of-play-and-policy-needs/
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/shalinjyotishi/2025/01/15/work-based-learning-for-emerging-technologies-and-advanced-industries/

Get AI First: The Playbook for a Future-Proof Business and Brand here.

Music by Evgeny Bardyuzha from Pixabay.

In this episode of Apprenticeship 2.0, Joe and Kiko chat with Conor Freeley, Director of External Engagement at CareerWise, and Beth Antunez, Director of Career Pathways Initiatives at the American Federation of Teachers. Together, they discuss the Education and Apprenticeship Accelerator, a new coalition of states and industry partners aimed at strengthening career and technical education by expanding apprenticeship opportunities for youth across the U.S. You'll hear Conor and Beth's insights into how the initiative was started, what it means for employers, how states are getting on board, and where it's all headed and much more.

To learn more and get involved with the Education and Apprenticeship Accelerator, contact Conor at [email protected] or Beth at [email protected].

Music by Evgeny Bardyuzha from Pixabay.

In this episode of Apprenticeship 2.0, Kiko leads interviews with apprenticeship leaders at the inaugural convening of the International Center for the Apprenticeship Degree at the University of Oxford. Guests include Mariel Bastello-Kennedy, Agency Partner Manager at Amazon; Dr. Reetika Dhawan, CEO of Entrepreneurial College and Vice President of Workforce and Healthcare at Arizona Western College; Luke Rhine, Vice President for Postsecondary Success at Rodel; and Melissa Smith, Vice President of Public Policy, Talent, and Workforce Development at Strada Education Foundation.

Music by Evgeny Bardyuzha from Pixabay.

In this episode of Apprenticeship 2.0, Kiko leads interviews with apprenticeship leaders at the inaugural convening of the International Center for the Apprenticeship Degree at the University of Oxford. Guests include Dr. Kelleny Berchuck, Global Head of Workforce Solutions at Siemens Healthineers; Dr. Sandy Gibson, Professor of Counselor Education and Chair of the Department of Online Counselor Education at The College of New Jersey; and Lauren Conceicao, Managing Director of Skills Frontier.

Music by Evgeny Bardyuzha from Pixabay.

In this episode of Apprenticeship 2.0, Joe and Kiko chat with Nick Beadle, publisher of the Jobs That Work newsletter, Founder and CEO of Jobs That Work Solutions, and a leading expert on jobs policy, workforce development, and public investment. Together, they discuss Beadle's previous roles over three administrations at the U.S. Department of Labor, including helping to lead the Good Jobs Initiative; how federal grants and public investment can be optimized to support scalable apprenticeship models; how apprenticeship can uplift underserved populations; how the passage of the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act could affect the future of college; and much more.

Music by Evgeny Bardyuzha from Pixabay.

In this episode of Apprenticeship 2.0, Joe and Kiko chat with Dr. Lauren Holubec, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Workforce Development Association, and Tara Loew, Director of the Apprenticeship and Training Office at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry. Together, they discuss the role apprenticeship plays in solving the commonwealth's most pressing workforce challenges; how Pennsylvania supports the registration and quality assurance of pre-apprenticeship programs; how their organizations are supporting alignment across state policy, local needs, and employer-driven apprenticeship models; how apprenticeship can be seen by younger generations and underrepresented populations as a viable first choice, not a fallback; and much more.

Music by Evgeny Bardyuzha from Pixabay.

In this episode of Apprenticeship 2.0, Joe chats with Cory McCray, Maryland state Senator and author of The Apprenticeship That Saved My Life. Together, they discuss McCray's book and journey, why apprenticeships remain undervalued in American society, how apprenticeship candidates can be more prepared for interviews, where McCray sees apprenticeship headed, and much more.

Coming Sept. 30, preorder The Apprenticeship That Saved My Life at apprenticeshipcheatcode.com, tinyurl.com/nhhvxmye, or wherever you get your books.

Music by Evgeny Bardyuzha from Pixabay.