In this episode of Unmuted, we’re joined by Rob Hill and Andy Elston for a candid conversation about Career & Technical Education (CTE) and the urgent workforce gap facing Wyoming.

Rob shares his path from the trades into teaching and workforce policy, and Andy explains how early hands-on experience turned into a career in engineering and building systems across the state. Together, we break down why Wyoming is facing an aging skilled workforce, why students often get blocked out of CTE pathways (capacity, scheduling, “level one bottlenecks”), and why “industry-ready” can’t just mean a couple of classes and a credential.

We also challenge some long-held assumptions in education: what “21st century jobs” really require, why competency-based learning matters, and why communities need stronger partnerships between schools, employers, colleges, and mentors. If Wyoming wants to stop exporting talent—and start building opportunity at home—this conversation is a blueprint.