Builiding CTE Systems That Actually Work-Global Career Tech Education Podcast Ep.78 w/Dr. Narineh Makijan

In Episode 78 of the Global CTE Podcast, part of our 2026 Women in CTE Series, Dr. Narineh Makijan shares how regions can move beyond aligning disconnected systems and begin designing workforce ecosystems that create real opportunity for learners.

Drawing from her leadership across the Los Angeles Regional Consortium and her work advancing human-centered AI in counseling, she offers a practical framework for building stronger connections between education, employers, and communities.

This conversation challenges leaders to rethink CTE not as a collection of programs, but as essential economic infrastructure for the future of work.

Topics Covered:

-Designing regional workforce ecosystems

-CTE as economic infrastructure

-Human-centered AI in counseling

-Radical asset mapping for pathways

-Employer partnerships beyond advisory boards

Special Guest: Dr. Narineh Makijan

BIO:

Dr. Narineh Makijan is Assistant Vice President and Chair of the Los Angeles Regional Consortium at Pasadena City College, where she leads workforce and economic development strategy across 19 community colleges in Los Angeles County—one of the largest regional systems in the nation. With more than 20 years of leadership experience in counseling, Career & Technical Education, and pathway development, her work focuses on building coordinated education-to-workforce ecosystems that expand access and strengthen economic mobility for students. She also serves as faculty at the USC Rossier School of Education and is the author of Beyond the Algorithm: Human-Centered AI, advancing a vision for student support systems that integrate technology while keeping the human experience at the center of learning and opportunity.

Learn More About LARC: https://losangelesrc.org/

Preparing Students for an AI-Driven World-Global Career Tech Education Podcast Ep 77

In this episode of the Global CTE Podcast, Sylvester Chisom welcomes Rachael Mann, Executive Director of NCLA and author of Pack Your Bags for an AI-Driven Future, to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping education and the future of work. As part of the 2026 Women in CTE Series, Rachael shares insights on agentic AI, emerging tools educators should explore, and how schools must rethink assignments and learning experiences in an AI-driven world. The conversation challenges education leaders to rethink what skills belong in the “moving truck” as we prepare students for a rapidly changing future.

Topics Covered:

-Preparing for an AI-driven world

-AI tools every educator should explore

-What schools must leave behind

-Agentic AI and education

Rachael Mann Bio:

Rachael is the Executive Director of NCLA, a nationally recognized keynote speaker, and a leading voice on artificial intelligence, CTE, and the changing future of work. She’s the author of six books, including Pack Your Bags for an AI-Driven Future, and has developed AI courses and micro-credentials for both higher education and K–12 educators.

With over 25 years in education leadership and recognition as a two-time Top 30 Global Guru, Rachael continues to push the field to think bigger about what future readiness truly means.

Big Doctor, Little Doctor: Building the Next Generation of Physicians - Global Career Tech Education Podcast Ep 76 w/Dr. Laveil Allen

In Episode 76, Dr. Laveil Allen, Executive Medical Director and practicing radiologist, shares his journey into medicine and what it really takes to thrive as a physician today. We discuss delayed gratification, test-taking discipline, AI in radiology, the physician shortage, and why exposure to the full healthcare ecosystem matters for students.

This conversation challenges us to reframe CTE as preparation not just for jobs in healthcare, but for leadership at the highest levels of the profession.

Topics Covered:

• Delayed Gratification Wins

• Exposure Shapes Career Pathways

• Inside the Physician Pipeline

• Radiology and the AI Future

• Preparing Students for Healthcare Leadership

Special Guest: Dr. Laveil Allen

Bio:

Dr. Laveil Allen is an Executive Medical Director and practicing radiologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he is dually appointed in the Departments of Emergency Medicine and Radiology & Radiological Sciences. A native of Nashville, he earned his undergraduate degree from Tennessee State University and his medical degree with honors from Meharry Medical College. He completed his transitional intern year at Harvard Medical School, his residency at Tulane University Hospital, and later earned his Master of Management in Health Care from the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management.Dr. Allen serves on the Board of Trustees at Meharry Medical College and is Chairman of the Tennessee State University Foundation, where he helps steward the institution’s endowment and expand educational opportunity for future generations. He is deeply committed to mentorship, representation in medicine, and building stronger pathways for the next generation of physicians.

Cleared for Takeoff: Aviation Careers Through CTE - Global Career Tech Education Podcast Ep 75 w/James Tigner

In Episode 75 of the Global CTE Podcast, host Sylvester Chisom sits down with James Tigner, Director of Aviation for the Center for Aviation and Technology at Hosanna House, to explore how aviation is creating real pathways to high-skill, high-wage careers. As part of the 2026 Black in CTE Series celebrating both CTE Month and Black History Month, this episode highlights representation, workforce alignment, and industry-recognized credentials like the FAA Part 107 drone certification. From early exposure to a bold vision for generational wealth through aviation, this conversation challenges how we think about opportunity in Career and Technical Education.

Topics Covered:

-Aviation beyond pilot careers

-FAA drone certification pathway

-High-wage career opportunities

-Early exposure drives access

-Generational wealth through CTE

James Tigner Bio:James Tigner is the Director of Aviation at Hosanna House, where he leads the Center for Aviation and Technology Training and is building real pathways into one of the nation’s most in-demand industries. With more than 30 years of experience across technology, telecommunications, advertising, and finance, James brings business strategy and entrepreneurial vision to expanding aviation workforce opportunities for young people.Today, he’s focused on connecting students to high-skill, high-wage careers in aviation and proving that opportunity can take flight in every community.

Learn More About The Center For Aviation & Technology at Hosanna House

Experience Is The Credential: What Industry Really Expects From Early Career Talent - Global Career Tech Education Podcast Ep 74

In the first installment of the 2026 Black in CTE podcast series, Sylvester sits down with Dr. Nzingha Williams to explore why experience, rather than credentials alone, is what truly prepares students for today’s workforce. Drawing from her work leading emerging talent initiatives at Wells Fargo, Nzingha breaks down what industry actually expects from early career talent, from communication and professionalism to adaptability and real world practice. This conversation challenges educators, employers, and systems leaders to rethink career readiness and put experiential learning at the center.

Topics Covered:

-Preparing students for finance careers

-Experience over credentials in hiring

-What industry expects from talent

-Communication and professionalism fundamentals

-Experiential learning as career preparation

Dr. Nzingha Williams Bio:

Today’s guest is Dr. Nzingha Williams, an educator and talent development leader whose work bridges Career and Technical Education, higher education, and corporate talent. She serves as a Lead Talent and Performance Management Consultant at Wells Fargo, where she leads emerging talent initiatives, including the Sophomore Experience, recognized as one of the top 100 internship programs in the country.

Dr. Williams is also the writer behind Rootivate, a Substack focused on experiential learning, skills-first hiring, and equity in career development. This is her second time on the Global CTE Podcast, and she is a featured guest in our second annual Black in CTE podcast series. Today’s conversation explores how education, work, and opportunity connect—and what it takes to design pathways that actually prepare students for real careers and real lives.

Learn more about :

Wells Fargo Sophmore ExperienceDr. Nzingha Williams Rootivate Substack

Language Is an Economic Asset-Global Career Tech Education Podcast Ep. 73 w/Michael Herrera

Episode Description

In Episode 73 of the Global CTE Podcast, host Sylvester Chisom sits down with Michael Herrera, Ed.D., Executive Director of Upper Bucks County Technical School, for a deep conversation on how Career and Technical Education can drive real economic mobility.

Together, they explore why alignment, not intention, is often the missing ingredient in education systems and how language becomes an economic asset when it is credentialed and trusted by employers. This episode reframes CTE as modern infrastructure designed to turn interest into impact, skills into wages, and education into dignity and opportunity.

Topics Covered

-Alignment Drives Economic Mobility

-One Talent Pipeline, Not Three

-Closing the Interest to Impact Gap

-Language as an Economic Asset

-CTE as Modern Civil Rights Infrastructure

Michael Herrera Bio:

Michael Herrera, Ed.D. is a senior education and workforce systems leader with more than two decades of experience working at the intersection of policy, practice, and economic mobility. He currently serves as Executive Director of the Upper Bucks County Technical School, where he leads a multi-district public CTE system focused on outcomes, accountability, and employer trust.Michael’s work centers on designing career-connected systems that translate education into real economic opportunity, including aligning technical skills, language, and work-based learning into a single talent pipeline. He is a national board member of the Association for Career & Technical Education (ACTE) and a leading voice on treating language as an economic asset when it is credentialed and trusted by employers.

Episode Chapters

00:00 Why this conversation matters right now

02:10 Michael Herrera’s path to systems leadership

04:16 Alignment drives economic mobility

06:05 The Interest to Impact gap

07:45 Measuring outcomes that matter

09:20 Starting career-connected learning earlier

10:48 Celebrating first jobs like signing day

12:22 Making CTE visible in the community

14:08 Students solving real-world problems

15:44 From trainees to contributors

18:58 Language as an economic asset

20:03 Credentialing language and employer trust

21:45 Language, safety, and real consequences

23:31 Breaking down silos between language and CTE

31:27 Why alignment beats hope

40:31 The future of CTE and economic dignity

When CTE Works: Turning Talent Into Opportunity Global CTE Podcast Ep 72 w/Darlene GibsonIn Episode 72 of the Global CTE Podcast and the first episode of 2026, Sylvester sits down with his mother, Darlene Gibson, to explore what Career and Technical Education looks like when it truly works. From discovering her calling at age 12 to building a 40 plus year career in cosmetology, entrepreneurship, and education, Darlene shares how skill, confidence, and relationships create lasting opportunity. This conversation reframes cosmetology as a powerful pathway to economic mobility, leadership, and legacy.Top 5 Topics Covered:-Early career clarity and discovering purpose through skill-Cosmetology as a legitimate, high-value CTE pathway-Confidence, resilience, and overcoming physical and societal barriers-Entrepreneurship, professionalism, and building social capital-The future of the cosmetology industry, technology, and AIDarlene Gibson Bio:Darlene Gibson is a trailblazing entrepreneur and educator with over 40 years of experience in the cosmetology and beauty industry. She is the founder of Professional Touch Salon in St. Louis and Show Me The Beauty, an online education platform empowering aspiring beauty professionals around the world. In addition to her businesses, Darlene travels globally as a Backstage Show Manager and Creative Artist for Farouk Systems, helping produce some of the most prestigious hair shows in the industry. Driven by excellence, professionalism, and a commitment to empowering others through skill, Darlene continues to shape the future of beauty, education, and entrepreneurship.

The Conversations That Shaped CTE in 2025-Global Career Tech Education Podcast 2025 Recap

Gratitude first. Clarity second. In 2025, the Global CTE Podcast became a place for real conversations about what Career and Technical Education is getting right and where it is falling short. This episode reflects the moments that mattered most.In this special episode, I revisit five powerful moments from five standout guests along with one bonus clip that could not be left out. These are the ideas that challenged assumptions, clarified what is at stake for students, and pointed toward where CTE is headed next.From workforce readiness and systems change to student voice and real world learning, these clips represent the themes that kept showing up again and again in 2025 and the ones that will matter even more in the years ahead.This episode is not just a recap.It is a reflection on where CTE has been, what we are learning, and what the future is asking of us.If you care about preparing young people for what comes next, this episode is for you.2026 is coming with clarity, conviction, and momentum. More real conversations, deeper insight, and a continued commitment to shaping the future of CTE. I am excited for what is ahead.

Digital Storytelling: Amplifying Student Voices Global Career Tech Education Podcast Ep.71

In Episode 71 of the Global CTE Podcast, host Sylvester Chisom interviews Dr. Sequoyah Wharton, an award-winning educator, media literacy advocate, and Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow. Together they explore how digital storytelling amplifies student voices, the lessons global and indigenous perspectives bring to education, and why media literacy is essential for the future. Dr. Wharton also shares his vision for CTE, highlighting adaptability, creativity, and respect for the trades in an AI-driven world.Topics Covered:

• Digital storytelling empowers student voice

• Media literacy as essential skill

• Global and indigenous learning perspectives

• Partnerships and cross-sector collaboration

• Future of CTE in AI

  Dr. Sequoyah Wharton Bio:Dr. Sequoyah Wharton is an award-winning educator, media literacy advocate, and digital storytelling innovator. He teaches Digital Filmmaking, Broadcast Journalism, and Visual Arts in New York, and serves as an adjunct professor at several universities where he focuses on adolescent art education and creative media pedagogy. Dr. Wharton is the Executive Director of the Empowering Global Educators Foundation, a PBS Student Reporting Labs Teacher Ambassador, and a 2025-2026 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow placed on Capitol Hill. His work blends creativity, equity, and global citizenship, empowering students to use storytelling as a tool for social impact.
  

Beyond the Scoreboard: From Classroom to Digital Media Career - Global CTE Podcast Ep 70 Interview

On Episode 70 of the Global CTE Podcast, our host Sylvester Chisom sits down with special guest Don Goble, a nationally recognized educator and media innovator. Don shares how he transformed his classroom into a hub for digital storytelling, sports media, and real world career pathways, opening doors for students from all backgrounds. Together they explore how DS Academy is helping schools nationwide prepare the next generation to thrive in a media driven world.

Topics Covered:1. Creating a Media Program That Inspires Students2. Media Skills Transfer to Every Industry3. Celebrating Everyone, Not Just Athletes4. From YouTube to Friday Night Lights5. Advice for Teachers Without Media BackgroundsDon Goble Bio:

Don Goble is a nationally recognized educator and media innovator with decades of experience in teaching, storytelling, and digital production. As the creator of the DS Academy curriculum, Don transformed his high school classroom into a thriving hub of creativity and collaboration, where students produced professional-grade broadcasts, documentaries, animations, and live scoreboard operations. His visionary approach empowered students of all backgrounds to explore careers in journalism, film, sports media, and digital branding.

Don’s curriculum has now been adopted by schools nationwide through Digital Scoreboards. Built on inclusivity and real-world application, DS Academy helps students develop technical skills, confidence, and a sense of belonging. Don’s legacy is one of impact, innovation, and opportunity, opening doors for students to tell their stories and shape the future of media.