Ben Wildavsky is a veteran higher education strategist and writer, and host of the Higher Ed Spotlight podcast. He brings decades of experience in journalism and education policy, including leadership roles at Strada Education Network, the College Board, and US News & World Report. He is the author of The Career Arts: Making the Most of College, Credentials, and Connections and an award-winning expert on education-to-workforce initiatives. In this episode of Hardly Working we explore the German model of dual studies, a unique blend of vocational training and academic education, and examine its implications for the US as industries continue to evolve in the face of technological change. Ben's insights, drawn from years of leadership in education, offer valuable lessons on the future of workforce development.

Mentioned in the Episode:

Germany Jumps on Degree Apprenticeships

National Center for the Apprenticeship Degree

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company

The Career Arts: Making the Most of College, Credentials & Connections

Robert Lerman is a research fellow at the Urban Institute and the co-founder of Apprenticeships for America, where he is dedicated to expanding opportunities for lifelong learning and ensuring that apprenticeships are a cornerstone of America’s educational landscape. Through his prolific research and advocacy, we examine the role of apprenticeships in our economy, successful policy examples in Europe, and the impact of AI and technological changes. 

Mentioned in the episode:

Apprenticeships for America

Skills-Based Hiring

National Apprenticeship Resource Hub

The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. 2024 Prize in Education

Stuart Andreason is the Executive Director of Programs at the Burning Glass Institute where he leads efforts in research and engagement on workforce innovation, higher education, and economic mobility. Through his personal experience and his work in skills-based hiring, we look at vocation in career, skills signals, and role of technology in the hiring process.

Mentioned in the episode:

Burning Glass Institute

Skills-Based Hiring: The Long Road from Pronouncements to Practice

How Advanced Data Systems Can Do More to Drive Economic Mobility

Kerry McKittrick, in her work as co-director of The Project on Workforce at Harvard, looks into different aspects of the relationship between workforce development and careers. In this episode of Hardly Working, we dive into three different reports that McKittrick has authored recently.

Mentioned in the episode:

The College-to-Jobs Initiative: Exploring the intersection of higher education and the workforce

College-to-Jobs Map

Unlocking Economic Prosperity: Career Navigation in a Time of Rapid Change

Workforce Strategies for New Industrial Policies: Governors’ Emerging Solutions

Description:

This week on Hardly Working, Brent Orrell talks with David Hernandez, Vice President of Education at IPC, the Global Association for Electronics Manufacturing.

Brent and David discuss domestic electronics manufacturing, workforce education and training, and the global supply chain.

Mentioned During the Show:

IPC International, Inc.

The CHIPS and Science Act

On July 22, Brent Orrell from AEI and Tony Pipa from Brookings hosted a discussion about Casa Grande Valley Farms, an agricultural cooperative from the New Deal era that faced challenges and eventually failed. AEI's Kevin R. Kosar, who has republished a book on the project, joined the conversation to discuss the lessons this historical case offers for modern federal rural economic development, especially in the context of recent legislative investments like the CHIPS and Science Act.

Mentioned in the episode:

Tony Pipa (Brookings)

Kevin R. Kosar (AEI)

Casa Grande Valley Farms

The Government Project by Edward C. Banfield

Cooperative model

The Great Depression

CHIPS and Science Act

No Child Left Behind

USAID

Russ Roberts, President of Shalem College in Jerusalem and host of the Econtalk podcast, discusses his book, “Wild Problems: A Guide to the Decisions That Define Us. The book discusses Robert’s approach to problems that can’t be solved with normal economics analysis. In this episode, Brent and Russ also discuss the influences Russ had growing up and the advice he has for young people today.

Mentioned in the Episode

Wild Problems by Russ Roberts

Shalem College in Jerusalem

It’s a Wonderful Loaf Poem

Keynes vs. Hayek Rap Battle

The Price of Everything by Russ Roberts

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Kentucky Community College Using AI to Train Peer Support Specialists

F.A. Hayek

Milton Friedman

Deirdre McCloskey

Gary Becker

On July 8, AEI’s Brent Orrell hosted the fifth event in the “On the Front Porch” series with the Brookings Institution’s Tony Pipa featuring Stanford University Professor Keith Humphreys and AEI’s Sally Satel, two experts in opioid treatment and the societal effects of drug abuse in rural areas. They discuss the factors that led to the opioid crisis and the challenges in resolving it.

 Mentioned in the Episode

Tony Pipa (Brookings)

Keith Humphreys (Stanford)

Sally Satel (AEI)

Pavlovian conditioning

Origins of the Opioid Crisis and its Enduring Impacts by Abby Alpert et. al

Death in Mud Lick Book by Eric Eyre

Dr. Art Van Zee

Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism by Anne Case and Angus Deaton

Golden Leaf Foundation

This week on Hardly Working, Brent Orrell talks with AEI Senior Fellow Brad Wilcox. Wilcox’s recent book Get Married: Why Americans Should Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families and Save Civilization explores the importance of marriage in society. Brent and Wilcox discuss how marriage promotes healthy families and why declines in marriage rates are so alarming. They also touch on how marriage and family structure impact the workforce and explore the particular challenges facing young men, such as family instability and low workforce participation.

Mentioned in this episode

Richard Reeves

Raj Chetty

Growing Up With a Single Parent

Nicholas Eberstadt

Fatherless America

Richard Hanania

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

Americans are grappling with the complexities of economic growth, technology, and their impacts on society. This week, Brent talks with Oxford University economist Daniel Susskind, who explores these themes in his latest book Growth: A Reckoning. Together, Brent and Susskind discuss the historical context of growth, the role of technological advancements, and Susskind’s views on the need for policies that better align economic incentives with social values. 

Mentioned in this Episode

Tax treatment of labor versus capital

John Maynard Keynes

Simon Kuznets

The Stern Review