Lessons Earned

How do we make sense of higher education and its relationship to the economy in the midst of a pandemic that changed the world overnight? Normally, when the economy is down, you go back to school, says Tony Carnevale, director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. But what's your strategy if that's not a great option right now? Carnevale explains why this economic crisis is different, who's most at risk, and what it means for post-high school education and training.

It's time for colleges and universities to take a hard look in the mirror, says University of Maryland Baltimore County President Freeman Hrabowski. Too many students don't make it to graduation and others are faced with the false choice between pursuing a broad education and gaining technical skills, when they actually need both. At UMBC, he's proving that with the right support, even the most challenged students will succeed.

Hosts: Ben Wildavsky, Andrew Hanson

Oren Cass, author of The Once and Future Worker, says we've gone too far in our college-going culture, steering too many students down a postsecondary pathway that only serves about one-third of our population. It's time, he says, to destigmatize vocational and technical education, to create and fund alternative pathways between high school and the workplace, and to fill millions of jobs that don't, or shouldn't, require a college degree.

Hosts: Ben Wildavsky, Andrew Hanson

McDonald's is one of the nation's largest entry-level employers, and like a growing number of businesses, it provides extensive education benefits for front-line workers to improve opportunities for themselves and their families. Lisa Schumacher, Director of Educational Strategies at McDonald's Corp., talks about how the fast-food giant supports workers as they earn and learn, through English-language training, money for college, and technology aimed at helping them explore their career options.

Host: Ben Wildavsky

Anthony Abraham Jack, a Harvard University researcher and author of The Privileged Poor, discusses his own experience as a low-income college student as well as the experiences of many of today's learners who are navigating an unfamiliar affluent campus culture they struggle to understand, let alone join. He suggests simple things educators can do to make their campuses not only more diverse, but truly inclusive.

Hosts: Ben Wildavsky, Pete Wheelan

How can we find better ways to measure and value the job skills possessed by Americans who don't have a traditional college degree? Byron Auguste, a former White House economic adviser and current CEO at Opportunity@Work, says screening out job applicants who can't check the degree box eliminates opportunity for millions of people who already have what it takes to do a great job.

Hosts: Ben Wildavsky, Anna Gatlin Schilling

What can employers do to prepare today's workers for the jobs of tomorrow? Van Ton-Quinlivan, CEO of Futuro Health and a former leader in the California Community College system, talks about how employers, labor unions, and educators can work together to help workers learn what they need to get better jobs. Education is not a one-time inoculation to prepare people for a lifetime of work, she says. Frequent booster shots are needed throughout our careers.

Hosts: Ben Wildavsky, Anna Gatlin Schilling

Are we sending too many people to college — or not enough? How can we better equip learners with the skills they need for today's jobs? What role should business play in transforming education after high school? In Lessons Earned, Ben Wildavsky and his Strada Education Network colleagues sit down with educators, employers, and policymakers who are challenging the status quo and exploring bold ideas to help all Americans navigate the path from learning to earning.