In this episode of The Art of Existence, host Alexander Wolf reconnects with Thomas Forbes — five years after their first conversation — to explore an ambitious and necessary reimagining of skilled trades education. Thomas shares his decades-long vision for a new, industry-integrated vocational university where students are paid to learn, trained directly on job sites, and fast-tracked to journeyman status in under three years.

We dive into:

• The problems with traditional college and trade programs

• Why many graduates feel underprepared and overcharged

• Thomas’s proposed hands-on, earn-as-you-learn model

• The role of industry partnerships in shaping the future of education

• What’s needed to launch this revolutionary approach

Whether you're a parent, student, educator, or employer, this conversation challenges the norms and asks: What if we built a better way to learn by building itself?

🔗 Learn more about Thomas’s project and upcoming event on April 16th in Kitchener.