The TechEd Podcast

IT isn't just for large corporations anymore. In today's digitized world, every nonprofit, small and medium business must learn to deploy technology to remain competitive. But it's not just the technology that builds a great business. 

In this episode, we're talking with Patrick Booth, CEO of CCB Technology, who shares with us the formula for IT success in any organization. His years of leadership experience with his own team has taught him that even the best tools won't do us any good unless we have the right people and the right processes in place.

You'll hear Patrick's insights about:

• How today's rapidly-evolving technology landscape is different than 30 years ago
• Why SMBs are using IT services to become as efficient as large corporations
• Why manufacturing operations teams must collaborate with their IT teams
• How to develop a team culture that relies on data to best serve customers
• How education should prepare students for a highly-technical workforce

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Four-time Wisconsin Governor, US Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Wisconsin icon Tommy Thompson is bringing a fresh perspective to education in his new role as UW System President.

In an enlightening conversation, Governor Thompson shares why universities should be the problem-solvers of the future. Our discussion covers new ideas for how this can be accomplished, including:

• Why bolstering STEM and TechEd programs is key
• Solving business problems by collaborating with the universities
• Providing college education and a career opportunity for prison inmates
• Harnessing students' creativity to innovate new solutions in agriculture, engineering, water science and more

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"Highly-cohesive, highly-trained teams, enabled by advanced technology striving to accomplish outsized objectives." So describes both military special operations and advanced manufacturing operations.

Bill Berrien, former SEAL Team Commander, CEO of Pindel Global Precision and Founder of PRODx joins us for a fascinating interview. Listen to hear his insights into:

• How leading one of the world's most elite military teams is similar to running a highly advanced manufacturing organization
• How the digitization of manufacturing is disrupting the way we design, produce and ship products
• The importance of partnering with and investing in education
• The keys to enabling your workforce to continue training, learning and growing
• How "Global Manufacturing's 9-1-1" is providing a crucial network of hyper-qualified partners for immediate demand production

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There's an orange Ariens snowblower on every continent on the planet. But did you know the Ariens Company is a four-generation family owned manufacturer in the small town of Brillion, Wisconsin?

Dan Ariens, Chairman and CEO of the Ariens Company and Executive Board Member of the Green Bay Packers, shares how the company's investment in Brillion, education and lean manufacturing is what made them the global leader they are today. In this episode, Dan shares insights into:

• How lean and continuous improvement are essential to every manufacturer
• What Industry 4.0 technologies they're using in their process and how that has optimized production
• The importance of apprenticeships and work-based learning for students
• Why businesses should take ownership of the skills gap problem
• How education should engage their industry partners in STEM and Tech Ed projects
• What the Green Bay Packers organization can teach us about business
• The importance of investing in our ecosystem and sustaining natural resources

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As the largest furniture manufacturer in the world, Ashley Furniture Industries is always on the leading edge of business, technology and workforce training. The organization has invested heavily in understanding the changes  Industry 4.0 is bringing to the world of work, adopting those technologies and processes, and preparing a talent pipeline to work in their highly-advanced facilities.

In this episode, we speak with Todd Wanek, CEO of Ashley Furniture Industries.

For nearly 20 years, Todd has led the company into the future. You'll hear his insights about:

• How Industry 4.0 technologies are disrupting manufacturing, retail and the global supply chain
• How to remain relevant in an ever-evolving market
• The importance of continuously reskilling incumbent employees
• Ashley Furniture's investment into education and preparing students for an Industry 4.0 workforce

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Ashley Furniture Industries is the #1 furniture manufacturer in the world, employing thousands of hard-working individuals across America and worldwide. The organization takes part in the entire furniture-making process - from raw material production to engineering to advanced manufacturing, supply chain and retail.

In this episode, we speak with Ron Wanek, Founder and Chairman of Ashley Furniture Industries, a man who has truly lived the American Dream. From humble beginnings on a family farm near Winona, Minnesota, Ron built Ashley Furniture into the global leader it is today.

Ron shares how he grew the company over the last six decades and shares insights into:

• How finding good mentors early on is a key to success
• The need to remain on the cutting-edge of technology in a competitive international market
• How to inspire leaders and employees through change and continuous improvement
• The importance of investing in training and education

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As the world's largest robotics & CNC company, FANUC exists to solve engineering challenges. Whether that's automating a production facility or preparing learners to work in an automated workplace, FANUC has created a solution.

As our economy becomes more automated, every high school, college and university should be teaching students on authentic industrial robots and CNC machines...the kind of technology they're going to see in the workforce.

In this episode, we're talking with Mike Cicco, the President and CEO of FANUC America. Mike shares insights every educator should hear, including:

• What the job market will be for skilled robotics technicians in the coming years
• How robotics is disrupting manufacturing, e-commerce, automotive and more
• FANUC's CERT program for schools
• Innovations in collaborative robot technology
• How AI and machine learning are impacting automation
• How CNC-driven processes are evolving

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Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana has innovated an education model like none other. This singly-accredited statewide college has the ability to offer identical programs at any location in perfect synchronicity with the workforce needs of the region. 

In this episode, we interview Dr. Sue Ellspermann, Ivy Tech's President and Chris Lowery, the college's Vice President of Workforce and Careers. They share their secrets to preparing thousands of students for high-wage, high-demand careers across any sector. 

You'll learn about:

• How Ivy Tech is achieving the Lumina goal: 60 percent of Indiana's workforce holding a degree or certificate by the year 2025
• The value of a VP of Workforce and Careers working alongside the Provost
• How a singly-accredited college can more efficiently respond to workforce demands across the entire state
• How industry-recognized certificates and micro-credentials are changing technical education
• How technology, continuous training and hybrid learning will disrupt education in the coming years

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In today's rapidly-advancing economy, having job-ready hard skills is often more valuable than an academic degree. Technical education is the key to producing a workforce that has both the knowledge and the skillset to excel in the workplace.

Our guest this week has done incredible work to advance technical education and workforce training in the US.

"Work and Learn" is a model of education Emily DeRocco has been advocating for for decades in her work in the US Department of Labor and with the Manufacturing Institutes. No matter if the learner is active duty military personnel, an inner-city high schooler, or a young girl interested in STEM - Emily has worked to provide programs for them.

In this episode, you'll hear about disruptive programs that utilize a "work and learn" model, including:

• Operation Next
• Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs)
• The Manufacturing Institutes
• LIFT and the IGNITE: Mastering Manufacturing program

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Career and technical education has come a long way in the past four decades. And at this rate, the future for CTE is bright. 

In this episode, we talk with Paul Perkins, President and CEO of Amatrol, the world's leading developer of technical education learning systems and curriculum. As an experienced engineer himself, Paul offers some great perspective on how far Tech Ed has come (and just how far we have the potential to go).

Learn about the evolution of technical education, the outlook for the next 10 years, how the US can remain competitive in a global economy, and how education and industry can work together to train up a highly skilled workforce. 

We want to hear from you! Send us a text.

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