E72: Career Opportunities and Industry Trends In The Landscaping Industry

Jim McCutcheon, CEO of HighGrove Partners, LLC and Teddy Russell, CEO of Russell Landscape Companies, join the program to discuss the benefits of landscaping as a career and the breadth of jobs available. They also reveal misconceptions about the industry, as well as future trends.

Dr. Isabel Sawhill, senior fellow in Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution , joins the program to discuss her book The Forgotten Americans: An Economic Agenda for a Divided Nation. Dr. Sawhill addresses the enormous divisions in American society—economic, cultural, and political—and what might be done to bridge them. She reveals the core values of the segment of the U.S. population that she calls “The Forgotten Americans”, and what they are looking for from work and from their employers.

To learn more and to get a copy of the book, visit https://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Americans-Economic-Agenda-Divided/dp/0300230362

Jonathan Blitt, CEO of Aztec Software, joins the program to discuss the need for personalized adult education and distance learning and the impact it can have on the labor market. He also reveals the most in-demand skills for employers and surprising places to find new talent.

This episode features an interview with Robert Doar, the Morgridge Fellow in Poverty Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). Robert discusses how connecting low-income individuals to job opportunities is a key piece of lifting people out of poverty, and how to combine job placement efforts with additional assistance in order to get the best results.

This epiosde features Clark Coco, dean of Washburn Institute of Technology in Topeka, Kansas as he discusses National CTE Letter of Intent Signing Day, a national event that recognizes students beginning career and technical education.

The National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3) is sponsoring the sixth annual National CTE Letter of Intent Signing Day across the country on February 21st, 2019. The event mirrors the NCAA’s National Signing Day for athletes who commit to play sports in college, but instead of athletes, NC3’s Signing Day is designed to honor students who are entering a technical field and to celebrate the dignity of work.

Richard Lum from Vision Foresight Strategy, returns to the program to discuss emerging trends and the future of work. He discusses how to separate out “noise” from truly important data and how to sift through various information sources. He also reveals his thoughts about how automation and A.I. may impact the future economy and workforce.

Greg Biggs, CEO of Vander-Bend Manufacturing, joins the program to discuss the changes in manufacturing, what skills are required for advanced manufacturing, and the efforts that his company is making to attract and retain top talent. Greg also challenges some misconceptions about the impact of automation and robotics on the manufacturing industry.

Pete Sepp, President of the National Taxpayers Union, joins the program to discuss the NTU’s position about tariffs, job training and education funding in the U.S. Discover the potential impact that tariffs can have on U.S. jobs, and what industries could be effected most.