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In this episode, The EDU Ledger is excited to present the first in a series of content from our newest podcast partner, Discovering Your Mission with Dr. Mordecai.
Tune in as Dr. Mordecai Brownlee welcomes guest Brooke DeRenzis, CEO of the National Skills Coalition, for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of work, skills-based hiring, and the evolving role of higher education in an economy defined by rapid change. Drawing on national policy leadership and personal lived experience, DeRenzis explores why skills: technical, digital, and durable have become the foundation of economic mobility and why credentials must evolve to reflect real workforce needs.
Their conversation also examines the rise of working learners, including the growing importance of community and technical colleges and the urgent need to design education (and workforce systems) that support lifelong learning. At the center of the discussion is a clear message: workforce training is not a “second chance” system, but a first-choice investment in people, communities, and national prosperity.
From skills-based hiring and workforce to equity, policy implementation, and student voice, this episode offers a human-centered, policy-informed look at how investing in skills is essential to building a more inclusive and resilient economy.
KEY POINTS:
● Skills are the foundation of economic mobility in today’s workforce
● Credentials should validate skills, not act as barriers to opportunity
