The TechEd Podcast

Generac's revenue has grown 6x since Aaron Jagdfeld took over as CEO in 2008. The company saw 50% growth in 2021 alone. How did they achieve this incredible growth, and how does that impact business decisions moving forward? Rethink Manufacturing 50% year-over-year growth is an incredible accomplishment, but it's not without its challenges. How did Generac meet increased demand for produ...

The energy sector is facing major (and exciting) disruption in the coming years, and it's going to impact every single business, home and individual in meaningful ways. We sat down with Aaron Jagdfeld, CEO of Generac (GNRC), a leading manufacturer of power solutions, to get his expert insights into innovations taking place in the energy ecosystem and the impact this will all have on consumers...

Manufacturing technology in 2022 is mind-blowing. Smart manufacturing, digital twins, artificial intelligence, fully autonomous systems, all kinds of high-tech hardware and software integrated together...and yet...there's still a very common misconception that manufacturing is dark, dirty and dangerous. How do we change the face of advanced manufacturing and help parents and students see how...

How do we give all students a chance at the American Dream? How do we fill all the open skilled jobs in the workforce? The 1-2-7 Rule just might be the solution. Leading districts are analyzing workforce data to help them understand where the career opportunities for their students are, and what skills and credentials are needed for those pathways.  Dave Campbell, Superintendent of the Kalamazoo R...

Host Matt Kirchner ran manufacturing companies for 23 years and has now been in the world of tech ed for 6 years. He's using his wealth of knowledge and experience leading companies for decades to predict what today's leaders and educators must pay attention to this coming year. We're preparing to see some major disruptions in 2022, in education, in the workforce, in our economic mo...

Decades ago, great monolithic companies ruled manufacturing - these were the household names, the brands where everyone knew someone who worked there. Tim Sullivan led such companies - ones like Bucyrus, the REV Group and Gardner Denver. In 2021, the manufacturing sector looks much different. While some of these great companies are still around, more and more production work has moved to small-to-...

We know that Career & Technical Education is a great pathway for students to secure the skills they need for high-wage, high-demand careers.  But Tech Ed is also a great path for our students to become entrepreneurs and run businesses of their own! In this episode, we explore the role of free enterprise in  CTE with Governor Scott Walker, President of Young America's Foundation. In additi...

Flexible, nimble, entrepreneurial. These are three words that most of us wouldn't associate with our traditional college system. But what if we restructured the way we approach higher education to make it more flexible for all learners, to adapt more nimbly to workforce needs, and to instill an entrepreneurial spirit in the way education does its business? Tim Hood, President of Mid-Michigan...

Is it time we rethink the K-12 model? Our education system needs some major updates, including more flexibility, greater focus on student identity, and a college and career readiness plan that starts in kindergarten. In this episode, we continue our conversation with Dr. Joe Gothard, Superintendent of Saint Paul Public Schools, exploring these points and more in a discussion around career readines...

Education has reached a tipping point; people are waking up to the idea that we can and should do things in a different way. The challenge is how to actually enact change in a large urban district. St. Paul Public Schools reaches 35,000 students, 79%  of whom identify as a race other than white, with 125 languages spoken by these students at home. In this episode, we talk with SPPS Superintendent...

How can technical and community colleges keep pace with the skilled workforce needs of their regional employers? How do we equip learners with the micro-credentials for highly-technical fields? How do we get more students excited to pursue STEM pathways? We answer these questions and more in our second episode with Dr. Jay Allen, President of Itawamba Community College.  Listen to learn about: Tip...

Two-year colleges are truly the unsung heroes of our communities. They provide a whole range of services that go beyond the classroom to advance education, culture, athletics, our workforce...the list goes on.  In part one of our two-episode series with Dr. Jay Allen, President of Itawamba Community College, we're breaking these services down to really understand all the resources our college...

Economic development strategies must take on a comprehensive, collaborative approach, especially in today's climate.  Missy Hughes, Secretary and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), joins us to talk about all the factors that play into such an approach.  We discuss relevant economic development issues, like: Why workforce issues are about far more than jobs and skill...

Artificial intelligence is totally transforming the world in which we live, learn, and work. But how exactly does artificial intelligence work? How should industrial employers be leveraging AI? And what can education do to prepare their students for an AI-driven workforce? Matt Kirchner breaks it all down in this episode. Listen for actionable insights into: Understanding artificial intelligence:...

We live in a connected world, where everything from news, to business, finances, health and wellness and our social lives can be accessed and updated in real-time wherever we are. And as technology gets smarter, the information we consume becomes tailored to our specific interests and goals. Why should the manufacturing floor be any different? If you're still printing data and charts, laminat...

In part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Michael Lovell, we answer a big question: STEM or Humanities? If we want well-rounded graduates, then the answer is quite simply, we need both .  Navigating this balance can be difficult. In the case of Marquette University's Jesuit roots, Dr. Lovell shares how the liberal arts work alongside new innovations in STEM and technology-based programs to produ...

How can we do a better job of solving the world's challenges? When it comes to research and innovation, too often we have siloed teams trying to solve big problems. Instead, we need broader teams of people from different backgrounds, organizations and skillsets to develop solutions together. In this episode, Dr. Michael Lovell, President of Marquette University , shows us how taking a cross-d...

The Oshkosh brand is instantly recognized for its specialty trucks and access equipment. But the company is about more than building the world's toughest equipment; they're committed to making a difference in people's lives. And that means every piece of equipment they manufacture is designed to empower people and keep communities safe. Leading this charge is John Pfeifer, President...

Austin Ramirez is an extremely successful CEO, leading Wisconsin-based manufacturer Husco . In addition, he has spent time as a White House Fellow under two US presidents, swam competitively at a national level, and co-founded a non-profit to revitalize democracy.  In this episode, we talk about the priorities manufacturers should focus on as they lead their organizations into the future. This is...

In this episode, we're talking with Maj. Gen. Paul Knapp , Wisconsin's 31st adjutant general and the commander of the Wisconsin National Guard. Our National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are in a unique position, playing the dual role of civilian employee and military service member.  Maj. Gen. Knapp is committed to ensuring Wisconsin's Guardmembers have the support to lead a fulfilling...

Self-docking boats, electric outboard motors, IoT-enabled boater safety wearables...this is the future of marine technology, and it's all being developed at Mercury Marine. In this episode, we're talking with Chris Drees, President of Mercury Marine . The organization is leading the world in marine engine technology, not just on the product design side, but also in their innovative manuf...

Our goal at the TechEd Podcast is to help bridge the gap between education and industry - to help these entities speak a common language, understand each other's needs and build collaborative partnerships. In part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Bill Pink , President of Grand Rapids Community College , we're talking all things workforce development. We tap into Dr. Pink's extensive k...

The United States’ nearly 1,000 technical and community colleges have been providing skills-based, career-focused training to communities for over 100 years. It's imperative that higher ed pays attention to the needs of industry in order to fulfill this purpose. What happens when those needs take a massive shift in a short amount of time? The way we live, work and learn have all changed in th...

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) is like a freight train coming rapidly down the tracks. While some employers and educators have seen it coming and are preparing their workforce, operations and students...there's a whole group of people who are about to miss the train altogether.  In this episode, Matt Kirchner helps us understand exactly what Industry 4.0 is, the incredible op...

Dr. Annette Parker is a name known nationwide in higher education. She has a unique career pathway and has used her experience to lead several states through innovative academic transformations.  Today, Dr. Parker serves as President of South Central College in Minnesota and sits on numerous national academic boards, and in these roles she continues to lead technical education into a bright future...