The TechEd Podcast

How can we better serve students in a city like Milwaukee, where 50% of students attend mediocre or failing schools, and only 65% of students even graduate high school? This data isn't anomalous; urban regions across the U.S. are failing our students, creating systems lacking in hope and opportunity for our kids. One school in Milwaukee has found tremendous success by taking a holistic approa...

Every student should have access to the educational opportunities they need to pursue the careers they're passionate about - and that means removing as many financial barriers as possible. When it comes to students attending technical and community colleges, often these financial barriers look much different than those faced by a traditional university student. And yet of the 1,500 applicatio...

The traditional K-12 education model in America - one that's remain unchanged for decades - no longer serves our students like it should. It's an inadequate system that needs to be disrupted, and superintendent Justin Wagner and his team at Woodbine Community School District decided to take action to change it. Hear how they built a new model centered around involved, relevant and person...

GrayMatter Robotics is revolutionizing industrial automation, powering their robots with artificial intelligence as we enter the age of the "digital worker." We sat down with Co-Founder and CEO Ariyan Kabir to hear just how innovative their approach to automation is. What makes them so unique? GrayMatter Robotics is a company that develops AI software for robots, focusing on surface fini...

Autonomous trucks, robotics and AI are revolutionizing the mining industry...and now engineering students of all disciplines are being prepared for these fascinating careers at South Dakota Mines! Dr. Jim Rankin, President of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (often called South Dakota Mines) discusses the institution's focus on STEM education and its impact on the mining and mi...

Skilled talent is in high demand - in every industry. Caliber Collision is facing the shortage in the automotive collision repair industry, where they estimate 30% of the market needs are being unmet due to a lack of technicians. Eddie Hightower leads Caliber's sustainability & social responsibility efforts, which includes the company's Technician Apprentice Program, designed to addr...

It's the start of a new year, and that means...our annual predictions episode is here! Host Matt Kirchner shares the top 9 trends & technologies that will impact the world of technical education in 2024. How exactly will AI impact the way we teach, the way students learn, and how we do business in 2024? What will happen with the ever-growing shortage of skilled talent? How will the enroll...

Technical and community colleges not just degree factories; they're the solution to meeting the shifting demands of the workforce while creating economic and social mobility for individuals. In this episode of the podcast, we're joined by Dr. Lori Suddick, President of the College of Lake County, to dive into this important topic of education-industry alignment. CLC is positioned at the...

Ever wondered how a seventh-grade engineering camp can ignite a lifelong passion for STEM? Alyssa Sanders, Associate Director of Research and Development Engineering at Baxter, is living proof of just that. This week's episode is a fascinating discussion about the role of innovation in an engineering career. Managing a diverse, global team of engineers, Alyssa is an expert on innovation, prod...

We went in search of the most cutting-edge learning systems that every career and technical education program should have in their classrooms in 2024. The best place to find them? ACTE's annual CareerTech VISION conference, where technical educators from across the United States come to learn best practices and discover the latest innovations for delivering career-focused courses to their stu...

Don't underestimate Milwaukee - a thriving city with not only a rich history, but a bright future with opportunities to live, work and play. Kathy Henrich is CEO of the Milwaukee Tech Hub Coalition, a nonprofit on a mission to grow the region's tech ecosystem while creating life-altering opportunities for tech talent. We dive deep into Milwaukee's unique tech landscape (and the blen...

In a world of constant information overload, how do you stay connected with your network and build meaningful relationships? Canay Deniz, Co-Founder and CEO of Ren joins us on the podcast to discuss a groundbreaking software that leverages artificial intelligence to get you in touch with the people you care about most, at the times it matters most. Discover the power of AI in strengthening relatio...

How do we make smart manufacturing part of our DNA in America? What's preventing small and midsized companies from adopting smart technology? How do we build a workforce capable of undergoing a digital transformation? These are the questions CESMII is working on, under the leadership of CEO John Dyck, who joins the podcast to talk about the democratization of smart manufacturing. From the cha...

3D scanning has been around for decades, but the technology today truly qualifies as an Industry 4.0 tool. Creaform is one of the world's leading developers of 3D scanning technology, and Fanny Truchon leads that business as it seeks to design the most cutting-edge, high precision and accessible devices for all industries. If you don't know much about 3D scanning, be prepared to be amaze...

What if you could supercharge your small to midsize job shop with the power of automation? That's what The Automated Shop Conference (TASC) was all about, bringing together experts in automation to help SMBs take actionable steps on their digital transformation journey. The TechEd Podcast served as co-technical director at the inaugural conference, along with Modern Machine Shop 's Edito...

Innovation, not regulation. This is the mindset North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum has instilled in his state's approach to education. As a result, innovation abounds across the state. Hear firsthand from Governor Burgum about all the unique ways North Dakota is disrupting education and laying the foundation for other states to adopt a new model that is better for students, better for schools,...

There is so much overlap between art and engineering...so much creativity that goes into the making of things. Bre Pettis knows this firsthand. As a puppeteer-turned teacher-turned entrepreneur, Bre founded MakerBot and helped democratize 3D printing, making it accessible for Fab Labs and MakerSpaces all over the country. Today, Bre is at it again with Bantam Tools, a manufacturer of desktop CNC m...

LIVE from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Connected Systems Institute, we're talking with a group of 5G network experts about the potential for this technology to make Industry 4.0 a reality for manufacturers. Every manufacturer wants to automate. They want to pursue Industry 4.0 transformations. But far too often companies are limited by bandwidth issues, cybersecurity fears, an...

Matt Kirchner was invited to keynote the 2023 Governor's Summit on Innovative Education by North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum. Though this audio from that conference was directed toward North Dakota teachers, the message will resonate with educators from anywhere in the world. The world of work is changing quickly, and there are major ramifications coming to education as a result. Hear about t...

Every institution of higher education is facing two major changes right now: Automation and artificial intelligence are universally transforming every sector of our economy (including the training required) - from healthcare to manufacturing, agriculture to education. Meanwhile, changing demographics and attitudes toward education are impacting enrollment rates and colleges' strategic focus....

Western Technical College, under the leadership of president Roger Stanford, is demonstrating how technical and community colleges should adapt to the evolving needs of learners as perceptions around the value of degrees and certificates continues to change. Western is forward-thinking in two key areas: who they're serving, and how they're delivering the learning. In this episode, we sit...

Ever wonder what it would look like to create a bachelors degree program so innovative, so accessible, so flexible, and so industry-driven that it's the first of its kind in the nation? The University of Wisconsin-Stout has done just that with the new Automation Leadership degree. Built on industry-recognized credentials with a  focus on hands-on skills and career readiness, the Automation Le...

Let's face it: college isn't for everyone. Especially with the amount of student debt being carried by individuals long into their career; oftentimes, for degrees that don't even get used. We need to inform and inspire students towards careers they're passionate about and wired for, and help them find the right education option that will get them to that goal. Parents, educator...

Artificial intelligence is no longer just a buzzword, it's a reality in every space in our lives. In this fast-paced episode, get a crash course on artificial intelligence from podcast host Matt Kirchner as he breaks down this complex concept into easily-digestible components. What is artificial intelligence in layman's terms? Get a new definition that will help make sense of AI like nev...

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) is on a mission to develop the fastest-growing and most equitable economy in the country. With technology progressing faster than ever alongside a tight labor market, Kerry Ebersole Singh has an important job as MEDC's Chief Talent Solutions & Engagement Officer. We sat down with Kerry to discover how the MEDC is addressing the workforc...