1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,320 Speaker 1: Will Lucas here, Black Tech, Green Money. Hey look, Maurice Jones, 2 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,960 Speaker 1: the CEO at one ten, the coalition the leading chief 3 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: executives and their companies like A T and T, Delta 4 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: and more who are coming together to upscale higher and 5 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: promote one million Black Americans over the next ten years, 6 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: black people who do not have a four year degree, 7 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:22,759 Speaker 1: and put them in family sustaining jobs with opportunities for 8 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:26,760 Speaker 1: advancement private joining one ten, Maurice was president of LISK, 9 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:30,160 Speaker 1: which is the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, one of the 10 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:35,520 Speaker 1: country's largest organizations supporting projects to revitalized communities and catalyzed 11 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 1: economic opportunity. And under President Obama, he served as Deputy 12 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: Secretary of HUD, the U S Department of Housing and 13 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:47,160 Speaker 1: Urban Development. As he's working to get black people employed 14 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:49,480 Speaker 1: in great jobs who don't have a degree, I wonder 15 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 1: what his thoughts are on the value of a college 16 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:56,040 Speaker 1: degree in this low windscape. So I think there are 17 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: multiple ways to look at the value of a college degree. Right, 18 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 1: um one is the skills that a college degree can 19 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 1: provide you, and that will differ depending on frankly, what 20 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:17,399 Speaker 1: you study. Right, there's a difference between a college degree 21 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,679 Speaker 1: and accounting in a college degree in history. Don't get 22 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: me wrong, I like historians too, but but there's a 23 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: difference there. Um. A second piece is just the experience itself, right. 24 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:37,039 Speaker 1: The You know that if you do four years in 25 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 1: a college, those are four years UM at a time 26 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 1: that you are really most open to being transformed intellectually, socially, um. 27 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: And so there's a great deal of value in that 28 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: coming of age experience that a that a college offers 29 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:09,920 Speaker 1: to someone um. And So those are two ways I 30 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 1: would think about doing it. I think just at a third. 31 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: For a lot of people, they go off to college, 32 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 1: it's the first time that they're living away from home 33 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 1: and where the ultimate decision maker is them. And so 34 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:38,239 Speaker 1: you talk about a experience in making choices, it becomes 35 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: a really intense experience in making choices, and all of 36 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: that stuff is valuable for the rest of your life 37 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: as a person, as a worker, as a citizen. So 38 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: you touched on this a little bit, but I'm gonna 39 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: ask you to go a little deeper. When a student 40 00:02:56,639 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 1: is graduating with a degree that doesn't have necessarily an 41 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:04,920 Speaker 1: applied skill set involved in it, are they in trouble 42 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 1: in these new days of you know, the workforce and 43 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: what the marketplace demands. The answer to that is no, 44 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:19,079 Speaker 1: because let's think about this. If you think about the 45 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 1: most valuable skills that you need in the marketplace, it's 46 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: analyzing problems, it's working as a team, it's communication, um, 47 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: it's really being a great teammate. And so you can 48 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 1: actually develop all of those skills um in the context 49 00:03:56,320 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: of getting an academic preparation as well. And in the 50 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 1: long run, it's your ability to analyze problems that are 51 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 1: probably gonna serve you the best. So let's take that 52 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 1: from the alternative view. The university, the college that graduates 53 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 1: a high degree of people without specific skill sets, what 54 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: is their future? Yeah, so look, I think their future 55 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:42,600 Speaker 1: is two add a technical competency component to what they're 56 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 1: offering to their students. Right. I think you're gonna see 57 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:53,160 Speaker 1: more and more universities who are combining that four year 58 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: degree opportunity and political science with a CERTI certification that 59 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:02,719 Speaker 1: a student can get cybersecurity. I think you're gonna see 60 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 1: more and more of that being offered by our four 61 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: year enterprises. And then keep in mind you still have 62 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 1: community colleges and others who are really really leaning into 63 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 1: the technical UM certifications and licenses and UM nursing and 64 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 1: healthcare and cybersecurity and the two year and the uh 65 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: other what they call non credit courses. So I think 66 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 1: what you're gonna see is more and more there's gonna 67 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:46,920 Speaker 1: be this combination of something that is a credential that 68 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:51,479 Speaker 1: might be a BA in history, or be A in psychology, 69 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: or b A and philosophy, and the student will also 70 00:05:56,640 --> 00:06:00,120 Speaker 1: be able to combine that with something that's also are 71 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 1: technical UM. It makes that student more versatile both in 72 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 1: the workforce and also for graduate and professional study. And 73 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: so because you said that, I'm interested in your thoughts. 74 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: Like I'm in Ohio, and Ohio spends a ton of 75 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 1: money on career tech education at the high school level. 76 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: But I think about some of the school districts in 77 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 1: Ohio where you have school boards and what have you 78 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 1: who some may be you know, full with academics, you 79 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:33,280 Speaker 1: know people who have gotten professional degrees who sit on 80 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 1: some of these boards. And in in probably too many cases, 81 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 1: well depending on your answer, I don't want to color 82 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 1: your answer, but in in many cases you get UM 83 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: the pushback to where they may feel that career technical 84 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: education flies in the face of traditional academic traditional academic education, 85 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: and I wonder what your thoughts are. My thoughts are 86 00:06:56,320 --> 00:07:03,320 Speaker 1: that the the too neat be integrated. The notion that 87 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:09,760 Speaker 1: we are um separating, if you will, technical education from 88 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 1: academic education is a false dichotomy and very unhelpful to 89 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 1: the student. That if we really want to prepare the learner, 90 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 1: the student for multiple pathways in his or her life, 91 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 1: we will actually offer the students the opportunity to get 92 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 1: both and to combine it. Then. Actually, some of the 93 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 1: strongest high schools that I've seen around the country are 94 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 1: high schools that are academic and career tech. You literally 95 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 1: have a student who in the morning maybe in a 96 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:53,960 Speaker 1: music class or an arts class, and in the afternoon 97 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 1: they're literally building the dugout for the high school baseball 98 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:02,920 Speaker 1: team via their ar their class that they're taking. It 99 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:09,240 Speaker 1: is that student that will have the most choices moving forward, 100 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:14,960 Speaker 1: and education ought to be preparing us for multiple choices, 101 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 1: not one like that. Uh. Your partners include, you know, 102 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 1: some with CEOs who have committed to employing seventy percent 103 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:28,080 Speaker 1: of Black Americans without a college degree in the workforce 104 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 1: over the next ten years or so and into into 105 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:35,000 Speaker 1: you know, sustainable jobs, not just you know, minimum way jobs, 106 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: but jobs that can help them take care of their families. Right, So, 107 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:39,719 Speaker 1: you think about the lows, the a teens, he used, 108 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 1: the deltas, and the more. How can you hold these 109 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:48,559 Speaker 1: CEOs accountable to their commitments? How is that best? Yeah? 110 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:52,520 Speaker 1: So to your point, d CEOs have publicly committed to 111 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 1: hiring and promoting one million black talent who don't yet 112 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 1: have four year degree into jobs that pay at a 113 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 1: minimum a living wage based on what the living wages 114 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:13,200 Speaker 1: in their area. The accountability mechanisms are many. One is 115 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:18,320 Speaker 1: we actually collect the data from them every quarter on 116 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 1: how they're doing with respect to hiring black talent without 117 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:25,080 Speaker 1: four year degrees, how they're doing with respect to promoting 118 00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 1: that talent UH into new opportunities, into leadership, into management, 119 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:35,080 Speaker 1: what they're doing to remove how many degrees, how or 120 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 1: how many jobs have they removed a four year degree from. 121 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:42,280 Speaker 1: So a big way in which we're holding them accountable 122 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:46,439 Speaker 1: is we're getting the numbers, and they're giving us the numbers, 123 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:51,319 Speaker 1: and and we are reporting on this as a coalition. 124 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:55,880 Speaker 1: A second way that we are holding them accountable is 125 00:09:56,520 --> 00:10:02,160 Speaker 1: We only accept a company into the coalition if their 126 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:08,600 Speaker 1: CEO makes the commitment on behalf of the enterprise. And 127 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:15,560 Speaker 1: so this is a commitment that comes straight from the top, 128 00:10:16,559 --> 00:10:22,520 Speaker 1: and that really helps us to hold the entire enterprise 129 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:27,560 Speaker 1: accountable because it's a CEO commitment, not the commitment of 130 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:32,679 Speaker 1: somebody who is leading one of the functional areas. For example. 131 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:36,560 Speaker 1: The third thing that we're doing that has been really 132 00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:42,120 Speaker 1: helpful for us on the accountability piece is we um 133 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 1: curate amongst all of these employers a community of practice 134 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:53,079 Speaker 1: where we bring together all seventy plus of the employers quarterly, 135 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:57,240 Speaker 1: and we bring the CEO together, we bring the HR together, 136 00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:01,800 Speaker 1: and together we wrestle with the issues that we need 137 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:06,440 Speaker 1: to be great on to realize the aspirations of this coalition. 138 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:10,360 Speaker 1: And what you see in the midst of that sharing 139 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 1: best practices is a real sense of a community of 140 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:22,280 Speaker 1: a um collective commitment to an aspiration. And frankly, you 141 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:26,480 Speaker 1: see a little bit of friendly competition of wanting to 142 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 1: one up their comrades when it comes to uh to 143 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:34,640 Speaker 1: do in this work. And so all of those are 144 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:39,360 Speaker 1: ways in which we're trying to hold all of us 145 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:43,680 Speaker 1: accountable to reach uh, to reach that goal that we've 146 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:46,920 Speaker 1: set for ourselves, which by the way, it's an ambitious 147 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 1: goal when we knew it was ambitious at the beginning. 148 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:52,800 Speaker 1: But to the point that we you and I were 149 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:59,400 Speaker 1: talking about earlier, this is us really moving the employer 150 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:05,800 Speaker 1: there to age skills first focus where we're not focusing 151 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:09,600 Speaker 1: on a credential. We're focusing on what skills do we 152 00:12:09,679 --> 00:12:12,360 Speaker 1: need in a job? And what are the multiple ways 153 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:16,080 Speaker 1: that a that a talent can come about getting those skills? 154 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:19,240 Speaker 1: What skills does that talent need to be promoted and 155 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:23,120 Speaker 1: let's make sure that we're investing in that skills acquisition 156 00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:27,240 Speaker 1: so he or she can be promoted into leadership. And 157 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:30,000 Speaker 1: so I think it's wonderful the one that you've gotten. 158 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 1: You know, such of these large companies committed to this effort. 159 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 1: And I would add, you know, and you know this 160 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:38,960 Speaker 1: better than I do this. I think it's like Americans 161 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:41,959 Speaker 1: are employed by a small business, you know. So in 162 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:44,439 Speaker 1: order to make a really great impact, we've got to 163 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:46,000 Speaker 1: get the people who are not the A, T and 164 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 1: T s and not the deltas involved as far as accountability. 165 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:53,960 Speaker 1: As far as accountability, you've seen you know, the cels 166 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:57,960 Speaker 1: have to buy in, you know, per your guidelines for 167 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:00,959 Speaker 1: the folks who aren't big enough to to move in 168 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:03,600 Speaker 1: neidle like the A T and T can, but they 169 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:07,319 Speaker 1: may be a smaller medium sized business. What are you 170 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:11,760 Speaker 1: learning works best in those organizations that are those huge 171 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:16,400 Speaker 1: ones that a smaller CEO or smaller president can employ. Yep. 172 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 1: So what we're learning is this is a commitment that 173 00:13:22,640 --> 00:13:26,079 Speaker 1: a small business can make, a medium sized business can make, 174 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 1: and a large business. And we have small medium um 175 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:34,600 Speaker 1: s mme s in our coalition as well. So Roper, 176 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 1: for example, is one of our companies who joined the coalition. 177 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:44,440 Speaker 1: Roper is a collection of forty five small businesses. And 178 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:49,240 Speaker 1: what we're learning is that, look, they too can do 179 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:52,760 Speaker 1: this work. They may not be hiring five hundred people 180 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:56,079 Speaker 1: or a thousand people or two thousand people. They may 181 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:59,360 Speaker 1: be hiring ten people, they may be hiring twenty five 182 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:04,160 Speaker 1: people in a year, but all of that counts uh 183 00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:07,400 Speaker 1: and they still have to do the same thing in 184 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:10,360 Speaker 1: a sense of they have to focus on what skills 185 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:13,320 Speaker 1: do they need for those jobs. They have to focus 186 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:17,240 Speaker 1: on how to match that talent once they come into 187 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:21,680 Speaker 1: their small business with other folks who have the same 188 00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:26,000 Speaker 1: mindsets that they have. They have to focus on. Okay, 189 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:29,840 Speaker 1: once I got that talent in the company, what are 190 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:34,240 Speaker 1: the skills that that talent needs in order to continue 191 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:38,360 Speaker 1: to work with us and get promoted. So they the basics, 192 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:41,920 Speaker 1: the fundamentals are the same. We're just talking about much 193 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:47,520 Speaker 1: smaller numbers, but the for us we need when when 194 00:14:47,560 --> 00:14:51,840 Speaker 1: you're trying to hire a million, we will take five here, 195 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 1: ten here here. We need all of those to actually 196 00:14:57,160 --> 00:15:00,920 Speaker 1: make them make the math work. And so we definitely 197 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:05,280 Speaker 1: believe that to your point, um, we think that over 198 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:10,520 Speaker 1: time we will have more small and medium sized businesses 199 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:14,600 Speaker 1: in the coalition, then we will have launch because to 200 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 1: your point, se pluts of America's businesses are small and 201 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:22,360 Speaker 1: medium size and the process. Yeah, and so, you know, 202 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:25,680 Speaker 1: for as long as I can remember, and it's probably 203 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:27,840 Speaker 1: been the case for a very very long time, even 204 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:32,200 Speaker 1: before my memory serves. Um. It's not the most pleasant 205 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:34,240 Speaker 1: thing to say that you don't have a degree when 206 00:15:34,240 --> 00:15:36,920 Speaker 1: you're out in the world, right and so, and I 207 00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:43,280 Speaker 1: wonder what has to happen culturally for that negative feeling 208 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:45,560 Speaker 1: to go away, or does it you know, or does 209 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:47,640 Speaker 1: it need to change to where we should feel like, 210 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:50,800 Speaker 1: you know, um, just as proud to you know, be 211 00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:55,840 Speaker 1: in the in the world without one has to have one. Yeah, 212 00:15:55,960 --> 00:16:00,400 Speaker 1: So your your point is powerful. It's a self inflicted womb. 213 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:07,920 Speaker 1: We as a country have been telling now in particular 214 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:12,000 Speaker 1: young folks now for decades, if you want to make 215 00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:17,280 Speaker 1: something of yourself, you gotta go to college. Right. Um. 216 00:16:17,520 --> 00:16:21,280 Speaker 1: The bottom line on that is what we need to 217 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:26,200 Speaker 1: be talking about is these are the skills that you 218 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:32,080 Speaker 1: will need in order to earn your way into the 219 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 1: middle class in America. And here are the multiple ways 220 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 1: that you can acquire those skills. One might be a 221 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:47,000 Speaker 1: four year degree pathway. One might be a community college pathway. 222 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:52,040 Speaker 1: One might be a cybersecurity certification pathway. One might be 223 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:57,160 Speaker 1: a military pathway. Another might be going straight to work, 224 00:16:57,400 --> 00:17:00,880 Speaker 1: getting all the skills and continuing to get your education 225 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:05,640 Speaker 1: while you're doing that. This is a mindset shift that 226 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:11,240 Speaker 1: the country has to embark on and embrace and actually 227 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:14,840 Speaker 1: communicate that, no, there has to be more than one 228 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:21,080 Speaker 1: pathway to one being able to live a life and 229 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:24,200 Speaker 1: make it a good life for them and for their 230 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:26,920 Speaker 1: family and for their loved ones. By the way, other 231 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:31,760 Speaker 1: countries have done this, right if you look at Europe, 232 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:38,720 Speaker 1: for example, in what pathways Europe offers its youth to 233 00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 1: earn their way into the middle class in many European countries, 234 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:48,600 Speaker 1: pick Austria, Pig, German and for example, you'll see that 235 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:56,160 Speaker 1: apprenticeships are a big pathway for their students and they 236 00:17:56,200 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 1: are considered a great pathway. So people go to four 237 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:04,440 Speaker 1: year schools, but some people go straight into the workplace, 238 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:09,920 Speaker 1: get a job and continue to train. They use apprenticeships 239 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:15,159 Speaker 1: as a pathway ten times more than we do, more 240 00:18:15,280 --> 00:18:18,960 Speaker 1: than ten times. This is a matter of leadership in 241 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:24,480 Speaker 1: communicating and changing mindsets amongst leaders in the public sector 242 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:27,880 Speaker 1: and the private sector. We can do it. Hey, Look, 243 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:33,639 Speaker 1: I was raised by my grandparents. My grandfather was born 244 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:39,119 Speaker 1: in nineteen fourteen, my grandmother was born in nineteen eighteen. 245 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:45,399 Speaker 1: They were the most brilliant human beings that I have 246 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:51,720 Speaker 1: ever been blessed to actually cross paths with. Neither one 247 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:57,440 Speaker 1: of them had a quote unquote formal four year degree education, 248 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:02,800 Speaker 1: but they were the wisest soul that I have ever met, 249 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:06,440 Speaker 1: and they changed my life in a way that no 250 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:14,640 Speaker 1: other human being has. And so this is us widening 251 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:20,800 Speaker 1: our view of what excellence looks like and the notion 252 00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:26,959 Speaker 1: that excellence has to include a four year degree is 253 00:19:27,119 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 1: harmful to everybody, and particularly harmful to black folks and 254 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:36,920 Speaker 1: other folks of color and folks who don't have the 255 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:42,480 Speaker 1: resources financially to get a four year degree. By the 256 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:46,359 Speaker 1: two The bottom line is, excellence is a much much, 257 00:19:47,119 --> 00:19:51,480 Speaker 1: much or diverse picture than that, and it's up to 258 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:55,359 Speaker 1: all of us to make sure that this country recognizes it. Yeah, 259 00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:57,320 Speaker 1: I want I'm so glad you went in that direction 260 00:19:57,359 --> 00:19:59,240 Speaker 1: because and I want to go deeper there because I'm 261 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:03,480 Speaker 1: really into interested in UM the value we place on 262 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:05,600 Speaker 1: the degree. You so, we started talking about the value 263 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:08,720 Speaker 1: of a college degree, and you know, so we have 264 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:11,359 Speaker 1: this value on the degree that is really high or 265 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:14,639 Speaker 1: have had has been high. It's up for debate what 266 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:18,199 Speaker 1: our social you know, climate considers the value of a 267 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:20,840 Speaker 1: degree today. But I've always felt like the value of 268 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:24,040 Speaker 1: a degree UM for people who are not going to 269 00:20:24,119 --> 00:20:27,800 Speaker 1: be doctors or lawyers would be determined by entrepreneurs, people 270 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:29,679 Speaker 1: who just need to hire people who can do the 271 00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:32,680 Speaker 1: job and don't. It doesn't necessarily mean that you went 272 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:34,280 Speaker 1: to school for it, but you can come in and 273 00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:37,720 Speaker 1: contribute on day one because an entrepreneur like myself, I 274 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:39,199 Speaker 1: just need somebody who can do the job. Like it 275 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:42,439 Speaker 1: matters less to me that you went to school for it, 276 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:44,240 Speaker 1: because there's people who went to school for and can't 277 00:20:44,280 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 1: do it, like people who did go to school for it, 278 00:20:46,119 --> 00:20:48,159 Speaker 1: like dude didn't go to school for it. And so 279 00:20:48,359 --> 00:20:51,320 Speaker 1: should we be rethinking the value of the degree and 280 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:54,280 Speaker 1: not hold it as as such a high esteem or 281 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:57,760 Speaker 1: leave it at high esteem and raise up the non 282 00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:02,240 Speaker 1: degree skilled workers also? I think it's the latter. So 283 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:04,520 Speaker 1: I look, I think, don't get me wrong. I think 284 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:08,120 Speaker 1: a college degree, if if it makes sense for you 285 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:13,359 Speaker 1: economically and otherwise, you should get it. The problem I 286 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:18,080 Speaker 1: have is that we hold it up as the gold standard, 287 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:26,199 Speaker 1: and everything else right now is perceived to be second class. 288 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:29,760 Speaker 1: What what we need to do is to elevate a 289 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:36,560 Speaker 1: number of different pathways um and make sure that all 290 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 1: of them our gold standards, and that we recognize that 291 00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:46,680 Speaker 1: excellence can come through all of them. That's what we're missing. 292 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:51,360 Speaker 1: We don't need to diminish the four year degree. What 293 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 1: we need to do is to see recognize it elevates 294 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:03,159 Speaker 1: the value of other halfways as well. Because look what 295 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:06,480 Speaker 1: I will tell you is I think that many of 296 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:10,840 Speaker 1: the folks coming through the one tin journey will eventually 297 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:13,680 Speaker 1: go on and get their bas or their m a 298 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:17,960 Speaker 1: s or their pH ds. And that's all great. What 299 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:21,640 Speaker 1: what I'm suggesting is, because you didn't do that by 300 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:25,600 Speaker 1: the time you twenty one, should not rule out your 301 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:30,160 Speaker 1: opportunity to be all you can be. And so I 302 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:34,120 Speaker 1: think to your point, it's about making sure that we 303 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:38,640 Speaker 1: have more than one gold standard. And right now we've 304 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:42,159 Speaker 1: got one gold standard. So when you think about the 305 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:44,960 Speaker 1: gig economy and so many people who have opted out 306 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:48,760 Speaker 1: of traditional workforce and have instead, you know, opted to 307 00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:53,480 Speaker 1: drive for Uber or deliver groceries with Instacrt or something else, 308 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:57,760 Speaker 1: what will the gig economy have on the pattern of 309 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:02,680 Speaker 1: job search, the pattern of self employment UM or even 310 00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:07,280 Speaker 1: you know, the workforces ability to find good people. Yeah, 311 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:11,639 Speaker 1: you know what's interesting. I think what the gig economy 312 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:17,760 Speaker 1: will force us to do is to make sure that 313 00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:25,720 Speaker 1: folks who are basically entrepreneurs are able to get a 314 00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:34,160 Speaker 1: package of benefits that are portable. Right because you you 315 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:38,640 Speaker 1: still will need health insurance and you still will need 316 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:42,840 Speaker 1: to be able to pay for visits to the UM 317 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:45,560 Speaker 1: to the eye doctor, and you still will need a 318 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:49,440 Speaker 1: way to save money for retirement. And so the real 319 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:54,479 Speaker 1: question will be how you make those kinds of things 320 00:23:54,560 --> 00:23:59,719 Speaker 1: that are the wraparounds, how you make them portable so 321 00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:04,280 Speaker 1: that they can go with you wherever you need them 322 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:08,119 Speaker 1: to go. And so this is definitely going to force 323 00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:13,920 Speaker 1: us as a country to think more about being instead 324 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:21,560 Speaker 1: of employer centered, um employee center, talent center, right, so 325 00:24:22,520 --> 00:24:26,520 Speaker 1: that talent has a place in the marketplace to go 326 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:31,000 Speaker 1: and acquire the things that they need or then he 327 00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:35,200 Speaker 1: or she needs in order to be successful driving uber 328 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:40,679 Speaker 1: or working from home or taking up a job and 329 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:46,120 Speaker 1: moving from Salt Lake City to d c Um. This 330 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:48,600 Speaker 1: is the kind of thing that we're going to have 331 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:52,400 Speaker 1: to as a country and frankly as a world, make 332 00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:57,840 Speaker 1: an adjustment to allow that kind of flexibility and mobility 333 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:01,560 Speaker 1: for our talent. And it's going to be crucial for 334 00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:04,399 Speaker 1: us to do this so that we can make sure 335 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:09,480 Speaker 1: that talent has the bundle of echosystem that they need 336 00:25:09,520 --> 00:25:13,560 Speaker 1: around them to be the best they can do. So 337 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:17,399 Speaker 1: I was having some conversations about, you know, when COVID 338 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 1: having there were folks who decided to work for Google 339 00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:24,439 Speaker 1: but go back home to Milwaukee, right, or work for 340 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:28,479 Speaker 1: Facebook and go back home to Alabama, and you know 341 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:32,480 Speaker 1: the beginning of that series of events. You know, Facebook 342 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:35,360 Speaker 1: will still pay what they paid an engineer. They will 343 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:37,320 Speaker 1: pay the same rate as one in San Francisco. They 344 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:41,280 Speaker 1: pay that they were paying in Alabama. But as they recognized, 345 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:44,680 Speaker 1: you know, well, cost of living doesn't make doesn't make 346 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:47,760 Speaker 1: sense to pay you a hundred fiftys. I'm making up 347 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:49,480 Speaker 1: a number. But if I'm gonna pay you a hundred 348 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:52,800 Speaker 1: fifty k in San Francisco to make sure you can 349 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:55,840 Speaker 1: live comfortably in the middle class, why pay you a 350 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:59,000 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty in Alabama when you could live comfortably 351 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:01,720 Speaker 1: in the middle class with eighty Right? And so they 352 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 1: changed the pay scale based on where you decided to live. 353 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:09,360 Speaker 1: And my question to you is could that same thing 354 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:13,160 Speaker 1: happen for a degreed person to a non degreed person. 355 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:15,680 Speaker 1: So even though you're doing the same work, I'm gonna 356 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:17,560 Speaker 1: pay you more because you took the time to get 357 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:20,280 Speaker 1: the degree versus paying this person who didn't get it. 358 00:26:20,280 --> 00:26:23,679 Speaker 1: But it's still doing the same job. So my my 359 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:27,240 Speaker 1: view on that is only if the degree gives you 360 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:30,600 Speaker 1: more skills that are relevant. Right, Why would you pay 361 00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 1: a premium for a degree that is not relevant to 362 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:38,800 Speaker 1: the skills you need. That's a bad business decision, right, 363 00:26:39,119 --> 00:26:42,919 Speaker 1: That's the whole. That's the point that one ten is 364 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:49,600 Speaker 1: trying to make. You should be paying for skill that 365 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:54,280 Speaker 1: you need for the job and for the continuation of 366 00:26:54,320 --> 00:27:00,280 Speaker 1: the acquisition of those skills. Should be agnostic about the 367 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:05,640 Speaker 1: degree is unless the degree is the way to get 368 00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:11,240 Speaker 1: the skills. Pay for skills, pay for upskilling and reskilling 369 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:15,199 Speaker 1: and new skilling. People don't pay for a credential. That 370 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:19,960 Speaker 1: credential may not have anything to do with the skills 371 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:22,600 Speaker 1: you need that person to have for the job. And 372 00:27:22,640 --> 00:27:27,919 Speaker 1: if so, you've wasted a premium payment. So you know, 373 00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:30,200 Speaker 1: getting a job is one thing. And you did talk 374 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:32,520 Speaker 1: about advancement. I want to I want to give you 375 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:36,800 Speaker 1: the the insensis to go down that road. Um. So 376 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:39,360 Speaker 1: it's one thing to get the job without the degree. 377 00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:42,480 Speaker 1: Getting advanced in that position, in that role into other 378 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:47,720 Speaker 1: roles is another thing. Um. How do you work with 379 00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 1: these companies and organizations to ensure or just how do 380 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:54,840 Speaker 1: you change the conversation? I guess even without outside of 381 00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:56,480 Speaker 1: the company that you're working with to make sure that 382 00:27:56,520 --> 00:28:00,359 Speaker 1: people have an advancement opportunity. Yeah. So, look, we looked 383 00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:05,800 Speaker 1: at forty of our companies back in May of one 384 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:11,120 Speaker 1: and discover that they already had within their four walls 385 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:17,520 Speaker 1: over eight hundred and fifty thousand black folks working for them. 386 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:24,840 Speaker 1: Sixty of that black talent were in frontline jobs and 387 00:28:24,960 --> 00:28:28,840 Speaker 1: had been so for quite some time. And so the 388 00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:35,119 Speaker 1: real opportunity was, what do we do to promote and 389 00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:41,600 Speaker 1: advance and retain this talent. What's the training that this 390 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:47,880 Speaker 1: talent needs to upscale, what supervisors do they need to 391 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:52,600 Speaker 1: be working, where to ensure that they have mentors and sponsors, 392 00:28:53,200 --> 00:29:00,800 Speaker 1: what's the ongoing investment in their career path ways and 393 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:05,360 Speaker 1: counseling on that, and the places that they can go 394 00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:10,720 Speaker 1: to enroll for more course work and roll for certifications 395 00:29:10,720 --> 00:29:14,560 Speaker 1: and licenses that they need. This is, I believe, amongst 396 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:21,240 Speaker 1: the biggest opportunities right it's retention, promotion and advancement in 397 00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:28,880 Speaker 1: the investment by the companies intentionally in making sure that 398 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:35,480 Speaker 1: that is transparent to the talent from day one as 399 00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:38,200 Speaker 1: to a pathway for getting there. This is what the 400 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:43,200 Speaker 1: companies um to their credit, realized that they can be 401 00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:47,200 Speaker 1: much better at and and oh, by the way, it 402 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 1: is less expensive to keep a talent than it is 403 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:57,560 Speaker 1: to find, recruit a tract, and hire a new town. 404 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:02,320 Speaker 1: The companies know that, and so this is I think 405 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:07,920 Speaker 1: a huge opportunity for the company's, huge opportunity for black talent, 406 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:11,960 Speaker 1: a huge opportunity for talent without four year degrees. Because look, 407 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:19,680 Speaker 1: think about this. Technology changes every six hours, certainly every 408 00:30:19,760 --> 00:30:24,280 Speaker 1: six months. So the notion that there's a one degree 409 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:30,840 Speaker 1: that will prepare you for technology for the future is 410 00:30:30,880 --> 00:30:34,960 Speaker 1: an illusion. You're always gonna need to reskill an upskill. 411 00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:39,400 Speaker 1: We know that, and so you gotta focus on making 412 00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:44,440 Speaker 1: sure that that's an opportunity that every talent has. And 413 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:46,880 Speaker 1: so there was a video I was watching where you 414 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:49,000 Speaker 1: were being interviewed and you were talking about how the 415 00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:52,840 Speaker 1: case that you make two companies and organizations about you know, 416 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:55,280 Speaker 1: the opportunity to hire folks who don't have a degree, 417 00:30:55,280 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 1: and you had said, you know, companies have to trust 418 00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:02,440 Speaker 1: that there really is talent that they're missing um and 419 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:05,640 Speaker 1: so we all know that. I mean, there's a difference, 420 00:31:05,720 --> 00:31:09,720 Speaker 1: or historically has been, the difference between white people without 421 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:13,760 Speaker 1: a degree and black people without a degree. How does 422 00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 1: this how do we get a change here in the 423 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:19,240 Speaker 1: future when we start to level the playing field for 424 00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:22,920 Speaker 1: degree versus non degree when you add the nuance of 425 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:26,800 Speaker 1: black people without a degree. Yeah, yeah, No, your point 426 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:31,040 Speaker 1: is a powerful question, a powerful question. But look, I'll 427 00:31:31,040 --> 00:31:37,320 Speaker 1: tell you that what you see happening is now more 428 00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:42,880 Speaker 1: and more um talent, black talent. So yesterday I was 429 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:48,440 Speaker 1: doing the panel and I interviewed a gentleman who had 430 00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:51,920 Speaker 1: been at one of our companies for seven years and 431 00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:56,000 Speaker 1: four months, a young lady who had been at another 432 00:31:56,080 --> 00:32:00,240 Speaker 1: one in our companies for twelve years, and another ady 433 00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:06,360 Speaker 1: who had been at the company for fifteen years. Companies. 434 00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:11,840 Speaker 1: Making making sure that this talent that's already in the 435 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:18,840 Speaker 1: companies become more visible to the leaders is the way 436 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:25,760 Speaker 1: to really really make them better understand that the talent 437 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:30,920 Speaker 1: is there and that this is what excellence looks like. 438 00:32:30,960 --> 00:32:33,720 Speaker 1: I mean, it goes back to what you and I 439 00:32:33,760 --> 00:32:39,000 Speaker 1: were talking about. It's really broadening the picture of what 440 00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:43,520 Speaker 1: excellence looks like. And the bottom line is every one 441 00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:48,000 Speaker 1: of these companies has black talent without four year degrees 442 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:51,280 Speaker 1: in the in the companies and they've been there for years, 443 00:32:51,560 --> 00:32:54,880 Speaker 1: and they're they're knocking the ball out of the park. 444 00:32:55,560 --> 00:33:01,080 Speaker 1: We need to make sure that people see this talent 445 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:06,680 Speaker 1: now more than ever in order for to really get 446 00:33:06,720 --> 00:34:00,719 Speaker 1: a full of picture of what excellence looks down to 447 00:34:01,720 --> 00:34:38,040 Speaker 1: tall ball, to do, to do, to do, to time, 448 00:34:38,120 --> 00:35:44,839 Speaker 1: to patter, to the time l T T get let 449 00:35:44,920 --> 00:36:17,800 Speaker 1: it get to to T to tidy good time, to 450 00:36:18,880 --> 00:36:26,160 Speaker 1: tea to t