Speaker 1: Welcome to Force Multiplier, a new podcast about leveling up
Speaker 1: the impact we can have in the world through our relationships.
Speaker 1: I'm barretton Day Thurston and in collaboration with I Heart
Speaker 1: Radio and Salesforce dot Org, I sit with leaders from
Speaker 1: across the public, private, and nonprofit world who are forging
Speaker 1: partnerships to tackle some of the toughest challenges facing us today.
Speaker 1: Welcome back to Force Multiplier. I'm your host barrattun Day,
Speaker 1: and you are the force that multiplies. We're gonna be
Speaker 1: talking today about workforce development and the face of unemployment
Speaker 1: in America. You know, we have still a challenge of
Speaker 1: employment in this country and the people bearing the brunt
Speaker 1: of it are low wage workers and marginalized communities who
Speaker 1: have been walloped by the pandemic, both in an epidemiological
Speaker 1: sense as well as in an economic sense. And we
Speaker 1: have this mismatch because there are millions of jobs listed
Speaker 1: that aren't filled and there are millions of people looking
Speaker 1: for work. But we have this growing skills gap, this
Speaker 1: mismatch between the skills that workers have and those that
Speaker 1: employers want, and the pandemic accentuated and accelerated this. We've
Speaker 1: seen a growth of remote work in our economy, a
Speaker 1: growth of automation, and a continuation of the effects of globalization.
Speaker 1: All this can be managed can be mitigated when folks
Speaker 1: have access to education and certification and workforce development options.
Speaker 1: Economies are always changing, that's what they do. We as
Speaker 1: humans change. We have to make sure our institutions, and
Speaker 1: especially those that provide dignity and livelihood, keep pace with
Speaker 1: those changes. That technology plays an interesting role in this
Speaker 1: right because technology has contributed to some of this unemployment.
Speaker 1: It has contributed certainly to some of this skills gap.
Speaker 1: As the marketplace, the what is required of people who
Speaker 1: work is different from what many of us are capable of.
Speaker 1: But technology can also be a part of the solution,
Speaker 1: and we have seen the growth of certain job sectors
Speaker 1: because of technology helping us solve a need, whether it's
Speaker 1: a climate need through green collar jobs, or a COVID
Speaker 1: need through more healthcare jobs, or a technology need through
Speaker 1: more tech jobs, and the way we deliver on how
Speaker 1: we grow and adapt. Our workforce can benefit from technology itself,
Speaker 1: through innovative training, through up skilling, through education programs, whether
Speaker 1: they come from educators, employers, nonprofit civic leaders, or somebody
Speaker 1: else just trying to do a solid to society. So
Speaker 1: why do I care? I want to take you back
Speaker 1: to ninet. I um seventeen, going on eighteen years old.
Speaker 1: I'm a first year student at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts,
Speaker 1: and I am a techno file. I mean I showed
Speaker 1: up with not a real good television or stereo, but
Speaker 1: my computer was dope. I have always been the person
Speaker 1: that friends turned to to help them figure out something
Speaker 1: with their computer. In fact, as partly how I paid
Speaker 1: for college is fixing people's computers. So I found this
Speaker 1: community service opportunity to teach computer skills to folks who
Speaker 1: had a whole different level of technology literacy. And we
Speaker 1: worked out in a Section eight housing project on the
Speaker 1: outskirts of Cambridge neighborhood is Ale Wife for anybody who
Speaker 1: knows the region, and in the basement of this high
Speaker 1: rise building, I would teach classes too, folks who were
Speaker 1: definitely low income and often first generation. They had moved
Speaker 1: to this country for better opportunity, and we school them
Speaker 1: on on Microsoft Word and how file systems worked, and
Speaker 1: Windows and even DOSS. Because I'm old, and it was
Speaker 1: a very satisfying feeling for me because I like teaching,
Speaker 1: and I like when people get ideas, and I like
Speaker 1: feeling like I could use my skills for something other
Speaker 1: than binging internet content, that I could use it to
Speaker 1: help folks. But then I saw the lightbulb go off,
Speaker 1: and I saw people able to get jobs and able
Speaker 1: to upgrade not just their skills but their ability to
Speaker 1: provide for their families, which for so many of them
Speaker 1: is why they came here in the first place. So
Speaker 1: I have a taste of what this can feel like
Speaker 1: when it works. I have a taste of the hunger
Speaker 1: so many people have to work, but sometimes the frustration
Speaker 1: when the skills you have don't match what an employer want.
Speaker 1: So we're gonna talk to two people in this episode
Speaker 1: who do what I was trying to do as a
Speaker 1: college first year student, but in the current context, which
Speaker 1: is way more complicated and more fascinating in many ways
Speaker 1: more challenging. First, I sit with Annie Crawley, chief marketing
Speaker 1: officer of Goodwill. I'm trying to understand with Annie how
Speaker 1: one of the most recognizable community organizations is leading efforts
Speaker 1: to close the community gap through things I didn't even
Speaker 1: know they were up to, like up scaling millions of
Speaker 1: Americans and helping them get back into the workforce. We
Speaker 1: also hear from Dr Sue else Perman. She's the president
Speaker 1: of ivy Tech Community College, which is the largest contributor
Speaker 1: to the Indiana workforce in the entire state and with
Speaker 1: so many jobs coming from local economic needs. Sue shares
Speaker 1: how ivy Tech builds programs to train students of any
Speaker 1: age to meet those demands. First, I hope you enjoy
Speaker 1: and I'll see you on the other side. So let's
Speaker 1: say I'm looking for a job and somebody else is
Speaker 1: also looking for a job, but they have other things
Speaker 1: that they have to take into account, like the fact
Speaker 1: that maybe they don't have a car, or the fact
Speaker 1: that they don't have consistent broadband. But I have all
Speaker 1: those things, So for me, it's not our problem. I
Speaker 1: just gotta find the employee a like and try to
Speaker 1: get a name, view and go. So how do we
Speaker 1: solve for the things that put them behind the starting lines,
Speaker 1: so to speak, so that way they can equitably competitively
Speaker 1: compete for a job. Annie Crawley has been the chief
Speaker 1: Marketing officer of Goodwill for just over six months, which
Speaker 1: is a departure from the traditional marketing roles she has
Speaker 1: built a successful career around for so many years. Before this,
Speaker 1: she's pivoted like so many organizations I've had too, and
Speaker 1: she's facing a new challenge now, one that she is
Speaker 1: excited about to help reshape one of the country's largest
Speaker 1: nonprofit organizations. Hi, how are you. I'm doing really really well.
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for having me on today. You
Speaker 1: are so welcome, and thank you for spending some time
Speaker 1: with me. Well, I think you know why we're here,
Speaker 1: but we're doing this podcast Force multiplier. I want to
Speaker 1: talk about good Will, want to talk about collaboration, want
Speaker 1: to talk about you, and I want to start with Goodwill,
Speaker 1: which many people know for many different reasons. I know
Speaker 1: it as a thrift store, mostly in a place of donations.
Speaker 1: What is Goodwill? Who does good Will serve? And how
Speaker 1: does good Will do that? Good Will serves so many people,
Speaker 1: And it's all of those things that you mentioned. It
Speaker 1: is a nonprofit, it's a retail chain, it's a skills
Speaker 1: training center, it's all of those things. We serve thrifters,
Speaker 1: people who love to thrift and buy a second hand.
Speaker 1: We serve those who are looking for new jobs that
Speaker 1: are looking to advance themselves in their careers, those who
Speaker 1: want to donate and just unload stuff that they don't
Speaker 1: want their homes anymore. People who want to help and
Speaker 1: do good and who want to fund. So we have
Speaker 1: so many different audiences. And you know what's interesting is
Speaker 1: that most people know us only for our stores and
Speaker 1: our donation centers, and because of that, people think, oh, yeah, Goodwill.
Speaker 1: It's like this big for profit company, But we're not.
Speaker 1: When you step back, We're really in the business of
Speaker 1: helping people and helping the planet. For people, it's all
Speaker 1: about self empowerment and living life on your terms. And
Speaker 1: for the planet, it's about doing our part to keep
Speaker 1: usable goods out of landfills. Yeah. I think that's a
Speaker 1: good way to unify what it is, you know, helping
Speaker 1: the planet, helping people. So much of what your work
Speaker 1: is I see as interacting with American workers. And the
Speaker 1: organization has been around for so long. What has the
Speaker 1: organization learned about America's workers and what they need? Wow?
Speaker 1: You know, I it's so we're in certainly in a
Speaker 1: time and I know we'll talk about that, but I
Speaker 1: think there's just an ongoing evolution, right. Nothing is ever static.
Speaker 1: And so that's why when we talk about what we
Speaker 1: offer to people, it's not just about getting people into jobs.
Speaker 1: It's also people who already have jobs but want to
Speaker 1: go further, or do more, or go in a different directions.
Speaker 1: So it's almost like goodwill they sort of enabled this journey.
Speaker 1: It's this rand that's an ongoing support of individual growth
Speaker 1: and evolution. Maybe you're moving or redesigning your home, and
Speaker 1: we give you a place to shed all the things
Speaker 1: you don't want anymore. You shop our stores and that's
Speaker 1: kind of a part of enabling your personal self expression.
Speaker 1: You utilize our skills, training and job support services to
Speaker 1: advance a career, find a new career. So I think
Speaker 1: what we've learned is that people are always evolving, and
Speaker 1: we want to be able to be that support to
Speaker 1: enable the evolution that they're looking for. I have this
Speaker 1: image of complex organization. How is good will able to
Speaker 1: be so many things to so many people. I would
Speaker 1: imagine that the organization, which is by the way, almost
Speaker 1: twenty years old, never set out to say I want
Speaker 1: to be all these different things to all these people.
Speaker 1: In this way, I think the fundamental thing that Edgar Helms,
Speaker 1: who started the company. Wanted to do when he started
Speaker 1: out of Boston was he wanted to just give everybody
Speaker 1: an equitable chance. And he saw an opportunity to take
Speaker 1: things that those who were more privileged no longer needed
Speaker 1: and use that to create resources to give to people
Speaker 1: who needed more and enable them to sort of step up.
Speaker 1: One thing I really love about good Will is that
Speaker 1: the philosophy really is about teaching a man how to
Speaker 1: fish so that he can eat for a lifetime rather
Speaker 1: than sort of fish for a day. And so I
Speaker 1: think just over time and as we've built out the Federation,
Speaker 1: which is made up of a hundred and fifty six
Speaker 1: different memberships, these members have looked at their local communities
Speaker 1: and said, what do they need here? So something that
Speaker 1: a good Will might need in Michigan might be different
Speaker 1: from what a good Will needs in Texas. And so
Speaker 1: what's unique about this organization is we work to really
Speaker 1: understand the specific needs in the town where you live
Speaker 1: and address those needs. And I think through that that's
Speaker 1: how you've seen sort of this expansion of services that
Speaker 1: we offer throughout the company. I respect that a ton
Speaker 1: and I think we have a lot of blanket band
Speaker 1: aids we try to apply with no knowledge on the ground.
Speaker 1: So having grounded local knowledge seems like a huge differentiator
Speaker 1: for an organization like Goodwill use the word equity, and
Speaker 1: it makes me think of the opportunity gap, especially in
Speaker 1: terms of employment. What is involved in creating that gap
Speaker 1: in this country? More to the point, how are you
Speaker 1: working to help close it? I think a lot of
Speaker 1: it stems from the fact that just fundamentally, we are
Speaker 1: in a digital world today. There was a report last year,
Speaker 1: I think by the Aspen Institute, and according to that report,
Speaker 1: I think thirty two million Americans don't know how to
Speaker 1: use a computer, and half of Americans are not comfortable
Speaker 1: learning online. So there's definitely a need to build more
Speaker 1: digital competent so that tomorrow people are not getting locked
Speaker 1: out of even the most basic jobs. People have this
Speaker 1: idea that it's things like you know, automation and AI
Speaker 1: and all this disruption that's going to take away jobs.
Speaker 1: The reality is that rather than jobs disappearing, the jobs
Speaker 1: are really changing and a lot of workers are going
Speaker 1: to need digital upskilling to keep up with those and
Speaker 1: be prepared for those opportunities. Jobs that previously needed unskilled
Speaker 1: workers over fined with unskilled workers. Twenty percent of those
Speaker 1: jobs are now going to need skilled workers. So it's
Speaker 1: showing the need for even some of the most basic
Speaker 1: roles to require some sort of digital proficiency. So with
Speaker 1: that understanding that we have this sort of workforce development
Speaker 1: challenge around digital and technological skills, where does goodwill come in?
Speaker 1: How do you work in all of these communities across
Speaker 1: your federation to help provide people those skills. I would
Speaker 1: say it's twofold. One is that we are trying to
Speaker 1: set up a learning management platform that will enable people
Speaker 1: to come in and get the digital skills and any
Speaker 1: kind of upskilling really that they need to get into
Speaker 1: the jobs what they want. We're also galvanizing other organizations
Speaker 1: to join us and provide services that will allow people
Speaker 1: to get the free skilling that they need so that
Speaker 1: they can get into different jobs. So it's really kind
Speaker 1: of this whole one plus one equals three. I want
Speaker 1: that math. I want that one plus one three put
Speaker 1: my stocks in that. I want to talk about the
Speaker 1: Rising Together coalition. There are many players, many different types
Speaker 1: of players coming together, some of the largest employers in
Speaker 1: the country, some of them with some very progressive policies
Speaker 1: internally or externally, working with Goodwill to help boost this
Speaker 1: economic recovery and make sure it works for everybody, not
Speaker 1: just having that k shape we hear so much about
Speaker 1: in the news. So talk to me about rising together.
Speaker 1: What is it? Who's involved? Yes, they surrising together. At
Speaker 1: the most fundamental level, it's a commitment by the good
Speaker 1: Will brand to help America get back on its way
Speaker 1: to economic recovery. That's what it is. And we know
Speaker 1: we can't do it alone, which is why we formed
Speaker 1: a coalition to do that. The brain child that was
Speaker 1: because we looked at what was happening with the pandemic.
Speaker 1: You know, nationwide pandemic related job laws has disproportionately affected
Speaker 1: people of color, women, and those without pihor degrees, and
Speaker 1: we knew that to recover with an inclusive economic infrastructure
Speaker 1: that gives everyone equitable opportunity, we needed something that was
Speaker 1: going to provide the right support in the right place
Speaker 1: at the right time. And so you came together with
Speaker 1: other Fortune fifty companies specifically for the purpose of providing
Speaker 1: those who are not unemployed right now with the support
Speaker 1: and researchers they need. We started with five companies, but
Speaker 1: the ideas that we start with those five and as
Speaker 1: we continue to sort of message what we're doing with
Speaker 1: this and get more communication out there about Rising Together,
Speaker 1: is that companies, we get more companies to get on
Speaker 1: the train and join us in this journey. So, in
Speaker 1: a basketball metaphor, who's your starting five? My my starting team.
Speaker 1: So we kicked off the launch in May with Google,
Speaker 1: of Courserra, Indeed, Lift and the Anthem Foundation all are
Speaker 1: bringing very unique supports to the Rising Together structure. All right,
Speaker 1: so I want like ESPN Graphics, Right, I'm gonna hit
Speaker 1: you with a player, and then you're gonna tell me
Speaker 1: what they're bringing to the team, all right. Indeed, what
Speaker 1: do they have for the coalition? Indeed, Oh, they're they're
Speaker 1: all about it. They're elevating all of their jobs services
Speaker 1: to ensure people have the right skills for the changing
Speaker 1: labor markets. So they're actually tweaking the way they're offering
Speaker 1: services so that addresses exactly needs people have today when
Speaker 1: looking for a job. Alright, Google, big company, big player,
Speaker 1: bringing a lot to the court. What's Google offering to
Speaker 1: this coalition? Huge? Huge, So they're delivering all of our
Speaker 1: digital skills and more than just the digital skills. They're
Speaker 1: giving us the opportunity to provide certification. So they're offering
Speaker 1: digital skill certification for specific jobs that actually are a
Speaker 1: pipeline into roles within their organization. And that certification, I
Speaker 1: can imagine is a very valuable It also doesn't require
Speaker 1: like four years of a bachelor's degree. That is the
Speaker 1: beauty of it. And I think Google is one employer
Speaker 1: that really understands that there is a dire need to
Speaker 1: hire for skills and not just for degrees. Our Lift
Speaker 1: is on the court. Now. Lift we know them as
Speaker 1: kind of this agile player. They move around a lot.
Speaker 1: What is Lift bringing. They have a program called the
Speaker 1: Jobs Access Program that allows people to get free rides
Speaker 1: to interviews or two jobs, and they're expanding that program
Speaker 1: now so that more people can take advantage of the
Speaker 1: free services that they offer. And finally, let's do as
Speaker 1: a quick pair, Anthem and coursera very different players. What
Speaker 1: are each of them bringing? Yes, So Anthem Foundations, so
Speaker 1: you know they're all about healthcare obviously, so they're launching
Speaker 1: a healthcare training path that becomes a direct pipeline leading
Speaker 1: to credentials, job placement, higher wages, more benefits, so we
Speaker 1: love them for that corsera. They're providing free online courses
Speaker 1: specifically targeted at youth, veterans, military families, and people who
Speaker 1: have been impacted by the criminal justice system, all to
Speaker 1: help them identify again what their ideal career paths are
Speaker 1: and help them secure jobs. So, the way you've described
Speaker 1: the nature of the program, everyone who signed up here
Speaker 1: is committed to America's economic recovery. But from the perspective
Speaker 1: of the human who is trying to take advantage of
Speaker 1: this service, what's their experience with the Rising Together coalition
Speaker 1: and how might it be a bit different than say,
Speaker 1: two years ago. I think the biggest difference is really
Speaker 1: just sort of the amplification of the different programs. Now.
Speaker 1: Keep in mind Rising Together we're talking about it in
Speaker 1: the media, but it's much more targeted towards funders and corporations,
Speaker 1: and so just everyday person walking down the street may
Speaker 1: not hear about Writing Together specifically. What they should notice
Speaker 1: is that now there's hams to be more availability of services,
Speaker 1: more availability of free services, and more availability of holistic
Speaker 1: services that address all the different needs that people have
Speaker 1: when it comes to searching for a job. What's been
Speaker 1: the most surprising outcome of this partnership so far. I
Speaker 1: think the thing that's been the most surprising and really
Speaker 1: pleasantly surprising is how quickly some people have been wanting
Speaker 1: to come on board. We've been talking to companies and
Speaker 1: everyone loves the idea. Yeah, people are like, hey, sign
Speaker 1: me up. People see what's going on right now with
Speaker 1: our economy, even to some of the social issues we're
Speaker 1: dealing with right now, and people are like, I want
Speaker 1: to be a part of the solution. It feels like
Speaker 1: it's been a lower hanging fruit situation in terms of
Speaker 1: getting people to come on board with this or at
Speaker 1: least support it in some way. So that's been great
Speaker 1: easy sales. Pitch you rise together or fall alone. Nobody
Speaker 1: wants to sign up for falling alone? Can you join
Speaker 1: the team? I like that. I haven't writing that one down.
Speaker 1: It is my gifts to the I'm good, I'll sign up.
Speaker 1: That's my asset words. Why do you think it's so
Speaker 1: important to have this kind of cross sector partnership to
Speaker 1: take on the opportunity gap in the workforce development challenge?
Speaker 1: First of all, I don't think anyone can do it alone.
Speaker 1: I think It requires different types of expertise and engagement
Speaker 1: from different company sector to address all the different needs.
Speaker 1: Every partner has something that you would consider to be
Speaker 1: like a creative and impactful to bring to this challenge.
Speaker 1: And you know, as more companies join in, that impact
Speaker 1: just becomes exponential. We call this show for a small supplier,
Speaker 1: right We're looking for that leverage, that that extra umph
Speaker 1: in the Rising Together efforts. So far, what's been the
Speaker 1: force multiplier? You know, I would like to think that
Speaker 1: goodwill has been the force multiplier. And now I mean
Speaker 1: I say good will, but the reason I say good
Speaker 1: will is just because one, we're trying to bring it
Speaker 1: more to the forefront. Everyone knows what's going on. We're
Speaker 1: all watching the news, we're seeing you know, all the headlines.
Speaker 1: But we're trying to create action more than just discussion.
Speaker 1: And that's what I think we're trying to do with
Speaker 1: this Right Together coalition. And I think it also puts
Speaker 1: more of a spotlight on the work. And it also
Speaker 1: keeps everyone accountable. We're basically declaring what we will do
Speaker 1: and we're all holding each other accountable to make he
Speaker 1: that we get it done. So there you have it, Yes,
Speaker 1: good will I said it good. It was the force multiplying.
Speaker 1: I want to know a bit more about you, Annie,
Speaker 1: because we've been talking about career changes and pivots and upscaling,
Speaker 1: and Uh, when I look at your background, you've made
Speaker 1: some changes. You have a lot of experience in consumer
Speaker 1: goods and food, and now you're at this massive, very
Speaker 1: well established nonprofit. How did your path emerge for you? Yeah,
Speaker 1: and I probably have a story that many people can
Speaker 1: relate to in terms of just how things change in
Speaker 1: your life and how you make pivots and how at
Speaker 1: the time of the pivot you're not sure, but when
Speaker 1: you look back, like, wow, that was the right pivot.
Speaker 1: Before business school, I was actually a microbiologist and then
Speaker 1: pivoted into business because I didn't want to get a
Speaker 1: pH d and kind of get into science leadership but
Speaker 1: I wasn't that interested. But became a marketer and then
Speaker 1: started working for CpG companies and then had my first
Speaker 1: durable goods assignment working for Years Holdings working on the
Speaker 1: Craftsman brand, and then went from there to work in
Speaker 1: betting before coming to this role so very much you know,
Speaker 1: for profit marketing, which I've loved. I had a lot
Speaker 1: of rules that involved brand revitalization or sort of brand
Speaker 1: trying to re energize brands that maybe it started to
Speaker 1: lag or having some challenges. So that started to become
Speaker 1: a thing that I really really enjoyed as a part
Speaker 1: of my career, and I would never have seen myself
Speaker 1: a nonprofit. But the one thing that really stood out
Speaker 1: for me when I started having conversations was the fact
Speaker 1: that they were looking to transform the brand. Given its
Speaker 1: role and workforce development, this is the one brand that
Speaker 1: should be very relevant across today's cultural zeitgeist. And I
Speaker 1: don't think we're in as many conversations as we should
Speaker 1: be right now. I don't think the brand is as
Speaker 1: elevated as it should be right now, especially given where
Speaker 1: we are with our economy, and so there's a great
Speaker 1: opportunity to really elevate that message and really move that
Speaker 1: mission forward in a much more powerful and impactful way.
Speaker 1: What advice would you offer someone who's looking at their
Speaker 1: own career path, they want to have even more of
Speaker 1: an impact, and they're wondering what else they can be doing. First,
Speaker 1: I would just say, don't overwhelm yourself. I think people
Speaker 1: see what's going on. We're all a little bit like
Speaker 1: are we living in the twilight zone right now? People
Speaker 1: want to do something and people just have this how
Speaker 1: do I save the world? How do I save the world?
Speaker 1: I would say, don't ever want yourself with the thoughts
Speaker 1: of how to say the world. You can start as
Speaker 1: small as you want. Take stock with the skills that
Speaker 1: you bring to your job first, like what do you
Speaker 1: do for a living? When you look at that skill set,
Speaker 1: look around you for where else that skills that can
Speaker 1: apply or else it can be a value and a
Speaker 1: lot of times it's right in your backyard. There's many
Speaker 1: opportunities right now for people to be helping out right
Speaker 1: from their home. You have sites like do Something dot org,
Speaker 1: there's catch a Fire, so many sites where you can
Speaker 1: go in and sign up to volunteer for something that's
Speaker 1: going to help somewhere. There will always be need, and
Speaker 1: so just open your eyes to what's right around you.
Speaker 1: The show is so focused on cross sector partnership, usually
Speaker 1: referring to organizations and businesses. But I'm wondering, in your
Speaker 1: own career path, in your own life, have others supported
Speaker 1: you in your career? Have there have been people who
Speaker 1: have been mentors or sources of inspiration you want to
Speaker 1: share a bit about. So I've had a lot of
Speaker 1: mentors over the years, and what's so fun about that
Speaker 1: is I think probably didn't even know they were mentoring me.
Speaker 1: You're just sneaking wisdom from people. Oh it's the best way,
Speaker 1: let me tell you. Because I've never formally asked someone
Speaker 1: to be my mentor. I've been formally assigned mentors, which
Speaker 1: has been great too, but I have never personally asked
Speaker 1: because I feel like when you do that it puts
Speaker 1: a formal burden that just can create some anxiety for
Speaker 1: you for the mentor all of that. But I think
Speaker 1: it's very easy to just say, hey, do you have
Speaker 1: time I'd love to go to lunch with you this
Speaker 1: week if you have time, or hey, I'm gonna chat
Speaker 1: with you. Do you after it, even next week, and
Speaker 1: then just you know, whatever it is you want to
Speaker 1: learn about or ask about that you ask, you know.
Speaker 1: I think a lot of times with mentor menty relationships,
Speaker 1: there's sort of the structured Okay, we meet every tw
Speaker 1: week and do this and that. Well, there might be
Speaker 1: a time where there's not really a lot on your mind.
Speaker 1: For me, the most value is when I've got something
Speaker 1: going on and I have a question or a dilemma
Speaker 1: or a challenge that I need an answer to, then
Speaker 1: I just reached right out someone, Hey, can I chat
Speaker 1: with you? And in that time for him, they don't
Speaker 1: even realize they've mentored me. The didn't even know it,
Speaker 1: and a mentor, so I think I think that's been helpful.
Speaker 1: As far as other support, I just have to say
Speaker 1: that my husband has been such a rock star and
Speaker 1: incredibly supportive about all the things that I want to
Speaker 1: do in my career. I've really benefited from his ability
Speaker 1: to really manage our family, you know, his career helping
Speaker 1: support me and everything with our kids and all of that.
Speaker 1: So that's been great. I can't even thank him enough
Speaker 1: for that. That's what I call a cross sector partner. Sorry,
Speaker 1: I count couldn't help it. Annie Crawley, thank you so
Speaker 1: much for assessing the skills you have and offering them
Speaker 1: to this very just cause of making an economic recovery
Speaker 1: that can work for all. Great to meet you, great
Speaker 1: to spend time with you. Thank you all right today,
Speaker 1: Thank you so much. It was great to meet you,
Speaker 1: and thank you again for having me on today. You're
Speaker 1: listening to a podcast called Force Multiplier, Action meets Impact.
Speaker 1: Now you've probably grown to expect ads inside your podcast,
Speaker 1: but we're gonna do something a little bit different to
Speaker 1: walk the walk. We're gonna take a quick break and
Speaker 1: hear from one of the organizations featured in this episode.
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Speaker 1: those long days on your feet. Find everything you need
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Speaker 1: Goodwill uses the revenue generated from our stores to create
Speaker 1: job placement into any programs in your own community. Find
Speaker 1: out more at Goodwill dot org. Hey you, it's Baritone Day,
Speaker 1: host of the podcast you're listening to right now. When
Speaker 1: I was a kid, my mom told me to come
Speaker 1: up with a system we could live under after democracy
Speaker 1: had failed. Yeah, my mom was intense. I haven't finished
Speaker 1: that assignment, but I did make a podcast. It's called
Speaker 1: how does Citizen? With Baritone Day. It reimagines citizen as
Speaker 1: a verb and reminds us how to wield our collective power.
Speaker 1: Find seasons one and two and whatever podcasts app using
Speaker 1: right now? And season three all about Tech, drops in October.
Speaker 1: Learn more at how does Citizen dot com. Community colleges
Speaker 1: are the most inclusive of all of higher education right
Speaker 1: we are that great open door that is inclusive, low
Speaker 1: barriers to entry. Can come full time or part time,
Speaker 1: and we're going to meet you where you are. As
Speaker 1: president of Ivy Tech Community College. Who else? Berman considers
Speaker 1: herself privilege to serve the Indiana community. She's unwavering in
Speaker 1: her pursuit of a fair and equitable education system for all,
Speaker 1: meeting students where they are and providing them with the
Speaker 1: services and support needed to achieve their higher education goals.
Speaker 1: So at IVY Tech we serve such a wide range
Speaker 1: of students. Let me talk about who some of those
Speaker 1: students are in high school. We will see those students
Speaker 1: as early as fourteen or fifteen years old. We serve
Speaker 1: over sixty thousand students a year in dual credit in
Speaker 1: these early college programs, as well as students who think
Speaker 1: they're going to want to go into the workplace after
Speaker 1: high school, and they will go in our career and
Speaker 1: technical education programs here on our campuses nineteen campus says
Speaker 1: across Indiana, we will have thousands of traditional age students
Speaker 1: who will come full time or part time, making a
Speaker 1: four year degree affordable and will transfer to a four
Speaker 1: year program. And of those traditional age students, some of
Speaker 1: our programs include things like an accelerated associate degree, so
Speaker 1: we call that asap. They will receive an associate degree
Speaker 1: in one year. I remember the story of two twins.
Speaker 1: One got into ball State in education. The other twin
Speaker 1: came to IVY Tech because she wasn't accepted into their
Speaker 1: school of education. She went through the accelerated program in
Speaker 1: one year for about half the dollars, and then return
Speaker 1: to Ball State to be a year ahead of her sister.
Speaker 1: So those are some of the hidden gems that you
Speaker 1: find at a community college. But the majority of our students,
Speaker 1: almost se are part time, working adults, many or low
Speaker 1: income students of color, first generation, and they come to
Speaker 1: us with the hope that they can succeed, and so
Speaker 1: closing the opportunity gap and ensuring equitable access to education
Speaker 1: is top priority. I can say for all community colleges,
Speaker 1: but certainly for IVY Tech. Community colleges are the most
Speaker 1: affordable higher education institution in the country, less than a
Speaker 1: hundred fifty dollars of credit hours. So think about that,
Speaker 1: four hundred fifty dollars for a course, four thousand dollars
Speaker 1: a year to be a full time student. That's hard
Speaker 1: to fathom when you compare the cost of traditional higher
Speaker 1: education public or private. In community colleges, our students are strapped.
Speaker 1: Most of them are on some kind of federal financial aid,
Speaker 1: but they're also independent students trying to take our families
Speaker 1: and by the time they pay their tuition. Even at
Speaker 1: a hundred fifty dollars of credit hour, there's nothing left
Speaker 1: to pay for their books. I remember in my first
Speaker 1: year here traveling to Gary, Indiana one of our Accelerated
Speaker 1: Associate Degree ASAP classes, which means the students were taking
Speaker 1: twice the credit hours. They aren't supposed to work when
Speaker 1: they're in a SAP because it's more than forty hours
Speaker 1: a week in the classroom, and yet these students were
Speaker 1: working thirty hours a week, and because they couldn't afford
Speaker 1: their books, they were sharing them. So can you imagine
Speaker 1: going to school taking twice the credit hours of full
Speaker 1: time student working thirty hours and now sharing a book.
Speaker 1: So from that day on, I had to figure out
Speaker 1: how could we include the cost of books and course
Speaker 1: materials into tuition And this year we accomplished it, and
Speaker 1: so being able to meet our students where they are,
Speaker 1: eliminate evermore barriers and allowed them to do the part
Speaker 1: they need to do, which is learning, but take all
Speaker 1: those other barriers out of their way, things like emergency funds.
Speaker 1: We had an agreement with Uber to help ensure that
Speaker 1: students could get here and back. We're working with our
Speaker 1: state to provide childcare vouchers for students because they need
Speaker 1: that dropping care. They don't need all day, but they
Speaker 1: need that ability to come in and our single parents
Speaker 1: clearly have the most challenge of being here. So about
Speaker 1: three years ago, pre pandemic, we started working with the
Speaker 1: Education Design Lab on a program for single moms and
Speaker 1: we began conceptualizing if we could create a modality that
Speaker 1: allowed some freedom for that parent on the night when
Speaker 1: their child is sick, or if their work schedule changed,
Speaker 1: what could we do, And so we began to conceptualize
Speaker 1: this model we called Learn Anywhere. The parent could come
Speaker 1: in person if they could, they could be remote like Zoom,
Speaker 1: or they could take the class asynchronous lee. Now, interestingly,
Speaker 1: we conceptualize that all right before the pandemic. We were
Speaker 1: getting ready to pilot. The pandemic hit and then we realized, oh,
Speaker 1: everyone could benefit by Learn Anywhere, and so as a college,
Speaker 1: we stood up hundreds of sections of Learn Anywhere last fall,
Speaker 1: and now as we go into this year, more than
Speaker 1: ten of our offerings are in a learn Anywhere modality,
Speaker 1: and it is truly to the credit of our innovative
Speaker 1: faculty who understand how important it is to meet students
Speaker 1: where they are. We really want every student to know
Speaker 1: that they can come to IVY Tech. So that can
Speaker 1: be that high school dropout who got their g e
Speaker 1: d And now wants to come back, that single parent,
Speaker 1: that student of color, first generation, that low income student,
Speaker 1: it could be the person who was incarcerated. Community colleges
Speaker 1: have learned to adapt to that broad range of human needs.
Speaker 1: So IVY Tech has a really important mission to the
Speaker 1: state of Indiana as we are Indiana's workforce engine. We
Speaker 1: are the community college system for the entire state. And
Speaker 1: so our big vision is fifty thousand associate degrees, certificates
Speaker 1: and high quality certifications. And we define those high quality
Speaker 1: certifications as those that a graduate will earn above median
Speaker 1: wage upon graduation. In order to reach that big goal,
Speaker 1: by we can't do it alone, so we lean into
Speaker 1: technology g We are using the best technology tools we
Speaker 1: can to offer online training, to provide the best lab
Speaker 1: settings to enable our students to get the best experience.
Speaker 1: But in addition to all of that, we have to
Speaker 1: have partnerships with every sector of industry. So, for instance,
Speaker 1: we stood up something we call Achieve Your Degree, which
Speaker 1: began with one of our banks in Southern Indiana Old
Speaker 1: National Bank who said, we want to help our workers,
Speaker 1: our employees continue to skill up, but we knew that
Speaker 1: tuition reimbursement doesn't work. If you're an entry level employee.
Speaker 1: You don't have a thousand dollars to pay out a
Speaker 1: front of tuition. So they understood that we needed to
Speaker 1: flip the model where the employer pays the tuition at
Speaker 1: the end of the term. We work together to decide
Speaker 1: what degrees and credentials that company may want to offer
Speaker 1: that they know they need additional I. T. Professionals or
Speaker 1: accounting professionals or whatever those areas that they want filled,
Speaker 1: so that it is truly wrap around within the company
Speaker 1: for the employee and the employee never pays out of pocket.
Speaker 1: So that turned into a statewide program that is co
Speaker 1: marketed with our Indiana Chamber of Commerce. We have over
Speaker 1: two hundred fifty companies statewide who use that Achieve your
Speaker 1: Degree model. So what a beautiful partnership that has been
Speaker 1: again meeting that adult worker where they are. But we
Speaker 1: also have partnerships with our Indiana Department of Corrections. Think
Speaker 1: about the thousands of incarcerated individuals who are going to
Speaker 1: come out and without a meaningful credential, will be forced
Speaker 1: into a minimum age job. So we've come alongside the
Speaker 1: Department of Corrections and we are offering certificates and certifications
Speaker 1: of high value which will allow those graduates of ours,
Speaker 1: those who are ex offenders to come out and truly
Speaker 1: have a second chance at a good career, one that
Speaker 1: will be able to provide for their families and give
Speaker 1: them something to really hold their head up in their community.
Speaker 1: We want to put more community in community college. We
Speaker 1: want to be integral to every community in which we serve. Clearly,
Speaker 1: when we think about force multipliers, it is in our partnering.
Speaker 1: It is in being open to partnering with anyone and everyone,
Speaker 1: from our industry partners, to our four year partners, to
Speaker 1: our K twelve partners, to our Department of correction as partners,
Speaker 1: to our nonprofit partners. It is in those partnerships that
Speaker 1: we discover ways we can work so much better in
Speaker 1: benefit of the student. It's not harder, it makes it easier,
Speaker 1: it's often cheaper, it's better and their longer term results
Speaker 1: because we don't depend on just one. If one of
Speaker 1: us has difficulties, there are seven other partners who can
Speaker 1: step in and help fill that void. And I think
Speaker 1: in times of challenges we learn that it is in
Speaker 1: those friends, those relationships we create together, we innovate together,
Speaker 1: and as we do that together, we discover ever better
Speaker 1: ways of serving one another. I would always encourage people
Speaker 1: who want to be involved to get out there and
Speaker 1: just offer yourself. That may be in your elementary school
Speaker 1: or high school, it may be offering that in a nonprofit,
Speaker 1: be it a Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts, through your church.
Speaker 1: To offer your gifts and talents. For me, that was
Speaker 1: my problem, solving skills and bringing groups together and coming
Speaker 1: up with creative solutions. But I think each of us
Speaker 1: have those gifts and talents that we we know we
Speaker 1: have them and we enjoy using them. So putting them
Speaker 1: out there into the public square. And if there's anything
Speaker 1: we need more in the world, it's good people who
Speaker 1: will put themselves in public service for the right reasons
Speaker 1: to help their community, state, and nation. I admit I'm
Speaker 1: impressed that these institutions, which have been around for so long,
Speaker 1: have modeled how to adapt to the changing environment, to
Speaker 1: the changing economy, and they're working hard to help the
Speaker 1: people they serve do the same for goodwill. This is
Speaker 1: meant leaning on is one fifty six local operations and
Speaker 1: the knowledge that they have of their community needs, then
Speaker 1: building on that with others in efforts like the Rising
Speaker 1: Together coalition. As Annie Crawley said, the goal isn't to
Speaker 1: give away fish, but teach people how now community is
Speaker 1: where all this happens or doesn't. So, of course, the
Speaker 1: president of Ivy Tech Community College, Sue else Perman, is
Speaker 1: in a perfect position to help that already inclusive institution
Speaker 1: do even more. Offering flexible learn anywhere courses first to moms,
Speaker 1: then to all students is the sort of evolution we
Speaker 1: should all embrace, and creatively partnering with everyone from the
Speaker 1: Chamber of Commerce to the Department of Corrections is a
Speaker 1: sort of broad based coalition we all need. Collaboration is
Speaker 1: the only way to take on challenges as big as
Speaker 1: workforce development, and doing it together can work a lot
Speaker 1: better than going it alone, especially like what Sue said
Speaker 1: about partners being able to help each other out pick
Speaker 1: up the slack if one slips or struggles in a
Speaker 1: certain area. Collaboration is an asset, not a liability. As
Speaker 1: for what you and I can do to help our communities.
Speaker 1: Both Annie and Sue share the same advice independently, figure
Speaker 1: out what we're good at and offer those skills right
Speaker 1: where we live and work. I'll see you out there
Speaker 1: helping out, and I'll see you next time on Force Multiplier.
Speaker 1: Do you want to dig in more on today's guests
Speaker 1: and the work they're doing, or maybe you want to
Speaker 1: understand what action you can take in your community. Either way,
Speaker 1: go to salesforce dot org slash force multiplier. That's one word,
Speaker 1: force multiplier. Force Multiplier is a production of I Heart
Speaker 1: Radio and Salesforce dot Org. Hosted by me Barritton day Thurston.
Speaker 1: It's executive produced by Elizabeth Stewart, produced by Ivan Chien,
Speaker 1: and engineered, edited and mixed by James Foster. Join us
Speaker 1: next time for more stories of how we can change
Speaker 1: the world, one relationship at a time. Listen to Force
Speaker 1: Multiplier on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or
Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcast