The Rodel-Cast

The Rodel-Cast is Rodel’s podcast that will discuss issues related to public education and the workforce with guests from across the state. You can find all of our podcast seasons and episodes here or you can tune in via Spotify, or on our YouTube podcast channel.

Season 1

Career Pathways in a Rapidly Changing World Series:

Episode 4 – Scotland's Foundation Apprenticeships: Preparing Students for the Future of Work

Welcome to our fourth podcast episode of “Career Pathways in a Rapidly Changing World” series. Our guest speakers are: Graeme Hendry, Senior Partnership and Delivery Manager, Skills Development Scotland; Kevin Kelman, Director of Learning and Innovation, National Health Service, Scotland Academy; Rebecca Westwater and Abbie Johnson, Foundation Apprenticeship Alumni. The episode explores the role of Skills Development Scotland in providing careers information and guidance, funding apprenticeships, and supporting the delivery of Foundation Apprenticeships. It highlights the benefits of foundation apprenticeships for students, such as gaining work-based skills, additional qualifications, and practical experience, and the impact it has on young people’s transition from secondary school to further education or the workforce. We talk about the challenges in integrating work-based learning into the academic curriculum, parents’ concerns about university prospects, and the importance of transferable skills. The vision for Scotland’s career pathways emphasizes the importance of parity between academic and vocational pathways and expanding access to meaningful work-based learning opportunities for all students. (Note that this set of interviews took place in June 2023, so the data referenced in it are reflective of that timeframe.)

Episode 3 – New Zealand: A Place to Stand

Welcome to our third podcast episode of “Career Pathways in a Rapidly Changing World” series. Our guest speakers are: Rota Carrington, leader in the Ministry of Education; Glen Denham, headmaster, Wellington College; and a group of young women, at Westlake Girls’ High School led by their instructor, Susana Tomaz. We will discuss New Zealand’s appreciation for the country’s indigenous cultures and their commitment to equity as they help students find their career pathways. “In New Zealand, we are actively trying to get businesses and workplaces into schools. I’m really proud of that. I can see it. I can feel it. And it’s a tangible thing that the ministry is really working on. I think the thing that keeps me up at night is equity.” – Glen Denham, headmaster, Wellington College

Episode 2 – Australia Leading with the Head and Hand

Welcome to our second episode of our “Career Pathways in a Rapidly Changing World” series. Our guest speakers are: Anthony Mackay, Deputy Chancellor at Swinburne University; expert consultant to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); and Co-Chair, National Center for Education and the Economy (NCEE); Natalie Garcia de Heer, Assistant Deputy Secretary, Senior Secondary Pathways Reform within Victoria’s Department of Education; and some students and educators engaged in their pathways programs.

We will discuss the systemic shifts currently going on within Australia’s career pathways and what those changes look like in policy and practice. “It’s about doing things differently. And that, to me, is more radical innovation. That equals, for me, transformation. ” ~ Anthony Mackay, Co-Chair, National Center for Education and the Economy (NCEE)

Episode 1 – Career Pathways in a Rapidly Changing World: A Conversation with Andreas Schleicher at the OECD

Welcome to our first podcast episode of Career Pathways in a Rapidly Changing World series. Our guest is Andreas Schleicher, the director of Education and Skills at Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). We will discuss how the OECD partners with countries from around the world to support their young people in the transition from school to work. Andreas shares how the approaches to career readiness are shifting around the globe.

“While young people today tend to have more education, more degrees; they tend to have fewer skills, less real-world experience. As a result, young people, on average across OECD countries, are unemployed about 2.5 times more than adults over 24 and in some countries this ratio is much higher. Fortunately, thanks to the OECD’s Career Readiness team, there is a growing road map to help young adults get into employment.” ~ Paul Herdman, Rodel CEO and President

Read more about this project here:

What can the rest of the world teach us about career pathways?

Career Pathways Down Under: Some Early Reflections

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Episode 5 - Supporting Students Holistically: Latinos Unidos Student Summit 2023

Learn about the first Latinos Unidos Student Summit: A gathering to connect and uplift members of Latinos Unidos Student Unions & Associations, Advisors, School administrators and allies that support students as they fight for equity and justice at their learning places. Our guests include Wanda Barrett, Director of Community Engagement & Partnerships at United Way of Delaware; Naelyn Gonzalez-Hughson, senior at Paul M. Hodgson Vocational Technical High School and Founder of the Latinos Unidos Student Summit; and Emily Rodriguez, a senior at Conrad Schools of Science and planning committee member for the Latinos Unidos Student Summit. “Building that community and having a network of people that you can turn to when you need help. Help in every type of way: academic help… social emotional help, help with dealing with sexual orientation, or generational trauma… so it’s really a holistic approach to the student… and because of that it increases academic success.” ~ Emily Rodriguez

Episode 4 - Colonial School District is attracting and retaining teachers of color

Delaware’s Colonial School District is tackling equity and diversity through Teacher Affinity Groups and teacher residencies that are attracting and retaining teachers of color. Hear from Dr. Jennifer Alexander, Director of Talent Development at Colonial School District, TeRay Ross, Principal at New Castle Elementary School, and Khayree Bey, Health and Wellness teacher at McCullough Middle School about how Colonial will expand this work to continue to support teachers of color.

Episode 3 - This Latin American Student Organization (LASO) is Advocating for Multilingual Learners in Delaware

Since 2016 there has been an 84% increase in multilingual learner students in Sussex County. LASO president and Cape Henlopen High School student Felipe says, “Every single year we have a lot of MLL students coming in who need services… we put out a survey that showed that many students feel they are not supported.” Learn how this student-led group is helping and advocating for multilingual learners and their families in their school and the district.

Episode 2 - Expanding Delaware Pathways: The Patient Care Assistant Pathway

Rodel CEO Paul Herdman talks to our guests, Alyssa and La’Niya, two high school students at McKean, and Rachel Anderson, the Executive Director of Workforce Development at Delaware Technical Community college about the Patient Care Assistant Pathway that is giving students real-life expertise in certified nursing assisting, phlebotomy, and patient care assisting that will set them up for fruitful careers, further education, or both. To learn more about how Rodel and partners are supporting a new era of career pathways in Delaware see our Start Earlier, Go Faster, Equitable Outcomes: Pathways 2.0 (2022).

Episode 1 - The Tech Council of Delaware: Connecting Delaware's youth to the tech workforce

Welcome to the first episode of The Rodel-Cast! Our first guest is Zakiyyah Ali, executive director of the Tech Council of Delaware. In this episode, Rodel CEO Paul Herdman talks to Ali about how the council is building an inclusive IT pipeline in the First State by connecting tech employers to community organizations, educational institutions, and youth to develop our future workforce. All resource links can be found in the description of our YouTube episode.