Apprenticeship 2.0

Hosted by Reach University

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Apprenticeship 2.0 is a twice-monthly, national podcast covering the ever-changing landscape of apprenticeship. The podcast explores the latest industry trends and uncovers the most significant innovative strategies, success stories, and best practices in the field. Our target audience is anyone intrigued by apprenticeships, including students, working professionals, educators, and creative strategists in the evolving job market. Our guests include thought leaders, industry professionals, educators, and apprentices themselves, who share their experiences from the field and shed light on the developments shaping the future of apprenticeships in the United States. The podcast is supported by Reach University, a trailblazer in apprenticeship degree pathways, and is hosted by Joe Ross, President of Reach University, a prominent thought leaders in apprenticeship innovation.

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60 recent

June 15, 2026Episode 7040 min

A Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway and the Partnerships Behind It

In this episode, Joe and guest co-host Dr. Anastasia Wickham, Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Reach University, chat with Kristi Kirschner, Board President of edwell; Tamika Bartley, Success Coach Coordinator, Registered Apprenticeship Program, Sheldon Independent School District in Texas; and Alexandra Perez, Student at Reach University and AVID Tutor Manager transitioning into the role of Teacher Resident at Null Middle School, 6th Grade Reading and Writing, in Sheldon ISD. Together, they discuss what motivated Sheldon ISD to invest in a teacher apprenticeship pathway as part of its long-term workforce strategy, how the district has grown its teacher apprenticeship program with help from edwell, overcoming barriers to successful apprenticeship program implementation in the district, what the program has meant for teacher development and effectiveness in the district, what inspired Alexandra to pursue a teacher apprenticeship pathway through Reach, how her experience is shaping her career as an educator in Sheldon ISD, and much more. Music by Evgeny Bardyuzha from Pixabay.

June 8, 2026Episode 6943 min

Advancing Apprenticeship in the Rural U.S.: Leading Lessons From Montana

In this episode, Joe chats with Glen Disque, Director of the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program; Madeline Boehm, Registered Apprenticeship Program Manager at Health Career Advancement Program (H-CAP); and Zach Boren, Senior Vice President at Apprenticeships for America. Together, they discuss the success and growth of Registered Apprenticeship in Montana, including the immense rise of healthcare apprenticeships; plans to continue the growth of apprenticeship in the state; why rural areas are so ripe for investment in apprenticeship; necessary advocacy for apprenticeship funding and investment on a national front; and much more. Music by Evgeny Bardyuzha from Pixabay.

June 1, 2026Episode 6854 min

What's Next for Apprenticeship in the U.S.

In this episode, Joe chats with John Colborn, Executive Director of Apprenticeships for America. Together, they discuss John's journey in the apprenticeship space, pay-for-performance strategies such as the Trump administration funding for the Pay-for-Performance Incentive Payments Program, AFA's grading of the administration on its efforts to grow apprenticeship, the impact of apprenticeship in a few successful states and how apprenticeship varies across states, the power of the intermediary in expanding apprenticeship, opportunities to redefine and diversify apprenticeship in the U.S., how the value of experience and work-based learning are evolving, and much more. Read AFA's Administration Report Card. Get John Dewey's Experience & Education. Music by Evgeny Bardyuzha from Pixabay.

May 18, 2026Episode 6750 min

Higher Education's Push Toward a New Value Proposition

In this episode, Joe and guest co-host Doug Lederman, Principal of Lederman Advisory Services and Co-founder and former Editor of Inside Higher Ed, chat with Colleen Flaherty, Senior Editor of Special Content at Inside Higher Ed, and Sara Weissman, Senior Reporter at Inside Higher Ed. Together, they discuss the most important developments in higher ed today, how higher ed leaders are aiming to change the narrative surrounding higher ed's value, why higher ed is leaning into apprenticeships and other alternative career pathways, how alternative pathways can support access and affordability efforts for underrepresented populations, and much more. Read Colleen's recent Inside Higher Ed articles: https://www.insidehighered.com/author/colleen-flaherty Read Sara's recent Inside Higher Ed articles: https://www.insidehighered.com/author/sara-weissman Read Doug's recent "Tough Love" columns: https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/columns/tough-love Check out Inside Higher Ed's apprenticeship series collection: https://www.insidehighered.com/collections/apprenticeships-learning-work Music by Evgeny Bardyuzha from Pixabay.

May 1, 202615 min

Bonus Episode: A Supercut in Honor of National Apprenticeship Week

In honor of National Apprenticeship Week, Joe tees up a handful of memorable clips from past episodes of Apprenticeship 2.0. Hear insights from Kathleen deLaski, Founder and Board Chair of the Education Design Lab; Dr. Mallory Dwinal-Palisch, Co-Founder of Reach University and Oxford Teachers Academy, and current President of Craft Education at Western Governors University; Alison Griffin, Principal Consultant at FutureRise; Ryan Craig, Author and Investor behind Achieve Partners and Apprenticeships for America; Jeff Selingo, higher education thought leader and longtime higher ed journalist; and Shalin Jyotishi, Founder and Managing Director of New America's Future of Work and Innovation Economy Initiative. Listen to the full episodes: deLaski: Examining Alternative Higher Education Pathways Dwinal-Palisch: In Pursuit of a More Viable Career Pathway Griffin and Selingo: Rethinking the College-to-Career Pipeline Craig: Reframing the Conversation Around Apprenticeship Degrees and Higher Ed Jyotishi: The Convergence of AI and Apprenticeship Music by Evgeny Bardyuzha from Pixabay.

April 20, 2026Episode 6653 min

Breaking Down Hiring Standards, AI, and Evolving Talent Pathways

In this episode, Joe and guest co-host Dr. Anastasia Wickham, Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Reach University, chat with Matt Sigelman, President of the Burning Glass Institute, and Mark Schneider, Nonresident Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Stony Brook University. Together, they discuss the intersection of labor and education market data, why employers are dropping bachelor's degree requirements and what that signals for the value of the degree, whether admissions standards truly matter in today's education landscape, barriers to scaling skills-based hiring, how AI is playing into all of this, and much more. Music by Evgeny Bardyuzha from Pixabay.

April 13, 2026Episode 6548 min

Rethinking the College-to-Career Pipeline

In this episode, Joe chats with Alison Griffin, Principal with FutureRise, and Jeff Selingo, higher education strategist and longtime journalist. Together, they discuss whether higher education and the workforce are due for radical realignment, what's driving the shift toward apprenticeship and work-based learning, evolving student perspectives on career pathways and how institutions are responding, what needs to happen with higher ed and workforce policy, what a more aligned education-to-workforce system could look like moving forward, and much more. Read these recent articles from Alison: The Jobs Report Tells A Story About The Future Of Work: Are We Listening? The Postsecondary Crossroads: Why America Needs More Than College For All Here's How The Dual Mission College Model Works Check out Jeff's book, Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for You. Music by Evgeny Bardyuzha from Pixabay.

April 9, 2026Episode 6445 min

The Apprenticeship College of Health: Reimagining the Healthcare Career Pathway

In this episode, Joe and guest co-host Laura Hopkins, Executive Director of the Healthcare Training Fund, chat with Dr. Metoka Welch, Executive Dean of the Apprenticeship College of Health (ACH); Dr. Anastasia Wickham, Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Reach University; and Melody McKee, Director of Behavioral Strategy at the Healthcare Training Fund. Together, they discuss the impetus and origins of the ACH, why apprenticeship degrees are needed in behavioral health, how the ACH differs from other healthcare apprenticeship pathways, how the ACH will maintain a rigorous curriculum while supporting workers from all walks of life, how the ACH is reinventing how behavioral health employers develop and retain talent, and so much more. Learn more about the ACH at www.healthapprenticeship.org. Music by Evgeny Bardyuzha from Pixabay.

March 16, 2026Episode 6333 min

Building Successful Startup Apprenticeship Programs From the Ground Up

In this episode, Joe chats with Heather Terenzio, Director of the Incubation practice at JFFLabs, and Carlos Vazquez, Founder of GoSprout. Together, they discuss the upfront questions to answer when starting an apprenticeship program; how startups should think about compliance and governance when launching and growing an apprenticeship program; building apprenticeship into a lean startup, without compromising quality or learner outcomes; how federal and state policymakers can further incentivize employers to expand apprenticeship programs; advice for entrepreneurs looking to create their own apprenticeship programs; and much more. Music by Evgeny Bardyuzha from Pixabay.

March 9, 202649 min

Designing Inclusive Executive Apprenticeship Pathways

In this episode, Joe and guest co-host Dr. Eric Dunker, Chief Engagement Officer at Reach University, chat with Diego Mariscal, Founder and CEO of 2Gether-International (2GI); Philip Minardi, Co-founder of BuildWithin; and Dr. Susan Crystal-Mansour, Interim Executive Director at the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. Together, they discuss apprenticeship pathways for executives with disabilities; standardization and measurement of registered apprenticeship for startup executives; scaling apprenticeship across massive, high-turnover industries and barriers to expansion; constraints that often break inclusive apprenticeship models at scale; how 2GI's model could serve as a basis for other startup apprenticeship models; and much more. Music by Evgeny Bardyuzha from Pixabay.