About this episode

Jeremy Smith discusses the disconnect between higher education and workforce needs, advocating for a more agile educational system.

Our guest for this episode of College & Career Readiness Radio is Jeremy Smith, workforce development innovator and college reform advocate. Jeremy says the debate about college shouldn't be whether it's good or bad, but whether it's delivering the right education to the right students at the right time and price. He argues that higher education is increasingly out of sync with employers, leaving many graduates with degrees but without the skills companies are hiring for. Jeremy says agility will define successful colleges in the AI era, and institutions must adapt their programs as quickly as the workforce changes. He believes liberal arts education is critically important, but it should be viewed as a lifelong pursuit rather than something condensed into four years between ages 18 and 22. Jeremy says the value of the humanities isn't measured by job preparation alone but by helping people become thoughtful, informed citizens. He argues that students should carefully weigh the return on investment of a degree and avoid taking on excessive debt for programs that don't provide a clear financial pathway. Jeremy says employers are the ultimate customers of workforce education…

People in this episode

Host: T.J. Vari

Guest: Jeremy Smith

Topics covered

• education supply chain
• workforce development
• college reform
• skills gap
• higher education
• liberal arts

Keywords

• education
• workforce
• college
• skills
• humanities
• debt
• career opportunities

More episodes of College & Career Readiness Radio

• Developing a Vision for Postsecondary Success with Tony Dina · September 1, 2026 · 30 min
• The Educator’s Guide to Youth Apprenticeships with Dr. Heather Handler · August 18, 2026 · 30 min
• Empowering All Leaders to Be Math Leaders with Thomas O'Brien · August 4, 2026 · 27 min
• Career Readiness and Workforce Development in Higher Education with Dr. Cynthia Thomas · July 21, 2026 · 31 min
• Possibility Thinking and Industry-Based Literacy with Dr. Sandra Adams · June 23, 2026 · 32 min
• Supporting Student Mental Health and Wellbeing with Joshua Stamper · June 9, 2026 · 28 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the College & Career Readiness Radio podcast page.