From Factory Floors to Hospital Halls: The Universal Need for Automation Skills - Dr. Kat Linaker, President of Riverland Community College

Every institution of higher education is facing two major changes right now: Automation and artificial intelligence are universally transforming every sector of our economy (including the training required) - from healthcare to manufacturing, agriculture to education. Meanwhile, changing demographics and attitudes toward education are impacting enrollment rates and colleges' strategic focus.

In the midst of these changes, Dr. Kat Linaker has taken the helm of Minnesota's Riverland Community College. She comes with a passion for technical education and an enthusiasm for embracing these imminent changes in a way that will empower her students and impact Riverland's community.

In this episode, hear how Dr. Linaker plans to address these two major changes at Riverland. There are tons of insights you can implement in your own organization!

3 Big Takeaways from this episode:

1. Technical and community college can fundamentally change the lives of individuals: As a first-generation college student, Dr. Linaker has experienced how life-changing education is, especially those looking to build a strong future for themselves, their family and their future. Technical and community colleges provide that opportunity for millions across the country, regardless of socioeconomic background. 
2. Automation is changing the way work is done in every sector of our economy: With her background in the health field, Dr. Linaker understands how the same concepts of automation, digitization, data analytics and AI that we see in manufacturing are also changing healthcare, agriculture, food production, and even the business of education. We discuss what that looks like in Riverland's region and how the college is shifting their strategy to prepare for a new automation generation.
3. Higher education can use AI to better serve students: The first way education should leverage AI is to use these tools to complete some of the necessary but mundane tasks that eat up teachers' time that could better be spent with students. Paperwork, grading, and administrative tasks can all be done with tools that are available or in development. Secondly, schools can improve the education experience by running all the data available to them through AI tools for use cases like predictive scheduling and monitoring students' progress to identify those who might need help sooner than ever before.

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Episode page: https://techedpodcast.com/riverland/

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