The Duct Tape Marketing Podcast How Small Businesses Can Grow Their Own Talent
Feb 18, 2026
Alexandra Levit, workplace futurist, author, and CEO of Inspiration at Work, champions work-based learning to tackle the youth employment crisis. She discusses apprenticeships, internships, and mentorships as ways for small businesses to build talent. Topics include co-created curricula, measuring skills and certifications, practical AI upskilling, and starting small with pilot programs.
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Real Work Teaches Real Skills
- Work-based learning places learners in real work environments to acquire both technical and interpersonal skills.
- It can teach practical abilities like integrating AI into manufacturing that traditional classroom courses often miss.
Degree Glut Vs. Skills Gap
- The U.S. overemphasized four-year degrees, creating a mismatch between graduates and available jobs.
- Many in-demand roles don't require a degree but need specific, hands-on skills that work-based learning supplies.
Midwest Model Grew A Master Welder
- GPS Education Partners convened schools, employers, policymakers, and nonprofits to map students to local jobs.
- A student who started at 16 became a master welder by his mid-20s after one work-based learning pathway.
