Why higher ed lags on work experiences

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Brandon Busteed is the CEO of Edconic and a nationally recognized leader in work-integrated learning. Formerly President of Kaplan University Partners and Head of Education & Workforce Development at Gallup, he has spent his career building bridges between higher education and industry through research, innovation, and large-scale partnerships.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. Why work-integrated learning matters
2. Why employers say grads aren’t work-ready
3. Why internships don’t scale
4. How colleges can merge liberal arts with career prep
5. How AI bridges academic and job skills

✨ Episode Highlights
[00:00:00] The power of work-integrated learning for long-term outcomes
[00:02:49] How the education–workforce gap emerged
[00:05:54] Why so few students get quality applied learning experiences
[00:07:28] Debunking the liberal-arts vs. careerism divide
[00:13:51] The internship shortage and rise of “derivative internships”
[00:18:56] Edtech’s role in expanding work-based learning
[00:20:53] How virtual and industry immersion programs reshape higher ed
[00:24:44] Employers’ low confidence in graduate readiness
[00:26:17] Faculty externships as a bridge between academia and industry
[00:30:01] Co-designed learning between teachers and industry experts
[00:33:24] AI as a translator between academic and career skills
[00:42:12] Saxbys’ model of student-run campus businesses
[00:46:07] Expanding student awareness of career paths beyond the “top 10”

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This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Cooley LLP. Cooley is the go-to law firm for education and edtech innovators, offering industry-informed counsel across the 'pre-K to gray' spectrum. With a multidisciplinary approach and a powerful edtech ecosystem, Cooley helps shape the future of education.

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