Claire Fiddian-Green, President and CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, dives into Indiana's groundbreaking efforts to emulate Switzerland's apprenticeship model. She discusses transforming high school graduation requirements and establishing industry-led talent associations. The conversation highlights the challenges of cultural shifts and stakeholder collaboration, aiming to create robust pathways that intertwine real-world work experience with education. Fiddian-Green emphasizes the crucial need for strong employer partnerships to redefine the value of apprenticeships in the state.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Indiana's CTE Lightbulb Moment
The National Conference of State Legislatures' 2016 report, "No Time to Lose," sparked education reform in Indiana.
It highlighted the need for better career and technical education (CTE) to meet employer needs.
insights INSIGHT
Learning from Switzerland
Inspired by the NCSL report, Indiana studied Switzerland's apprenticeship model, the "gold standard."
Witnessing the system's scale, where 65-70% of youth choose apprenticeships, impressed the Indiana team.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Indiana's Apprenticeship Pilots
Indiana piloted apprenticeships in 11th grade and formed a statewide community of practice.
Two key challenges emerged: one-off apprenticeships and inflexible high school schedules.
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In "Apprentice Nation," Ryan Craig makes a compelling case for apprenticeships as a viable and effective alternative to traditional higher education. He argues that the "earn and learn" model offers a stronger and fairer pathway to economic opportunity, particularly for those who may not be well-served by traditional college degrees. Craig explores the successful apprenticeship models in other countries and proposes strategies for scaling apprenticeships in the United States. He emphasizes the importance of employer engagement and the need for innovative intermediaries to bridge the gap between education and employment. The book offers a practical and optimistic vision for a more equitable and effective workforce development system.
In part two of their series on apprenticeships, Jeff talks with Claire Fiddian-Green, president and CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, about Indiana’s ambitious efforts to adapt lessons from Switzerland’s gold-standard model. They explore how Indiana is transforming high school graduation requirements, building industry-led talent associations, and designing scalable pathways that center real-world work experience. The conversation covers the challenges of shifting culture, coordinating stakeholders, and ensuring permeability between career and college tracks—all with the goal of making apprenticeships a respected and rigorous route to success after high school. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group.
0:00 - Intro 3:32 - Focusing Indiana on CTE 5:00 - Applying Lessons Learned from Swiss Apprenticeship in Indiana 8:05 - Building an Apprenticeship System at Scale 10:58 - Adjusting Graduation Requirements 13:52 - The Keys to Successful Stakeholder Collaboration in Indiana 15:10 - Centering Permeability 19:05 - States in the Lead on Apprenticeship 21:56 - Putting Employers in the Driver’s Seat 26:30 - Carving Out Apprenticeship Pathways in High Schools 31:30 - Bringing it Back to the Why
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