156: "Clash of the Grinders: Student Edition" and the Future of Skilled Trades, presented by 3M

Today, we're exploring the future of skilled trades and we're doing this largely by speaking to the next generation of skilled tradespeople and the folks that our training and enabling them. From students to instructors, this episode includes a series of 5 interviews with folks that are part of 3M's upcoming series Clash of the Grinders: Student Edition, a high-stakes grinding and welding competition that pits soon-to-be pros against each other to find the most talented up-and-comers in the skilled trades.

Throughout the series, you'll get to see the competition first hand as these trades leaders face off in welding and cutting challenges, but it's more than just the competition. You'll see emerging trends that these folks will face in their careers, and how new innovations are helping them work more efficiently and sustainably. Plus, the winner receives a game changing $10,000 scholarship sponsored by FANUC.

In this podcast, you're going to get to know a couple of the students that are part of this competition and you'll hear how their careers took them to these new roles as tradespeople that they're stoked to move into. You'll also hear from an instructor, how they're continuing to evolve their curriculum for the modern student and skilled worker, and not to mention the folks that are creating the certifications for emerging technology skills. And finally, you'll hear from a global robotics & automation leader at 3M and learn how they're inspiring curiosity and improving educational outcomes for everyone that wants an opportunity to pursue skilled trades and STEM education.

Overall, this episode is a showcase of many of the different parties involved in developing our future workforce, from educators, to corporations, to - most importantly - the students themselves.