Episode 28: Why America Needs More Skilled Workers—And How to Train Them with Mark Hedstrom

Hey everyone, Matt here! On this episode of Manufacturing an American Century, I sit down with Mark Hedstrom, CEO of the Skilled Careers Coalition, to talk about the big-picture challenge of getting more young people into skilled careers. We dig into why these careers—especially in manufacturing—are essential for America’s future and why we need to shake the outdated stigma around them.

Mark shares how his background in philanthropy and collective impact work is helping to bring together education, industry, and entertainment to reach more students and parents. We also get into how storytelling (and yes, even TikTok) plays a massive role in getting young people to see skilled careers as a smart and fulfilling option.

And for those working in workforce development, Mark lays out some ideas on how we can better connect regional best practices and scale them up nationwide. Plus, we talk about the power of partnerships—like how Warner Bros. Discovery is using entertainment to spotlight these career paths. Give it a listen, and let’s talk about how we can go further, faster in solving this workforce challenge together!

AMCC’s podcast is made possible in part by the expertise of Mike McAllen, founder of Podcasting4Associations. Are you part of an association also looking to produce a podcast? Let us get you in touch with Mike.

Thank you to the Economic Development Administration for their partnership in producing this podcast. This podcast was prepared in part using Federal funds under award 3070145 from the Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.

🔗Links to Learn More:

• The SkillsUSA National Conference is happening this June—if you’re in workforce development, you don’t want to miss it!
• Students: March 1 is the deadline to register if you want to compete at the SkillsUSA national competition.
• Find Mark on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Skilled Careers Coalition

• Follow AMCC on Linkedin.
• Find Matt on Linkedin.
• Visit our website.