Jamai Blivin - CEO of Innovate + Educate - Skills-based Hiring

We talk a lot about skills today, but this actually is a recent phenomenon. My guest, Jamai Blivin, describes the history of how her non-profit, Innovate + Educate, coined and popularized skills-based hiring across the country, and lays out a vision for how higher ed can adapt to the new world of skills.

Your history lesson in skills-based hiring, and roadmap to the future of skills based learning and work.

On the 10th episode of the Skill Podcast, Micah shares a conversation with Jamai Blivin, CEO and Founder of Innovate + Educate, a non-profit based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Jamai has led I+E for over 10 years, following a 15 year career in investment management. Jamai serves on the national board of the Future of Work coalition.

Jamai and Micah discuss their shared experiences growing up in the Southwest, and explore how skill-based learning and work has evolved over the last 10 years.

Throughout this conversation, Jamai and Micah cover the following topics:

Jamai’s childhood history in the Southwest and educational background in the South
"Don't come home until you sell them all"
“You cover your salary, or you don’t have a job”
Why sales is such an important skill in life
How the North Carolina Tech Association changed everything for Jamai
How the idea of Innovate + Educate was born
The difference between chasing money and chasing your passion
An amazing Wikipedia story
An amazing Obama administration story
The first pilot project of Skills-based hiring in Albuquerque
A BIG announcement is coming in October
Why the bachelor's degree has been so sticky with employers
The mindset shift happening regarding the perceived value of college
Who are the early adopters in skills-based hiring?
Who are the leaders in higher ed focused on serving employers demand for skills, including the
Do employers care about credits?
Just-In-Time learning
The future of Innovate + Educate and the future for Jamai
The Preacher and The Teacher

Articles and Organizations mentioned on this podcast:

You can connect with Jamai on Twitter @JamaiIE

You can connect with Micah at micah "at" meritmark.co OR on Twitter @micahmerrick

Thanks for listening!