It's the Brian Larry Show on WNYC.

Good morning again, everyone.

Now we continue our series on stars, workers, skilled through alternative routes, skilled

through alternative routes, stars,

with a focus today on what it means to hire for skills, not just degrees, because the alternative

routes means without a bachelor's degree from college. And we'll talk about how two organizations,

one in industry and one in workforce development, are trying to change the way we

think about talent. About half of working Americans today don't have a four-year college degree,

but many have gained skills through other routes, community college, military service,

apprenticeships, boot camps, or hands-on experience. And still, many are shut out of good jobs

that post BA required, even when the

work itself doesn't need it. So what would it look like for employers to rethink hiring

from the ground up? Joining us today, Amy Volz, head of workforce innovation at trained technologies.

That's a global climate innovator, as they describe themselves,

and a company that's developed a Skills First apprenticeship program

to build talent from the ground up,

and Ebony Thomas, managing partner at Grads of Life,

a nonprofit that says it works with leading employers

to create Skills First first, talent,

strategies that deliver both business benefits and social impact.

And part of that mission includes helping stars connect with career opportunities.

So Amy, Ebony, thanks for joining this series.

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