Getting Smart Podcast: 271 - Michael Horn on the Next Chapter

271 - Michael Horn on the Next Chapter

Jul 22, 2020

Today, the Getting Smart team is bringing you a podcast with their friend, Michael Horn, a speaker and writer on the future of education.

Michael has spent the last five years leading the higher education consulting practice at Entangled Group. One of their early investments was with Guild Education, a venture-backed startup leading the ‘education as a benefit’ movement. In May, Entangled was acquired by Guild Education and together, they have launched Next Chapter, a new kind of outplacement service to help laid-off workers access the training and job opportunities they really need.

In this episode, Tom and Michael discuss Guild Education and Next Chapter. Michael shares his thoughts around how education and work are changing in light of the COVID-19 pandemic (and what they’re doing to help); his advice for high school and college students around entrepreneurship and building social capital; micro-credentialing and cooperative learning pathways; and how remote tech work may begin to change in America, especially with regards to rural states.

Key Takeaways:

[:10] About today’s episode.

[:45] Tom welcomes Michael Horn back to the podcast.

[:57] Michael shares how he has explained what is currently happening in America to his children.

[2:41] The 2020 postlude to Michael’s book, Choosing College, that was released in August 2019. Michael also shares the advice that he gives to high school juniors and seniors as they think about their current education pathway considering the COVID-19 pandemic.

[7:02] About Michael’s last five years as the Chief Strategy Officer for Entangled Group and what the Entangled Group is all about.

[8:17] What Guild Education (a firm Michael was an early investor in that has recently acquired Entangled Group) is all about.

[11:00] About Rachel Romer Carlson (one of two founders of Guild Education), her family, and all of the incredible work that they do for education.

[14:15] With Guild Education’s acquisition of Entangled Group, they launched Next Chapter. Michael describes what Next Chapter is all about.

[16:51] Michael’s thoughts on Ryan Craig’s new venture, Achieve Partners, and how it is a different approach to similar problems that he is also working on.

[20:20] Post-pandemic there will be more remote work in tech America. How might rural states help more people skill up to participate in the technology economy and maybe even do it from their hometowns?

[23:55] Discussing the possibility of higher ed micro-schools or cooperative learning pathways.

[27:23] Michael’s advice for high school and college students regarding entrepreneurship. He also shares his thoughts on how entrepreneurship should be a part of the curriculum and why entrepreneurial skills are incredibly valuable.

[31:54] The invention challenges Michael believes we absolutely need to address within this decade.

[36:01] Credentialing of learning: the upsides and downsides.

[38:06] The importance of leaving high school with a network/set of connections that could provide both insight and opportunities. Michael also shares some policies and tools that could help build social capital for students in high school in more equitable ways.

[41:48] About Michael’s podcast, Class Disrupted.

[43:02] Where to find Michael online.

[43:25] Tom thanks Michael for joining the Getting Smart Podcast!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Michael Horn

Entangled Group

Guild Education

Next Chapter | Guild Education

Getting Smart Podcast Ep . 228: “Michael Horn on Choosing College ”