EdGate Powers Podcast #37 with Will Markow

This episode of the EdGate Powers Podcast explores how AI is reshaping the workforce, the evolving role of CTE, and what educators, employers, and policymakers need to do to prepare for the future. Rich Portelance sits down with Will Markow, Founder and CEO of FourOne Insights, to discuss workforce trends, skills-based hiring, lifelong learning, and why "human" skills may become more important than ever in an AI-driven world. FourOne Insights: https://www.fouroneinsights.com/ Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction - Rich Portalance & Will Markow; EdGate products overview 1:45 - Will's background: 13 years of workforce data, Burning Glass/Lightcast, founding FourOne Insights 4:00 - The #1 misconception about AI and jobs. Why the "apocalypse" narrative doesn't match the data 7:30 - AI's real impact: making work more human. Augmentation vs. Automation 9:45 - Entry-level job market decline. What the data shows and the looming talent pipeline problem 13:00 - White collar jobs vs. CTE pathways. Is AI shifting career interest toward trades? 16:30 - Reframing CTE. Why it shouldn't be called an "alternative" pathway 18:45 - Redesigning a modern CTE program. 3 non-negotiables (keeping pace with change, employer partnerships, human/durable skills) 23:00 - Skills-based organizations: theory vs. reality. Why most companies get it wrong 27:30 - Top 2 things companies can do to upskill workers. Objective assessments + stretch assignments 31:00 - Advice for a 17-year-old entering the workforce. Stable skills vs. "sexy" emerging skills 35:30 - Jobs that will disappear or fundamentally change in the next decade 38:30 - New career paths that don't exist yet. Interdisciplinary roles and blurred career lines 41:00 - What good education-workforce alignment actually looks like 43:30 - 90-day action plan for educators, employers, and policymakers 45:30 - Closing & where to find FourOne Insights research (41insights.com) Keywords: future of work, AI and jobs, CTE pathways, workforce reskilling, skills-based hiring, entry-level job market, education workforce alignment, labor market data, durable skills, lifelong learning