Our guest for this episode of College & Career Readiness Radio is Dr. Kevin Fleming.

Dr. Kevin Fleming frames today’s workforce as flexible, transient, and tech-driven, with students now likely to hold 24 jobs across 5 industries in their lifetimes.

Success in this new economy requires not only academic knowledge, but also adaptability, self-awareness, technical skills, executive functioning, and the ability to learn—and unlearn—throughout one’s career.

Kevin emphasizes that traditional, linear career paths (one job for life) are now the exception, not the rule.

The “factory bell” schedule and the Carnegie unit—foundations of the 20th-century school model—are no longer aligned with workforce realities.

The future is in hybrid flexible modalities or “HyFlex” learning: education delivered simultaneously in-person, live virtual, and asynchronously recorded, allowing learners to access instruction however and whenever fits their individual needs.

Change is iterative and never one-and-done. Preparing staff for continuous improvement is essential.

Kevin discusses the “diffusion of innovation” theory: target at least 16% of educators as early adopters to build internal momentum and drive systemic change.

He says to pilot HyFlex programs with willing staff and share successes to convince broader school communities.

Kevin and our host, TJ, stress the “yes, and” approach: all students need strong academic foundations and at least one industry-valued, third-party credential by graduation.

Credentials must be regionally relevant—what’s valued locally may not transfer elsewhere. Advisory boards and industry panels are critical for identifying which certifications carry real worth in local job markets.

Schools should provide students with a “menu” of meaningful credential options and teach them to be savvy about their ongoing education and what’s truly valued by employers.

Dr. Fleming encourages stackable credentials and foster relationships with local community colleges, so each credential also builds a bridge to further education and upward pathways.

College and career readiness today, according to Kevin, means helping students discover pathways that fit who they are, not just which jobs pay the most.

Leadership requires creating coalitions, supporting early adopters, and modeling a willingness to keep evolving for the sake of student success.

The future of college and career readiness is about relevance, validation by local industry, and helping every learner find their purpose—on purpose.

Books mentioned during the show:

Diffusion of Innovations by Everett Rogers

Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore