This episode features interviews with Olive-Harvey College Rivian Technical Trades program graduate Kyle Johnson, Olive-Harvey College president Dr. Kimberly Hollingsworth and the Illinois Community College Board Deputy Executive Director Jennifer Foster.

Kyle describes how the Rivian Technical Trades program met his needs as a returning student by providing accelerated training that led to an industry recognized credential in the emerging field of electric vehicles and a clear pathway to a job and career with Rivian in an apprenticeship program model that worked well for him.

Dr. Hollingsworth offers helpful reflections from Kyle’s interview and shares more on the responsive transportation, distribution and logistics programs at Olive- Harvey that include various supports and resources available to students such as Project Evolve, the college’s Workforce Equity Initiative program.

Deputy Executive Director Foster elaborates further on the Workforce Equity Initiative in its origins, design and goals to close historical opportunity gaps for African American students across the state of Illinois reducing potential barriers to enrollment and completion in community college quality non-degree credential programs.

The All In: Student Pathways Forward podcast is a part of Oregon’s participation in the National Skills Coalition SkillSPAN network and supported by the Lumina Foundation.