How Small Businesses Can Grow Their Own Talent

Episode Overview

In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, John Jantsch interviews workplace futurist Alexandra Levit about her new book,
Make Schoolwork: Solving the American Youth Employment Crisis Through Work-Based Learning.

They explore how work-based learning, including apprenticeships, internships, and immersive real-world experiences, can bridge the growing gap between employers struggling to find skilled workers and young people facing underemployment after graduation.

As AI reshapes entry-level knowledge work and skilled trades face labor shortages, Alexandra makes the case that businesses of all sizes can build their own talent pipeline while strengthening their brand, culture, and community impact.

This episode is a practical guide for small and mid-sized business owners who are tired of chasing ready-made talent and want a smarter, more sustainable workforce strategy.

About Alexandra Levit

Alexandra Levit is a workplace futurist, author, and CEO of Inspiration at Work. She has written extensively about the future of work, talent intelligence, and workforce trends.

In Make Schoolwork, co-authored with GPS Education Partners, she outlines a scalable framework for work-based learning that connects students, employers, educators, and communities to address the American youth employment crisis.

Learn more at: makeschoolwork.org

What Is Work-Based Learning?

Work-based learning is education that takes place in a real-world work environment. It typically includes:

• Apprenticeships
• Internships
• One-to-one mentoring
• Immersive, skills-based workplace experiences

High-quality work-based learning is:

• Authentic to the student’s interests
• Immersive and hands-on
• Structured with clear learning objectives
• Designed to build both technical and interpersonal skills

Students gain practical abilities, such as operating equipment, integrating AI technologies, or mastering skilled trades, while also developing judgment, communication, and problem-solving capabilities.

The Youth Employment Crisis Explained

Alexandra describes a growing mismatch between open positions in the workforce, employers struggling to find qualified candidates, and young people who are unemployed or underemployed, even after earning four-year degrees.

Key contributing factors include:

• A cultural push toward universal four-year college enrollment
• Oversupply of graduates for traditional knowledge worker roles
• Declining entry-level hiring due to AI automation
• Persistent stigma around skilled trades

Meanwhile, industries like plumbing, carpentry, manufacturing, and technical trades offer strong starting pay, family-sustaining wages, career stability, and lower automation risk.

Work-based learning creates a direct pathway between students and real workforce demand.

Why This Matters in the Age of AI

AI is automating many entry-level knowledge jobs first. At the same time, roles that require complex physical movement, human-to-human int