Future Now
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New ‘Does College Matter?’ Podcast Discusses Value of a College Degree and Future of Work
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The third season of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s podcast features interviews with researchers from Institute for the Future focusing on the future of education and work and “extreme learners” whose stories point toward transformations on the horizon
Aug. 3, 2017—The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, in partnership with Institute for the Future, has launched the third season of its Does College Matter? podcast, exploring insights from experts, entrepreneurs and others about the value of a college degree.
The podcast features interviews with researchers from Institute for the Future—a nonprofit research organization that helps organizations understand and prepare for the future—who focus on the future of education and work, as well as “extreme learners” who defy traditional definitions of teacher and student. IFTF identified these “extreme learners” during the organization’s ongoing research on how learning will be transformed over the next decade. Indeed, the extreme learners already embody the future of learning as they design their own curricula from online courses, get their hands dirty at community laboratories and hackerspaces, seek out mentors in non-traditional ways, and share what they learn with their communities.
"In this global society, simply memorizing information will not be enough to compete,” said extreme learner Alivia Blount. “You have to be able to adapt to the changing needs of the economy or face the possibility of being left behind. I'm staying current by speaking with people about their work and how they find solutions and incorporate that into my learning and work style."
The podcast also features interviews with people who have overcome the odds, are pushing the boundaries of both learning and work, and have demonstrated the power of following their own path. They share real stories of their formal and informal learning and discuss whether going to college made an impact on their career.
“People are preparing for jobs that don’t exist yet,” said San Francisco Fed Director of Economic Education Jody Hoff, who hosts the podcast. “College is obviously still important, but there are a lot of different paths to take, and in this season we examine some of those paths.”
“The world of work is evolving rapidly, and it’s important we examine ways in which young people can prepare for an economy that will be radically different in the not-too-distant future,” said Marina Gorbis, executive director of Institute for the Future. “There are exciting new initiatives underway to change how people prepare for the workforce that we look forward to discussing.”
Additional Institute for the Future researchers featured in season three of the podcast include Parminder Jassal, Director of the Learn & Work Futures Group, and Jane McGonigal, Director of Game Research & Development.
New episodes are available each Monday on Stitcher, iTunes, and TuneIn.
About the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, with offices in Los Angeles, Portland, Salt Lake City, and Seattle, and a cash processing office in Phoenix, provides wholesale banking services to financial institutions across the nine western states. As the nation’s central bank, the Federal Reserve System formulates monetary policy, serves as a bank regulator, administers certain consumer protection laws, and is fiscal agent for the U.S. government. Follow us on Twitter on @sffed.
About Institute for the Future
Institute for the Future (IFTF) is an independent, nonprofit strategic research group with almost 50 years of forecasting experience. The core of our work is identifying emerging discontinuities that will transform global society and the global marketplace. We provide organizations with insights into business strategy, design process, innovation, and social dilemmas. Our research spans a broad territory of deeply transformative trends, from health and health care to technology, the workplace, and human identity. IFTF is based in Palo Alto, California. For more, visit iftf.org and follow us on Twitter @iftf.
IFTF Media Contacts
Erin Musgrave | 530-864-7014 | [email protected]
Jean Hagan | 650-740-1386 | [email protected]