Drexel University economist Paul Harrington returns to the program to discuss the future of the post-pandemic economy, as well as labor market trends. Paul also shares his thoughts about the current and future state of manufacturing and whether

E24: 2020 Business and Technology Trends

Dec 9th, 2020 33m 57s

Ari Santiago, President of IT Direct, joins the program to discuss the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on his IT services business, as well as the trends he is seeing in his manufacturing clientele and his podcast “Made in America.” A

E23: Edible Re-Arrangement- Tariq Farid Launches his new CBD Company, Incredible Edibles

Nov 7th, 2019 31m 3s

Tariq Farid, founder of Edible Arrangements, joins the program to discuss his newest venture, Incredible Edibles, an end-to-end CBD product business that will farm, process and sell CBD food products through a franchise model. Tariq reveals wh

E22: Ten Miles of Opportunity- The Amazon Fulfillment Center in North Haven, CT

Sep 23rd, 2019 24m 55s

This episode was recorded live at the Amazon Fullfillment Center in North Haven, Connecticut with Richard Dyce, Director of Operations for the facility. The center features 855,000-square-feet of space and 10 miles of conveyors. Discover why Am

E21: Is It Different This Time?

May 7th, 2019 29m 39s

Bill Villano keeps asking questions about how automation and robotics impact the labor force. He talks with Professor and Economist Harry J. Holzer on how to prepare for more disruption. Are wage subsidies the best way to make up the loss? How

E20: Cultivating Cannabis Jobs

Apr 1st, 2019 31m 42s

Discover the jobs, skills and training opportunities in the medical and recreational marijuana business. Bill Villano talks with Joe LaChance, who is an advocate, business owner and director of education for CannaHealth LLC, which prepares peop

E19: Pot of Gold

Apr 1st, 2019 27m 55s

Cannabis is a $9 billion business. In the first of two new episodes on the medical and recreational marijuana industry, Bill Villano digs into how the industry has grown and the workforce outlook with CT Attorney and NORML Counsel Aaron Romano.

E18: Innovation & Personalization: How To Thrive

Oct 16th, 2018 31m 54s

Following last year’s popular episode, Ellen Davis of the National Retail Federation returns to talk about innovation. As a bonus, Bill Villano traveled to one of CT’s most personalized spaces – Colony Grill in Milford, CT – to talk with co-own

E17: Who Will Be Obsolete?

Aug 13th, 2018 32m 34s

What has been called the fourth Industrial Revolution is fundamentally changing the way we live, work and relate to one another. Host Bill Villano talks with scholar and author Darrell West of the Brooking Institution about his new book “The Fu

E16: Gig 2.0- Employers

Jun 13th, 2018 30m 29s

The best people may not want to work for you. They want to work WITH you as a freelancer. On this episode, Bill Villano continues with Nation 1099 founder and marketing expert Robert McGuire about how the gig economy impacts employers. Freelanc

E15: Good to Gig

Apr 25th, 2018 20m 37s

Gig work, independent contracting, freelancing, project-based work – no matter what you call it, more people are making a living at it. Bill Villano talks with Robert McGuire, founder of the website Nation1099.com and also owner of a New Haven-

E14: When Your Workforce Retires

Feb 22nd, 2018 30m 48s

Compounding the current skilled workers shortage is the potential loss of knowledge and skills as older, seasoned workers decide they are ready to retire. David DeLong literally wrote the book “Lost Knowledge” before the Great Recession put off

E13: Immigration, Deportation & The Workforce

Dec 12th, 2017 31m 45s

Immigrants are a vital part of our economy and the workforce. The legal process for entering the U.S. to work is complicated and long, and the prospect of deportation is frightening and always looming for those without the proper documentation.

E12: Fair Scheduling Champion-Sen. Edward Kennedy Jr.

Oct 13th, 2017 22m 48s

Senator Edward Kennedy Jr. is leading the charge in Connecticut to ensure fair scheduling for service workers. On this episode, he discusses how it benefits not only hourly workers but also their employers, and other states and cit

E11: Retail 2.0: A Conversation with Walmart

Aug 30th, 2017 19m 2s

As a follow up to Ep. 10 with Ellen Davis at the National Retail Federation, Bill talks with Walmart’s Julie Gehrki about training its 2.3 million associates, upward mobility within the company, and how customer behavior impact job roles. Julie

E10: The Changing Retail Landscape: Major Shift or Natural Selection?

Jul 19th, 2017 26m 7s

For all the stories about closing big box stores and failing malls, there are just as many retailers opening or re-inventing themselves in response to a more educated and intentional customer base, says National Retail Federation VP Ellen Davis

E09: Future Proof Workforce

May 10th, 2017 30m 25s

This episode features an interview with Art Bilger, the Founder of WorkingNation, a national not-for-profit campaign to educate the American public about the looming unemployment crisis in this country. Discover the biggest threats and opportun

E08: Turning Ex-Offenders Into Jobseekers

Apr 25th, 2017 35m 51s

Mike Lawlor, Under Secretary for Criminal Justice Policy and Planning for Connecticut, joins the program to discuss the efforts that are underway in his state to help ex-offenders find good jobs. Mike shares why putting ex-offenders back to wor

E07: Return of the Robot Apocalypse

Apr 3rd, 2017 23m 32s

Bill Villano continues his conversation with Drexel University economist Paul Harrington on how automation can increase productivity, replace workers AND still lead to higher wages and a more stable workforce. Discover what's really behind econ

E06: Economic Recovery-Now What?

Apr 2nd, 2017 28m 39s

Labor Market Economist Paul Harrington of Drexel University talks with Bill Villano about current and future impacts and takes apart common perceptions about employment, wages, and the decline in youth employment. Is automation what we really s

E05: Portia Wu on The Future of the U.S. Workforce

Jan 25th, 2017 21m 18s

Portia Wu, Assistant Secretary, Employment and Training Administration at Department of Labor under the Obama administration, shares her reflections on the U.S. Workforce, including labor force participation in the U.S. Portia also discusses th

E04: Microsoft's Bill Kamela On The National Skills Gap

Jan 23rd, 2017 27m 10s

Bill Kamela, Director of Workforce Policy for Microsoft, discusses the national skills gap and the steps that Microsoft is taking to address the skills gap in the U.S. He also discusses why Microsoft is recruiting from military bases and shares

5 Questions With Senator Chris Murphy

Jan 4th, 2017 14m 11s

Bill Villano caught up with U.S. Senator Chris Murphy via Skype, and asked him 5 questions about his walking tour across Connecticut. Senator Murphy discusses what he heard along the tour, and his thoughts about the labor market in Connecticut.

E03: Creating A Successful Business with the "Wow Factor"

Nov 17th, 2016 18m 33s

This episode features an interview with Tariq Farid, CEO and Founder of Edible Arrangements International, Inc. Tariq shares his story of how he came to found Edible Arrangements, and the importance of the "wow factor" in building a business.

E02: How to Address The Skills Gap in Manufacturing

Nov 16th, 2016 15m 2s

This episode features an interview with Marcia LaFemina, President of PennGlobe, and Paul Hoffman, President of Orange Research as they discuss the future of manufacturing in Connecticut and beyond. Discover how and why the manufacturing indust