🎧 Leadership Rules with Dr. Heather Handler
Title: Stop Asking Kids What They Want to Be

What if we've been asking students the wrong question all along?

Instead of asking, "What do you want to be when you grow up?", Dr. Heather Handler believes we should be asking something much more powerful:

"What do you enjoy doing?"

In this episode of Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie sit down with educator, youth apprenticeship pioneer, and author Dr. Heather Handler to discuss career readiness, work-based learning, and why modern Career and Technical Education (CTE) looks nothing like many people remember.

Heather shares lessons from launching one of Maryland's most successful youth apprenticeship programs and explains why exposing students to real opportunities early can change the trajectory of their lives.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why modern CTE is not the vocational education of the past
• How youth apprenticeships help students build confidence, purpose, and career direction
• Why college and career readiness should work together, not compete
• How AI is changing the future of work and increasing demand for skilled trades
• Why exposure to careers should begin long before high school
• The importance of helping students discover their strengths, interests, and preferred ways of working

Heather also shares insights from her new book, The Educator's Guide to Youth Apprenticeships, a practical roadmap for educators looking to create meaningful work-based learning experiences for students.

If you care about leadership, education, workforce development, or helping young people discover who they are becoming, this episode is for you.

📘 Learn More

The Educator's Guide to Youth Apprenticeships
Available on Amazon

💼 Connect with Dr. Heather Handler on LinkedIn