In this season 5 opener of Workforce 4.0, host Ann Wyatt sits down with Jeff Kondel, Founder and Executive Director of ROOTS Education Company. They discuss Jeff's journey into robotics and his dedication to integrating advanced automation and robotics into educational systems, spanning from elementary schools to universities. Jeff shares insights on how Roots Education is bridging the gap between technology and meaningful work for students. Jeff also highlights impactful projects, like the use of robotics in health care and other applications for robotics beyond industrial use cases. Lastly, we hear more on career advice from Jeff for aspiring roboticist and engineers, alike.

In This Episode:

-03:51: The Origin Story of ROOTS Education

-14:48 Robotics Applications Outside of Industrial Manufacturing

-25:59 Collaboration in Workforce Development

-27:13 Automation vs. Human Resources

-34:50 Success Stories in Automation

More About Jeffrey Kondel:

With over 20 years of experience in Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics including Automotive, Medical Device and Food/Beverage, Jeff is passionate about bringing robotics training to all ages and assists manufacturers in achieving their goals to build efficient, data driven manufacturing operations. To serve the specific needs of Academia, ROOTS Engineering has created a product and curriculum to advance industrial skills in manufacturing using automation, with the goal of bridging the gap between local industry and the competencies of our future workforce. ROOTS Engineering works to bridge that gap by placing collaborative robots and training into academia, from middle school to advanced technical programs which help filter and prepare students for their future interests. To learn more about Jeff, connect with him here.

The Future of Work (and this Episode) Is Brought To You By Secchi:

Secchi is a revolutionary workforce engagement tool created for organizations to make data-driven frontline decisions in real-time. By measuring and combining multiple people-related lead indicators, Secchi provides in-the-moment visibility into individual frontline employee performance, team performance, engagement/turnover risks, and positive employee behaviors all while removing the traditional barriers of administrative burden on leaders. To learn more about Secchi, check them out here.