Kevin Fleming’s Bio
Dr. Kevin J Fleming is an educator, speaker, producer of multiple viral animation videos, including Success in the New Economy, and author of the bestseller, (Re)Defining the Goal.
Dissatisfied with the status quo, he has dedicated over two decades advancing career education forward as both a faculty member and administrator. Dr. Fleming serves as the Founder and CEO of Catapult, which delivers the world’s best thought leaders to all educators, through hybrid flexible masterclasses.
His team’s mission is to Make all Education Relevant. And his dad-joke YouTube channel proves that he doesn’t always take himself too seriously. Dr. Fleming is a passionate advocate who is working to ensure that all students intentionally elevate their potential, enter the labor market with a competitive advantage, and find their purpose on purpose.
Our guest for this episode of College & Career Readiness Radio is Dr. Kevin Fleming.
Dr. Kevin Fleming frames today’s workforce as flexible, transient, and tech-driven, with students now likely to hold 24 jobs across 5 industries in their lifetimes.
Success in this new economy requires not only academic knowledge, but also adaptability, self-awareness, technical skills, executive functioning, and the ability to learn—and unlearn—throughout one’s career.
Kevin emphasizes that traditional, linear career paths (one job for life) are now the exception, not the rule.
The “factory bell” schedule and the Carnegie unit—foundations of the 20th-century school model—are no longer aligned with workforce realities.
The future is in hybrid flexible modalities or “HyFlex” learning: education delivered simultaneously in-person, live virtual, and asynchronously recorded, allowing learners to access instruction however and whenever fits their individual needs.
Change is iterative and never one-and-done. Preparing staff for continuous improvement is essential.
Kevin discusses the “diffusion of innovation” theory: target at least 16% of educators as early adopters to build internal momentum and drive systemic change.
He says to pilot HyFlex programs with willing staff and share successes to convince broader school communities.
Kevin and our host, TJ, stress the “yes, and” approach: all students need strong academic foundations and at least one industry-valued, third-party credential by graduation.
Academic learning and technical education are complementary, not contradictory. Plumbers can be philosophers, philosophers can be plumbers.
Credentials must be regionally relevant—what’s valued locally may not transfer elsewhere. Advisory boards and industry panels are critical for identifying which certifications carry real worth in local job markets.
Schools should provide students with a “menu” of meaningful credential options and teach them to be savvy about their ongoing education and what’s truly valued by employers.
Dr. Fleming encourages stackable credentials and foster relationships with local community colleges, so each credential also builds a bridge to further education and upward pathways.
College and career readiness today, according to Kevin, means helping students discover pathways that fit who they are, not just which jobs pay the most.
Kevin shares how mismatches between degrees and personal fit (e.g., an accounting degree for someone who doesn’t like numbers or people) can leave graduates unfulfilled. True readiness aligns natural gifts, interests, and certified skills.
Counselors and teachers should support students with assessments, reflection, and opportunities to sample different fields so they don’t chase “hot jobs” or wage numbers over genuine fit.
Leadership requires creating coalitions, supporting early adopters, and modeling a willingness to keep evolving for the sake of student success.
The future of college and career readiness is about relevance, validation by local industry, and helping every learner find their purpose—on purpose.
Books mentioned during the show:
Diffusion of Innovations by Everett Rogers
Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore
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