iBuild America Podcast

About iBuild America Podcast

The iBuild America Podcast empowers workforce development professionals with insights from industry leaders, exploring strategies, challenges, and solutions to build the Workforce of the Future. Join us to foster collaboration and drive meaningful change.

Publisher

iBuild America Podcast

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

30 Apr 2025

Latest episode

30 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

81 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   30 Sept 2026

   Is AI Coming for the Trades? A 30-Year HVAC Vet Says No

   Tommy Breedlove thought his HVAC days were over. After decades of climbing into hot Texas attics, he had moved on to driving trucks. Then his son, a plumbing instructor at North Texas Job Corps, called with an offer: "Dad, you taught me everything I know. Come teach them." In this episode of the iBuild America Podcast, host Damaris Casanova talks with Tommy about his unexpected move into teaching and about the young people who come to Job Corps looking for a fresh start. Tommy explains how he earns trust with students who have been let down before, why he moved his classroom from textbooks to hands-on work, and why he'll repeat a lesson 20 times if that's what it takes. He covers why AI and robotics won't replace skilled tradespeople, how HVAC can take someone from minimum wage to $30 an hour, and why employers shouldn't write off Job Corps because of one bad experience. In this episode: The phone call that brought Tommy back to HVAC as a teacher How students helped him redesign his training stations Why "sometimes guys just need a friend" Real-world customer service lessons for Texas-heat emergencies How HVAC works as an apprenticeship-style career path Why the trades matter more than ever in the age of AI Tommy's advice for anyone unsure about their next step If you're 18 and figuring out what's next, 35 and thinking about a career change, or an employer looking for motivated talent, this conversation shows what can happen when someone believes in you. 🎧 Listen now, and subscribe so you don't miss the next story of people building America. iBuild America Podcast: building workforce success, one podcast at a time.

2. 

   24 Sept 2026

   Get Paid to Learn: The Job Corps to Apprenticeship Pipeline

   Scott Geer has spent about 40 years in the masonry trade. He started as a tile setter, went on to terrazzo and marble, and has spent the last 15 years in brick. Along the way he taught apprenticeship programs in Seattle and Las Vegas. Today he's the brick instructor at North Texas Job Corps, where he spends his days turning "I'm not sure this is for me" into "I built that." In this episode of the iBuild America Podcast, host Damaris Casanova sits down with Scott for an honest conversation about what it takes to build a real career with your hands. They cover: Why the worker who shows up a few minutes early often beats the most talented one How apprenticeships work: your raises are written down on paper, and if you do your part, you get paid more The job sites where you can't bring your phone at all, not even in your pocket How drones, touchscreen blueprints and computer-run saws are changing the trades The biggest myth about Job Corps ("I thought it was jail or something") Why this generation of tradespeople will be needed for at least the next 20 years You'll also hear about the former student who's now sending Scott pictures of his paychecks, bought a new truck and took a 10-day solo trip to Hong Kong. Whether you're 17 and trying to figure out what comes after high school, 25 and ready for a fresh start, or a parent, mentor or employer who cares about the next generation, this one's for you. 🎧 Listen now and subscribe to the iBuild America Podcast so you don't miss the next story.

3. 

   17 Sept 2026

   Skip the Debt: Why Apprenticeships Might Beat the 4-Year Degree

   What if the biggest barrier between a young person and a stable career isn’t talent, or drive, or even opportunity — but simply not knowing a program like this exists? In this episode of the iBuild America Podcast, host Damaris Casanova sits down with Will Houston, Senior Director of the North Texas Job Corps Center in Dallas, Texas, for a conversation that goes far beyond job training. After 27 years inside Job Corps, Will has seen it all: students who walk in without a high school diploma and walk out with a trade, a diploma, and a completely different sense of who they are. Will breaks down the biggest myths about Job Corps (no, it’s not “juvie,” and no, it’s not only for kids labeled “disadvantaged”), the trades North Texas Job Corps trains for — from electrical, HVAC, and carpentry to nursing, medical assisting, and culinary — and why he believes manufacturing and welding are becoming a matter of national security. But this episode is really about people. Will opens up about the hardest part of his job, why he believes “leaders show and managers tell,” the oxygen-mask philosophy that keeps him from burning out, and the line that sticks with you long after the episode ends: most of the students who come to Job Corps “don’t come in batteries included” — and it’s the staff’s job to help charge them up. Whether you’re 16 and wondering what’s next, 25 and looking for a career reset, or someone who has built a life and wants to understand how the next generation is being trained to build alongside you — this conversation will change how you see workforce development, and maybe how you see potential. In This Episode: • The biggest misconceptions about Job Corps — and the truth about who it’s really for • Why the program is 100% free (housing included), and why that changes everything for families • The trades in demand right now: construction, healthcare, culinary, material handling — and why welding may be a national security issue • The difference between leaders and managers, in Will’s words: “Managers tell. Leaders show.” • How Job Corps builds “the whole human,” not just a skill set • The hardest part of the job — and how Will processes it • Why apprenticeships are the natural next step after Job Corps, and how employers benefit from investing in them • What to expect if you tour a center — and why Will’s advice is simply “come and see” A new episode of the iBuild America Podcast is live now — listen and follow so you never miss an episode. Know a teenager or young adult trying to figure out their next step? Share this episode with them — it could change their path.

Who has been a guest on iBuild America Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Danica Huber
• Tom Barrett
• Besa Pinchotti
• Mary Lamparter
• David Hunn

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

10,940

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Podcast Authority Score: 39 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

49

Social presence

0

YouTube

72

Engagement

0