Dan Mantz: Growing Interest in STEM, Soft Skills, and Labor Shortages | Sense Think Act Podcast #21

In this episode, Audrow Nash speaks to Dan Mantz, who is the CEO of the Robotics Education and Competition (REC) Foundation. The REC Foundation is a nonprofit that works with VEX Robotics to build interest in STEM related career opportunities. Dan speaks about the different competitions REC facilitates, why REC is a nonprofit, how REC works with VEX Robotics, on the importance of soft skills, on workforce gaps, and on the future of education.

EPISODE LINKS:
– REC Foundation’s website:
– Dan’s LinkedIn:
– Dan’s email: mailto:dan_mantz@roboticseducation.org

PODCAST INFO:
– Podcast website:
– Apple Podcasts:
– Spotify:
– RSS:
– Full episodes:
– Clips:

OUTLINE:
– (0:00:00) Start
– (0:01:34) Introductions
– (0:06:01) Funding with the museum model
– (0:12:17) What REC does day-to-day
– (0:15:19) On being a Nonprofit
– (0:16:33) Nonprofit versus for profit
– (0:21:03) Different programs for different ages
– (0:25:12) Mission and vision
– (0:26:08) Game design
– (0:29:42) Hardware
– (0:35:32) Software
– (0:37:33) Working with VEX
– (0:40:35) Preparing competitions in advance
– (0:43:26) Drone competitions
– (0:46:04) STEM workforce gaps + Industry 4.0
– (0:50:40) Soft skills and communication
– (0:57:24) COVID and simulation
– (1:00:20) Why hands on?
– (1:03:17) Open source?
– (1:08:28) Dan’s background
– (1:14:49) REC and existing education programs
– (1:19:28) Adding REC into main curriculum
– (1:25:08) Future of education
– (1:27:06) Resources and links



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