This episode’s guest is Joel Leonard! Joel is a recognized leader in building pipelines of skilled technicians and helping grow respect and appreciation of the maintenance profession. With over 30 years of professional experience, Joel has helped all types of people, from ex-offenders looking for jobs to C-Suite executives looking for talent, as well as top government and educational leaders looking to grow talent pools to retain and attract employers.

For over 15 years Joel has adopted the skills and maintenance crises as his life's mission. He has spoken at international conferences, spoken before US Congress, on CNBC, and NPR. He created an online TV show, wrote hundreds of columns about solutions to the skills gap, and worked in the trenches of building pipelines of skilled technicians in the aviation, machining, and maintenance sectors. In 2014 Joel helped set up a Makers Space in Greensboro where 16 companies were formed, 9 patents were filed, and over 50 job seekers got employment.

Joel has counseled college presidents, executives, and governmental leaders on how to build a stronger workforce and prepare for future talent needs. Joel is also the creator of the famous Maintenance Crisis song. www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJJ_zFvAS1M