Curious how today’s students can jump the gap from classroom learning to real healthcare impact? We sit down with Emily Todd, Senior Manager for Career Partnerships at Pearson, to unpack a practical blueprint: engage employers earlier, leverage AI and simulations to widen access, and build the soft skills that carry across every care setting. Emily explains why middle school is not too soon to spark career intent, how virtual events and micro-internships open doors, and what makes a partnership more than a logo on a banner.
We dig into technology as an equalizer—VR for safe, repeatable practice, AI for personalized exploration, and digital networks that help students in any zip code find mentors and opportunities. Emily shares how Pearson’s data points to a shift: learners want clarity and relevance now. That means tighter collaboration between educators and employers, from co-designed projects to sponsored competitions that highlight real roles and expectations. Along the way, we surface tactics students can use today: job shadowing, simulations, team competitions, and a simple outreach plan for informational interviews that actually get replies.
The conversation also gets personal as Emily traces her path from high school science teacher to building national partnerships, showing how communication, adaptability, and initiative create leverage in a changing job market. Her optimism is contagious: the next generation is eager, tech-savvy, and purpose-driven, and healthcare needs exactly that mix. If you care about workforce readiness, health career pathways, or meaningful learning that leads to jobs, this one will give you clear steps and renewed energy.
Learn more here:
@Connections Academy
@Pearson
Connections Academy College and Career Readiness
Episode Transcript
Welcome to the Future of Health Podcast,
presented by HOSA Future HealthProfessionals.
I'm honored to be here todaywith Emily Todd, Senior Manager
for Career Partnerships atPearson.
Emily, welcome.
SPEAKER_01 (00:19):
Thanks so much for having me.
SPEAKER_00 (00:20):
It's so great to have you here, especially with
everything that you and Pearsonare doing to help with the
pipeline of future healthprofessionals.
It's incredible.
And so, Emily, you lead uppartnership development and
strategy at Pearson.
How do you see strategicpartnerships shaping the future
of career readiness, especiallyin the healthcare field?
SPEAKER_01 (00:44):
Great question.
I think partnerships are one ofthe most important things to
having a solid college andcareer readiness offering,
whether it's in healthcare orany other industry focus, giving
employers the opportunity tointerface directly with students
earlier is the magic, and that'show we connect students to
(01:04):
opportunities, help studentsfind out what they're really
passionate about, and ultimatelylead to more successful and
happier futures.
SPEAKER_00 (01:12):
And so Pearson's obviously known for being at the
intersection of education andinnovation.
How are you seeing to there's somuch?
How are you seeing technologytransformation impact how
students prepare, especially forhealth careers today?
SPEAKER_01 (01:28):
Yeah, the world of education and technology in
general is rapidly changingbefore our eyes.
I know we talked a little bitabout AI yesterday.
But I think what's excitingabout this world of education
and this generation of talentthat's in school now is that
they have grown up withtechnology at their fingertips.
Unlike myself or you, who mighthave had to learn technology a
little bit later or adjust tosomething new, they're ready and
(01:51):
adaptable to new change andexcited to get their hands on
things like simulators orvirtual reality, even.
And I think that's what's reallyexciting about making healthcare
training more accessible to allstudents that are interested in
that pathway.
SPEAKER_00 (02:07):
Yeah, we talked a lot about AI.
And we see AI moving andchanging, and the future is
already here.
We talked about that.
SPEAKER_01 (02:13):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (02:14):
And so you've worked a lot in change and technology.
How do you see, Emily,technology changing how students
learn and get ready for the realworld?
SPEAKER_01 (02:26):
Yeah, I think technology is the great, the
great equalizer.
It helps students from all typesof backgrounds, no matter where
you live, what your zip code is,be able to find out more about
their passions, their purpose,and careers they want to connect
to.
The first tenet of changemanagement is awareness.
So I think that, you know, in mygeneration, I only knew a few
(02:46):
careers based on what my parentsdid, my neighbors, maybe my
teachers.
Um, but now the world is reallyat students' fingertips using um
technology and AI to help bettermatch them to opportunities.
And I think it's really excitingfor them.
SPEAKER_00 (02:58):
It sure is.
And so soft skills, do you referto them as soft skills?
SPEAKER_01 (03:02):
We do.
We talk we say soft skills, wealso say power skills.
SPEAKER_00 (03:05):
Power skills.
Oh, wow.
Okay.
So, like communication,teamwork, adaptability, they're
becoming a big deal.
I think they were always a bigdeal.
SPEAKER_01 (03:11):
Definitely.
SPEAKER_00 (03:12):
Um, why are they so even more so important today?
SPEAKER_01 (03:16):
I think soft skills are so important for this
generation of talent that's justentering the workforce because
just about what we talked about,technology is changing so much.
There are jobs that um studentsin high school right now will
have in 10 years that don't evenexist yet today.
Um, but the soft skills arewhat's transferable amongst all
careers.
So being a good team player,like students in HOSA really get
(03:38):
to develop, or being a goodcommunicator, or being able to
critically think about somethingthat will help you in any
career.
So being able to be exposed tothose and develop those skills
earlier will only help them havemore success in the future.
SPEAKER_00 (03:50):
And so the follow-up to that is how can they start
doing that right now?
SPEAKER_01 (03:52):
I love that question.
Um, my I'm a former teacher, soI'm all about hands-on
activities for students andreally getting them into the
world of work sooner.
So any opportunity a student hasto figure out what they do and
don't like is going to help themin one way or the other forge
their path forward.
Um, so letting them participatein internships, job shadowing,
(04:16):
um, doing hands-on um activitiesin classrooms, simulations, as
well as joining organizationslike HOSA to get those hands-on
experiences and develop theirleadership and soft skills, all
of that will help them so thatwhen they're ready for their
first job, um, they already havethose skills developed.
SPEAKER_00 (04:30):
Incredible advice.
And so, what is one piece ofadvice you'd give a student
thinking about a future inhealthcare or health education?
SPEAKER_01 (04:39):
Yeah, great question.
My biggest piece of advice toall students, especially those
interested in healthcare, is toreally dive in early and don't
be afraid to build a connection,especially with this day and age
with where we are.
Sometimes it can feel a littleintimidating to reach out to
someone, whether you use asocial platform like LinkedIn to
connect, or maybe you have afriend or a teacher who has
(05:01):
someone that works in aparticular healthcare field, ask
them questions.
I always say people love talkingabout themselves.
Um, so being willing to putyourself out there and make a
professional connection, it canhelp you not only to maybe um
have a mentor, but just learnmore about the world of
healthcare, which is so muchmore broad than what people
really know.
SPEAKER_00 (05:21):
And so I'd like to shift just a little and talk
about how companies and schools,educators, education in general,
how are they collaborating nowversus before, perhaps?
SPEAKER_01 (05:34):
Yeah, that's a really big part of my job at
Pearson is helping to bridgethat gap between the classroom
and education and the workforce.
And data that we're seeing atPearson by being able to survey
students from across the countryis that students are thinking
about their careers now earlierthan ever.
In middle school, studentsalready have an idea of at least
the industry, if not a specificjob that they're interested in
(05:56):
pursuing in the future.
So the biggest takeaway forpartners that we're seeing
success is partners that areaccessing early talent sooner,
whether that's doing virtualevents with them just to raise
awareness, providing internshipopportunities for students, or
even sponsoring events like hereat HOSA, how corporations are
sponsoring competitive events,anything to get students to know
(06:19):
their brand, their beliefs as anorganization, as well as the
types of jobs they have, reallyhelps to build that bridge into
the future for students whenthey're ready to have their
first job.
SPEAKER_00 (06:29):
And so, how can organizations like HOSA help
prepare students for theirfuture?
What can they do, what can we dobe doing more of?
SPEAKER_01 (06:38):
Yeah, I think HOSA's doing a great job of this
already, but um what's beenreally awesome to see after
coming to the ILC for many yearsis just the expansion of that
expo hall.
Right, right.
The number of partners that HOSAhas now and really making
partnerships and connections.
I know you all always talk aboutyour partners being like family
and really caring about thestudents.
It's not just a name or a logoyou're putting on a poster or a
(06:59):
sign, it's building and forgingrelationships with companies and
organizations that truly arepassionate about your students
and want to recruit them in thelong run.
So continuing to add that intoyour messaging to partners, not
just to come and join our expo,but also um to recruit our
students down the road, stayconnected to our alumni.
I think that's one of the mostimportant things I know HUSA's
(07:20):
already doing, but can continueto do and grow.
SPEAKER_00 (07:22):
Incredible, incredible, Emily.
And so I'd love to ask you aquestion about you.
So you um have had a very youknow successful career.
You're helping lead the way nowat Pearson and do all these
incredible things.
Was there a moment in yourcareer?
Was there a moment in yourcareer where you had to rely on
those soft skills that we talkedabout earlier?
(07:43):
Was there a moment like that?
SPEAKER_01 (07:44):
Definitely.
Um so I mentioned before, um Iactually was a high school
science teacher for five years.
Um, so kind of college, startedteaching immediately.
I always knew I had a passionfor helping students.
So naturally, growing up inrural South Carolina, teacher
was the job that I was told Ishould do.
I didn't know a lot abouttechnology or education
technology.
Um, and when I got intoteaching, I liked it, but I
(08:04):
really wanted to make a biggerimpact.
And I actually think it was umthe experiences I had in high
school and in college doingpublic speaking, participating
in things like I was anorientation leader at my
college, um, and I worked inadmissions when I was at college
that helped me to learn abouthigher ed and um the world of
recruiting.
So I actually got a job out ofteaching where I still got to
(08:25):
connect students toopportunities, and I worked for
a startup that was kind of likeLinkedIn for the next generation
of talent for a little bit.
So I got to know um HOSA in theearly days, and I got to use my
soft skills to show I was morethan just a teacher and
ultimately achieved my goal ofmaking a larger impact on
students by helping them connectto things like scholarships,
internships, and jobs.
SPEAKER_00 (08:45):
Incredible, incredible.
And so, what gives you, Emily,hope or excitement about the
future of students entering thehealthcare professions?
SPEAKER_01 (08:53):
I love that question, and especially being
here at the ILC already.
I mean, I've talked to middleschoolers today that are telling
me about their what they've donerelated to job chattering
surgeries, even.
Um, so just how excited they aremakes me excited.
I think the world of healthcaresometimes people um think of it
as, you know, a really hard job.
It's definitely really mentallytaxing to be in healthcare.
(09:15):
So to know that the future ofhealthcare is bright with all
these amazing hosts of studentsthat are really excited and
ultimately care about people andmaking the world a better place
gives me a lot of excitement.
SPEAKER_00 (09:25):
Wow.
And that's a great testimonialright there.
It's and it's so it's sopowerful to hear you say that.
How can folks learn more aboutwhat you're doing at Pearson?
SPEAKER_01 (09:34):
Yeah, definitely check out Pearson.com.
Um you can see more about ourour range of offerings there
from K-12 all the way throughthe workforce, and definitely
connect with me on LinkedIn aswell.
SPEAKER_00 (09:45):
Emily Todd Pearson, Future Health Podcast presented
by HOSA Future HealthProfessionals.
Thank you so very much.
SPEAKER_01 (09:53):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (09:53):
Incredible.
Thank you.
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