At our latest IDT GSO meeting, we welcomed Dr. Kelly Harrison, Senior Director of Workforce Development at Ford Motor Company. She shared how her career took her from K–12 education to Ford, where her team helps manufacturing employees around the world build their skills and develops pathways for new talent to enter the workforce.
Dr. Harrison earned her master’s degree in instructional technology at Bloomsburg University and pursued her PhD at Wayne State University. Her career at Ford has spanned IT, culture transformation, learning and development, and workforce development. Along the way, she’s held titles such as Supervisor of Learning and Development and Director of Learning and Development. Her advice for students on the job hunt was to read the responsibilities closely. A role that uses your IDT skills might be listed under learning and development, workforce development, or another title you hadn’t thought to search for.
We also asked what she looks for when hiring instructional designers. Dr. Harrison emphasized the ability to do both design and development. She wants to see that candidates can build learning materials, conduct a needs analysis, and explain how their design choices address a larger goal. A portfolio that shows a range of learning experiences can help you demonstrate those skills. For interviews, she suggested preparing a few stories from your own work that show what problem you faced, how you approached it, and what you learned.
The conversation also touched on the tools designers can use to bring those ideas to life, including Articulate Rise, Synthesia, and Powtoon. Dr. Harrison introduced us to Arist, an AI-powered platform that can package content into short lessons and send personalized prompts to learners.
We wrapped up with a look at Ford’s focus on the “essential economy” and the role of skilled trades in manufacturing. As employers put more emphasis on the specific skills a job requires, partnerships with technical colleges and career and technical education programs can help connect students with those opportunities. Dr. Harrison also emphasized the role teachers and school counselors play in helping students explore the many routes into the workforce, including skilled trades and technical programs.
Thank you to Dr. Harrison for sharing her career journey and giving us plenty to think about as we search for jobs, build our portfolios, and prepare for interviews!
Links shared during the meeting:
- I am Remarkable
- Dr. Harrison on LinkedIn
- Arist Research Agents
- Times article: The Essential Economy’s Productivity Gap Should Worry Us All