Costa Mesa, Calif., Aug. 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Career exploration nonprofit Roadtrip Nation is excited to premiere the new one-hour documentary special “Roadtrip Nation: Rerouting,” which follows three adult learners as they explore avenues to new careers. Presented by KQED, “Rerouting” will air nationally on public television stations starting on August 15, and is available to watch online at rtn.is/rerouting.
As machines rapidly take over the performance of routine labor, researchers from Oxford University estimate that 47 percent of US jobs are at risk of replacement by automation. At the same time, AI could boost labor productivity by up to 40 percent by 2035, according to Accenture. Made possible by Lumina Foundation, “Rerouting” explores how adult learners without college degrees are seizing the opportunities of the changing world of work to build fundamental human skills and carve out durable, fulfilling career niches.
The film follows Dana, Jeremy, and Bernita as they travel from Southern California to Washington, D.C. in Roadtrip Nation’s green RV, interviewing cybersecurity professionals, metallurgists, poets, software engineers, and others, in search of a roadmap to career fulfillment in the face of automation.
Dana is a globe-trotting horse groomer looking to use her interpersonal skills to forge a more stable, gratifying career. Jeremy just hung up his Navy uniform after 17 years of service and is pivoting toward mobile app development. Bernita is a pillar of her Detroit community. An activist and advocate for families, she’s certain she could be even more effective with a little more education. Her dream is to start her own nonprofit organization.
“For 15 years, Roadtrip Nation has leveraged storytelling to help learners of all backgrounds and ages cut past the noise and find their road in life,” said Mike Marriner, president of Roadtrip Nation. “Two thirds of adults do not have a four-year degree. We cannot afford to dismiss their potential — we have to create avenues for them to learn and grow within the framework of their everyday lives. Through the stories of these three bold learners, we can all take away valuable lessons on how to advance in the midst of economic change. We’re proud to have Lumina Foundation helping to bring these stories to life.”
From helping veterans learn how to code to providing clean water to those who need it most, the professionals featured in the film are everyday people who’ve redefined themselves to meet the work landscape’s changing needs. The roadtrippers meet up with Nicole Isaac, director of North American policy at LinkedIn; Jerome Hardaway, founder of Vets Who Code; Gary Bolles, chair for the future of work at Singularity University, and other leaders in their fields. As the roadtrippers learn about the breadth of career pathways available to them, they are empowered to seize the opportunities unfolding in the world of work and launch themselves into new careers.
“Lumina is committed to a national goal of helping grow the proportion of Americans with education and training after high school – which we badly need in order to compete globally,” Lumina President and CEO Jamie Merisotis said. “We all need to recognize that today’s students are different – often working, with more life experience, and in many ways just like the learners in ‘Rerouting.’ We need to help people like this find their place in a new system of education and training if we’re to build the workforce of the future.”
To learn more about “Rerouting,” visit rtn.is/rerouting.
You can also learn more about the film by following @RoadtripNation and @LuminaFound on Twitter.
About Roadtrip Nation
“What should I do with my life?” Since 2001, Roadtrip Nation has made it their mission to help individuals answer this question. Through bestselling books, an acclaimed documentary series, and interactive classroom curricula, Roadtrip Nation empowers people to turn what they like into careers they’ll love—and helps them navigate any obstacles encountered along the way. For more information, visit roadtripnation.com/about.
About Lumina Foundation
Lumina Foundation is an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. The foundation envisions a system that is easy to navigate, delivers fair results, and meets the nation’s need for talent through a broad range of credentials. Lumina’s goal is to prepare people for informed citizenship and for success in a global economy.
About KQED
KQED serves the people of Northern California with a public-supported alternative to commercial media. An NPR and PBS affiliate based in San Francisco, KQED is home to one of the most listened-to public radio stations in the nation, one of the highest-rated public television services and an award-winning education program helping students and educators thrive in 21st-century classrooms. A trusted news source and leader and innovator in interactive technology, KQED takes people of all ages on journeys of exploration — exposing them to new people, places and ideas. www.kqed.org
About APT
American Public Television (APT) is the leading syndicator of high-quality, top-rated programming to the nation’s public television stations. For more than 10 years, APT has annually distributed one-third or more of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles in the U.S. Founded in 1961, among its 250 new program titles per year, APT programs include prominent documentaries, performance, news and current affairs programs, dramas, how-to programs, children’s series and classic movies. “America’s Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated,” “Cook’s Country,” “AfroPoP,” “Rick Steves’ Europe,” “Chris Kimball’s Milk Street Television,” “Front and Center,” “Doc Martin,” “Nightly Business Report,” “Midsomer Murders,” “A Place to Call Home,” “Lidia’s Kitchen,” “Globe Trekker,” “New Orleans Cooking with Kevin Belton,” “Simply Ming,” and “P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home” are a sampling of APT’s programs, considered some of the most popular on public television APT licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service. Entering its 13th year, Create®TV — featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming — is distributed by American Public Television. APT also distributes WORLDTM, public television’s premier news, science and documentary channel. To find out more about APT’s programs and services, visit APTonline.org.