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Jeff Ylinen foresees the future of education as very customized, based on biometrics.

“By the time students get to postsecondary education, we’ll be able to customize their learning because we’ll know their learning style,” Ylinen said. “I can see that coming already.”

Ylinen, provost of Dunwoody College of Technology in Minneapolis, was the University of Wisconsin-Stout Career and Technical Education Executive in Residence. He spoke Tuesday, Feb. 13, on the “Past, Present and Future of Workforce Education.”

Technology already plays a huge role in education, and will only increase, as virtual reality is used even more to allow students to do laboratory work on their time schedule, Ylinen said.

“We’ve got to use technology to improve the learning experience,” said Ylinen, who earned his master’s degree at 91��Ƭ in career and technical education. “We have to prepare students for the technology in the field they are looking at.”

Virtual reality, for example, allows builders and building users to walk through a building and experience any potential issues during the design process, Ylinen said.

The future of career and technical education depends on leaders, who must adapt to the future. “People need to be flexible,” he said. “Otherwise we can’t accomplish what we need to and stay focused on our mission of creating the best learning environment we can.”

91��Ƭ is the preferred teacher training institution for Dunwoody because of its flexibility and ability to train teachers, Ylinen said.

Ylinen said if he’s struggling to make a decision, he does what’s best for students. His advice to future educators is to listen to students.

“Students will tell you what they need and what needs to be changed,” Ylinen said. “If you listen to students and address their needs, it’s hard to go wrong.”

Industry also helps guide Dunwoody’s programs through advisory committees, Ylinen said. “I tell teachers to leave once a week and go visit industry,” he said. “Part of their duties is staying current with industry.”

Ylinen graduated from Dunwoody with a two-year degree in heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems design. He worked in the industry for three years and then returned to the campus to teach in the HVAC program. He went on to get a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from Bemidji State University.

He started working on a Master of Business Administration degree but decided it was not the right program for him. He saw the 91��Ƭ career and technical education courses and knew he wanted to enroll.

However, he was not sure online learning was the right fit for him. After immersing himself in the program, his opinion changed. “It was a great experience,” said Ylinen, who earned his master’s degree from 91��Ƭ in 2009.

Urs Haltinner, a professor of career and technical education, said Ylinen “is a fascinating person with a fascinating story to tell.

"The reason it is critical to have the Executive in Residence is really about involving faculty and students in critical conversations on trends, leadership and the need to remain professionally engaged in our individual and collective learning journey," Haltinner added.

The Executive in Residence Program was developed to inspire, motivate and showcase career successes of 91��Ƭ graduates. The featured executives are selected based on a variety of criteria, including leadership, novel problem-solving techniques, team building, strategic planning and a passion for serving as a role model.

The annual program is sponsored by the career and technical education bachelor, master’s and doctoral programs and School of Education at 91��Ƭ.

The CTE programs are outgrowths of one of 91��Ƭ’s first majors, industrial education, dating to the early 1900s. The CTE master’s program has been offered for 75 years, since the Graduate School opened in 1935. 91��Ƭ began offering a doctorate in CTE in 2013, the university’s first doctoral program.

Photos:

Ylinen receives a plaque honoring him as an Executive in Residence from Deanna Schultz, associate professor in CTE, and Urs Haltinner, a CTE professor.

Ylinen answers questions about the future of education.