Career Connections & Pathways

Let’s name the reality: AI can feel daunting!! New tools appear weekly, expectations feel unclear, and many educators are left wondering where to even start - on top of everything else already on your plate. The good news is you don’t need to chase every new platform to support students well.

A recent Forbes article by Mark C. Perna does a great job cutting through the noise by focusing on the AI Skills That Actually Create a Competitive Advantage- and they’re far more human than technical.

Read the article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/markcperna/2025/12/10/the-top-5-ai-skills-to-build-your-personal-competitive-advantage/

The short, educator-friendly takeaway:

• Help students think with AI, not copy from it (compare, critique, improve).

A new federal workforce plan, America's Talent Strategy: Building the Workforce for the Golden Age, released, and even though it lives at the national level, the ideas inside it land directly in our classrooms. The theme running through the entire document is simple: students need relevant, hands-on learning and clear connections to the world they’re entering.

Here’s the quick breakdown - what this plan is really about, what it means for our work, and where it may lead.

1. What the plan is trying to address

Businesses across the country are struggling to find skilled workers, and AI is reshaping nearly every career field. The federal response emphasizes:

Artificial intelligence is quickly reshaping Career and Technical Education, and this recent Education Week piece offers a useful look at how CTE teachers are blending AI into hands-on learning:https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/classroom-view-how-ai-is-influencing-teacher-approaches-to-career-and-technical-ed/2025/11

One of the educators highlighted in the article is Leah Ferguson, a local CTE Graphic Design & Digital Media teacher at The Dalles High School. Leah’s inclusion is a proud moment for our region - her classroom is featured as an example of how CTE teachers are helping students use AI creatively and responsibly. Her students treat AI as an early-stage design partner, while the real creative and technical work still happens through thoughtful human skill.

Practical Ways CTE Teachers Can Use AI Today

Use AI for early drafts and ideation.

• Generate quick sketches, concepts, or outlines.

• Have students critique the AI outputs, then build their own versions.

A growing number of Gen Z students are questioning the traditional “college-for-all” pathway — and for good reason. The CNBC feature “Gen Z Ditching College for Blue-Collar Careers” explores how young people are redefining success, rediscovering the value of skilled trades, and demanding education that feels relevant and purposeful.

For secondary educators and CTE teachers, this cultural shift offers a moment to help students connect what they learn today with who they hope to become tomorrow.

🔍 Key Takeaways for Educators

1. Relevance beats rhetoric. Students aren’t rejecting education—they’re rejecting irrelevance. Bring learning to life with local examples, industry projects, and short “Pop-In” visits from professionals who use the very skills you teach.

2. College now means many things. The video highlights apprenticeships, technical programs, and credentials that open doors to high-wage, high-demand careers. Help students see all their options—community college, on-the-job training, or four-year degrees—as valid pathways.