Career Connections & Pathways

Educators across Arizona are preparing students for a future that’s anything but predictable. Career paths are less linear, technology is reshaping even small and rural economies, and students will likely move between college, work, service, and entrepreneurship over their lifetime.

The State 48 Graduate Profile is Arizona’s attempt to respond to that reality. Rather than adding new requirements, it offers a shared blueprint for what a graduate should be ready for - no matter where they live or what comes next .

For teachers, the Profile isn’t about doing more. It’s about being more intentional with the work already happening in classrooms.

What the Profile is really saying...

At its core, the State 48 Graduate Profile shifts the definition of success:

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.