Career Connections & Pathways

What if we viewed CTE standards not simply as requirements to meet, but as a roadmap for creating meaningful, real-world learning experiences?

I've been exploring CTE Reimagined: The Blueprint for Education's Future by Kristy Volesky and Jeff Frost, and the message is both inspiring and timely: CTE has the potential to lead the way in transforming how students learn, connect with industry, and prepare for their futures.

In this first installment of a series of bite-sized takeaways inspired by Chapter 1, Designing Transformative CTE Pathways, let's start with something familiar to every CTE educator: standards that drive learning.

Three Small Shifts to Consider

1. Start with the skill, then design the experience.

Rather than asking, "How will I cover this standard?" consider, "What could students do to demonstrate this skill in a real-world setting?"

Looking for ways to bring more real-world relevance, career exploration, and durable skills into your classroom? Meaningful industry connections can start small - and grow into lasting opportunities for students.

At our 4th Regional CTE Advisory Convening on September 24, K–12 educators, postsecondary faculty, and industry and community partners explored how guest speakers, industry site visits, and hands-on projects can create richer learning experiences. Together, they brainstormed practical ways to move beyond one-time interactions toward deeper conversations, stronger partnerships, and sustained student engagement.

The takeaway? Career-connected learning doesn't have to be complicated. It starts with intentional connections and grows through collaboration.

💡From Connections to Action: Three Ways to Start

1. Start small, but be intentional. Invite an industry professional to share their career journey, demonstrate a skill, or connect a classroom concept to a real-world challenge. Give students opportunities to ask questions and actively participate.

2. Make durable skills visible. Whether visiting a…

As we gear up for our region’s fourth CTE Regional Advisory Convening, I came across two articles that left me feeling inspired - and encouraged. The work we’re doing to strengthen connections between education, industry, and community isn’t happening in isolation. There are models taking shape in other regions that we can learn from, adapt, and make our own.

Indiana’s Partners for Professions and WestNext initiatives offer a helpful blueprint for moving from individual career-connected experiences toward a more coordinated regional approach.

A few ideas especially stood out:

🤝 Create a clear front door for partnership.

Make it easy for educators and industry partners to find one another, share what they need, and get support turning an idea into an experience.

As the new school year ramps up, there’s no shortage of conversation about AI. But for CTE and career-connected learning educators, perhaps the more useful question is:

How do we prepare students to work with AI in the careers ahead?

Workforce expert Mark C. Perna points to a growing role in today’s workforce: the “AI Orchestrator”- someone who knows how to combine AI tools with human expertise, judgment, creativity, and problem-solving. Drawing on Upwork’s 2026 Future Workforce Index, Perna makes the case that the real opportunity isn’t simply learning AI - it’s learning how to use it effectively to get meaningful work done.

That’s a natural fit for CTE and career-connected learning. Here are three easy ways to bring that thinking into your classroom this fall:

1. Ask Industry: “How Is AI Changing Your Work?”

Add one question to your next guest speaker, industry panel, or site visit: