Preconference Workshops • Wednesday, February 26

9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Career Pathways Leadership Certification – Level I

This interactive workshop immerses you in best practices and insightful discussions based on CORD’s Framework for Career Pathways Alignment. Workshop segments include:

Strategically engaging employers to support innovation
Building community partnerships to facilitate seamless transitions
Designing industry-responsive career pathways
Using pathways mapping to identify and design stackable credentials
Championing and facilitating non-credit to credit alignment
Providing holistic student supports for credential completion

Participants will develop a local action plan and receive a toolbox of resources designed to support collaboration with K-16 educators, adult education programs, community organizations, and employer partners.

Claudia Maness has worked for CORD/NCPN and CORD Communications for over 28 years. She is currently the Director of Professional Development for CORD/NCPN. Before working for CORD, she was a secondary mathematics classroom teacher.

While working for CORD and CORD Communications, Claudia has been involved in developing curriculum materials, hiring and managing sales representatives across the country, and providing professional development to more than 5000 educators in 250+ workshops.

Kaye Sharbono holds a Master’s Degree Plus Thirty in Educational Leadership with endorsements in Adult and Early Childhood Education. She is the retired Director of Adult Education from Louisiana Delta Community College accumulating many accolades from her 30+ years administering Adult and Family Literacy programs in Northeastern Louisiana. Ms. Sharbono has spent her retirement years continuing her passion of Adult Education by serving on the Board of Directors for The Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE). On that board she served in many capacities including President from 2017-2019. Ms. Sharbono continues her work in the field by consulting and training programs across the country in development and implementation of cutting-edge research in the field of adult, community and family literacy education.

Career Pathways Leadership Certification – Level II

This interactive workshop challenges you to take your pathways development to the next level, based on the Advancing Credentials through Career Pathways Framework. Workshop segments include:

Assessing achievements and lessons learned
Refining implementation practices to facilitate scaling
Expanding employer engagement and work-based learning experiences
Increasing awareness and leveraging stakeholder involvement
Applying market responsiveness and sustainability strategies

Participants will have a pre-workshop assignment prior to the conference, and benefit from a virtual roundtable a month after the conference.

Ann Westrich’s professional journey showcases her deep commitment to Career and Technical Education (CTE). Starting as a Marketing Educator at Waunakee High School, she gained hands-on experience in teaching before transitioning to a broader role as the State Marketing Education Consultant at the Department of Public Instruction.

Currently Ann serves as Education Director for Career Prep and Transfer within the Wisconsin Technical College System, Ann plays a pivotal role in shaping the direction of CTE across the state. Her work involves collaborating with Career Prep Coordinators from all 16 colleges, leveraging their expertise to enhance CTE programs and opportunities.

Ann’s philosophy, encapsulated in the quote “People will support what they help to create,” reflects her belief in collaborative decision-making and community involvement.

Building Industry-responsive Biotech Pathways with Stackable Credentials (invitation only)

Building Industry-responsive Biotech Pathways with Stackable Credentials

(Invitation Only)

This full-day workshop for biotechnology educators will immerse you in best practices for career pathways development. You’ll dive into CORD’s Framework for Career Pathways Alignment to guide your team in:

Fostering partnerships to support your community’s Career Pathways ecosystem
Engaging employers through the Business & Industry Leadership Team (BILT) model
Building industry-responsive career pathways with stackable credentials
Using pathway maps to align programs and communicate with stakeholders
Integrating employability skill development in biotech courses to improve workforce readiness
Creating seamless pathways through credit for prior learning and non-credit to credit alignment
Providing holistic student supports for credential completion

Participants will draft an action plan focused on strategic pathway implementation and receive a toolbox of resources to engage with P-20, adult education, community, and employer partners.

9:00 a.m.–Noon

Workforce Development System Partnerships: Strategies for Moving Career Pathways Forward

This interactive session will focus on integration of services with workforce development partners that will guide the development and implementation of career pathways. Join us to examine your current partnerships and develop action plans to grow and strengthen current workforce development partnerships.

KayLynn Hamilton, M.Ed., is a workforce development specialist with 25-plus years of experience leading workforce development initiatives at the local, state, and federal levels. KayLynn currently serves as a Technical Assistance Coach for the federal Health Resources and Services Administration Community Health Worker Training Program initiative and as the facilitator for District 1199c Training and Upgrading Fund’s Apprenticeship Intermediary Program for the Care Economy. Recent accomplishments include the development of a comprehensive Pathway to Success pre-vocational curriculum for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. KayLynn is also the One-Stop Operator for both the Delaware County Workforce Development Area (WDA) and the North Central WDA in Pennsylvania.

Supporting Every Learner in Successfully Navigating High-Quality Career Pathways

In a time when information is critical to success and budgets are tied to outcomes, the need for strategic employer engagement with education has never been greater. No longer can programs thrive with limited input from local employers. Educators must stay informed of—and respond to—industry-specific trends that impact skill sets, national standards, and credentials. Participants will learn the tools and resources needed to map out your employer engagement strategy. Participants in this session will dive into the promising practices of developing a career preparation ecosystem through an inclusion lens. The session will provide high level overviews of counseling & career development initiatives, national models of meaningful advising implementation to borrow and share ground-level ideas for supporting special populations in high-quality career pathway programming.

Traci Sanchez, Ed.S., has a passion for creating intentional career development opportunities leading to student success. With two decades of experience in school counseling, school and district administration, and Career and Technical Education, Traci has developed robust career pathway programming. She holds a BA in Psychology, MA in Educational Counseling, and Ed.S. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.

Lauren “LJ” Jones (Austin) NCC, LPCc, CSCDA, MCC, is a past expeditionary learning instructor, teen adventure guide, and Adjunct Lecturer for School Counseling Graduate Programs. She’s a Colorado Trail thru-hiker and published author and currently is in her 15th year as the Career & Technical Education (CTE) Program Director for Special Populations, Counseling and Career Development serving statewide school districts, postsecondary institutions, and community partners by supporting Postsecondary Workforce Readiness, Meaningful Career Conversations, and other important acronyms such as ICAP, CTE, ACE, WBL, and more.

1:00–4:00 p.m.

Apprenticeships in Career Pathways: Best Practices and Lessons Learned

This session will focus on best practices and lessons learned for integrating apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships within career pathways. Attendees will learn from states and regions that are engaged in this work and be given an opportunity to develop action steps for integrating these into their own state and local plans.

Dr. Jennifer Jirous-Rapp is the Vice President of Pathways & Partnerships at CORD, where she supports initiatives related to Career Pathways. Prior to this, Dr. Rapp worked at the AIR as a TA Consultant for the DOL funded Registered Apprenticeship expansion initiative. Jennifer also worked for 10 years in state-level administration in Colorado where she provided leadership for the implementation of the state’s State Apprenticeship Expansion grant and the implementation of Adult Career Pathways. She was also the state director of STEM Career and Technical Education programs and has over a decade of experience as a professor of IT. Dr. Rapp has a PhD in Leadership, Research and Policy, a Master’s in Business Administration, and a BS in Computer Information Systems.

AI Evolution: Enhancing Creativity, Efficiency, and Ethics

The increasing complexity of AI over the last few years is comparable to the growth of the Internet. The world has gone from web-connected to AI-embedded devices and processes. This session focuses on harnessing AI for creativity in the classroom and efficiency in the workplace; ethical AI use in an educational environment; and AI-driven critical thinking.

Go here for the presenters’ preview of this session.

Dr. Lane Freeman has dedicated his career to advancing teaching and learning through innovative technologies. His expertise spans curriculum design, faculty development, and educational leadership, with a particular focus on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance educational outcomes. As the Director of Online Learning for the North Carolina Community College System, he leads initiatives that integrate AI into classroom instruction and student support services. Dr. Freeman has presented at many national and regional conferences, sharing insights on the transformative potential of AI. He has helped educators and institutions embrace cutting-edge technologies to improve teaching and student engagement. Dr. Freeman’s work reflects his commitment to lifelong learning and ensuring that students and educators alike have access to tools and strategies for success in the digital age.

Dr. Trent Mohrbutter is a lifelong learner and innovative educator with 35 years of experience. As the former Vice President for Instruction and Chief Academic Officer at Nash Community College in North Carolina, he led academic and student affairs and oversaw initiatives that increased student retention and completion. Dr. Mohrbutter integrates cutting-edge technology and AI to enhance teaching and learning and has designed, implemented, and facilitated professional learning for K-12, community colleges, and four-year institutions. An accomplished consultant, writer, and presenter, Dr. Mohrbutter is recognized nationally for his contributions to student success, retention, persistence, and completion. His focus on fostering positive, student-centered cultures and building sustainable community partnerships is central to his mission of advancing education through innovation and leadership.

BILT 101: An Introduction to the Business & Industry Leadership Team Model

Does your advisory committee need a reboot? Come learn how the Business & Industry Leadership Team (BILT) model, a proven method for strategic employer engagement, can directly impact student success. Learn actionable steps for strengthening employer engagement through the BILT and how BILT partnerships can help facilitate continuous program improvement and drive innovation. Hear about the benefits to students and employer partners of colleges that have deepened employer engagement for technical programs across their institutions. Join us to learn specifics about how the BILT model can help you foster powerful collaborations that ensure your curriculum meets business needs and students are workforce ready.

Dr. Ann Beheler has taught hundreds of colleges and universities to implement the Business and Industry Leadership Team (BILT) model, a process she created to benefit the workforce, students, colleges, and communities by deepening relationships between educators and employers. Over the past several years, she has dedicated herself to helping educators and employers use the BILT process to better align undergraduate education to the future knowledge, skill, and ability needs of business and industry. This work has increased business engagement in higher education programs and resulted in a much wider pipeline of well-qualified job candidates.

During her long career at Harper College, a leading suburban community college in the Chicago area, Dr. Maria Coons served in leadership roles such as Vice President of Strategic Alliances and Innovation, Vice President of Workforce, and Provost. She was instrumental in developing partnerships and delivering programs in high-growth sectors, contributing to the college’s mission of fostering innovation and workforce development. Dr. Coons has played a significant role in national efforts to address talent pipeline challenges. Her visionary approach to strategic alliances has been pivotal in addressing skills gaps and creating opportunities for growth and innovation.

NCPN is a project of CORD, the Center for Occupational Research and Development.

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