This is the first of a two-day session for School Counselors to offer them a deeper understanding of CTE and provide them with resources to better aid them when advising students regarding CTE pathways. Counselors attending will gain an understanding of how CTE is a bridge to a variety of postsecondary opportunities. They will have the opportunity to network with other school counselors, learn about pathways working with ATCs and CTCs, and get guidance to other sessions during the conference that will be of specific benefit to them. EILA certificate awarded at the conclusion of the session.
Hard Hats! Bright Futures! How Gen Z Is Redefining Success explores how today’s students are reshaping postsecondary decision-making and what that means for effective school counseling. Designed for counselors and advisors, this session reframes postsecondary education as a set of multiple, equally valid pathways—including apprenticeships, skilled trades, technical education, community colleges, and four-year degrees—rather than a single hierarchy. Participants will examine labor market realities in Kentucky, unpack common data and advising biases that unintentionally elevate one path over others, and gain concrete strategies for helping students identify best-fit options based on interests, learning style, financial realities, and career goals. The presentation highlights Kentucky-specific workforce data, CTE pathways, apprenticeships, and stackable credentials, equipping counselors with practical tools and language to confidently guide students and families toward informed, aligned postsecondary choices in a “college and careers” reality. EILA certificate awarded at the conclusion of the session.
Traditional career conversations often focus too narrowly on job titles rather than skills, identity, and evolving opportunities. This interactive session equips counselors and CCR coaches with practical questioning frameworks that shift conversations from What do you want to be? to Who are you becoming? Participants will learn how to guide students in exploring strengths, values, transferable skills, and career clusterswhile reducing pressure and perfectionism. Walk away with ready-to-use conversation scripts, reflection tools, and advising structures that work across middle and high school settings.
Are you ready to start a CTE Career Lab in your middle school? During this session attendees will learn about how I run my Paxton and Patterson Career Lab. We will explore the 16 different modules that I currently run in the classroom at one time. They will receive different teacher created resources and resources I have been using that will work in any career lab.
CTE Career Lab Teacher at a middle school level. A KEDC Renaissance Teacher Learder 2024-present time. I have presented at KAST and the KEDC Grant Summer Conference.
Explore how the Kentucky Postsecondary Advising Scope and Sequence can strengthen Individual Learning Plan (ILP) implementation and support meaningful college and career readiness. Participants will learn about new ILP training resources and how to leverage the Kentucky Postsecondary Advising Scope and Sequence alongside Futuriti, Kentucky's career exploration platform, to help students make informed postsecondary decisions. Discover strategies for integrating these free resources into various advising structures while building strong school and community partnerships to support robust, student-centered advising systems.
Director, Kentucky Advising Academy, Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE)
Mitzi Holland is an education leader with more than 25 years of experience in Career and Technical Education (CTE) and postsecondary readiness. She began her career as a business educator, spending 15 years developing students’ practical and career-focused skills. She later served... Read More →
Senior Fellow, Kentucky Advising Academy, Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE)
Susie Burkhardt is a lifelong educator with a 35-year career of fostering student-centered learning and academic excellence. Currently serving as a Senior Fellow for the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, Susie is supporting the development of the Kentucky Advising Scope... Read More →
This session focuses on how CTE instructors can collaborate with local business and industry to establish, design, and sustain inclusive employer-engagement partnerships that create authentic, real-world career readiness for all students, including those with disabilities. Participants will learn intentional partnership design strategies to co-create vibrant learning experiences, equip employers with the tools, resources, and supports they need to participate confidently, and reduce employer uncertainty.
Coaching Coordinator, Transition Education Unit, Kentucky Department of Education - Office of Special Education and Early Learning
Tracy Parks is a Coaching Coordinator for the Office of Special Education and Early Learning’s (OSEEL) Transition Education Unit. She has 20 years of experience in public education, including roles as a CTE principal, MTSS coordinator, data visualization specialist, and dual-certified... Read More →
In this session, you'll explore how Ready for Industry supports career readiness through interactive, standards-aligned lessons. The program covers essential sectors like Manufacturing, Construction, Health Science, Information Technology, and Logistics. Students build awareness of real career pathways, develop soft skills, and learn about current workforce trends and expectations. Whether you're leading a work-based learning program or just looking to bring more career-focused content into your classroom, Ready for Industry is a powerful tool to help students connect what they learn in school to what they'll need on the job. RFI includes an opportunity for participants to earn an industry-recognized stackable micro-credential through NOCTI.
This session introduces Kentucky’s newly adopted Middle School Career Studies and Financial Literacy Standards and highlights a set of ready-to-use lesson plans designed to support their implementation. Participants will explore how early career awareness and financial literacy help students recognize their strengths, set meaningful goals, and make informed decisions about their futures. Through discussion, practical examples, and implementation strategies, school counselors and educators will gain tools to create engaging, real-world learning experiences that prepare all students for success in high school, postsecondary pathways, and beyond.
