
Preconference Workshops • Wednesday, November 8
WED 9:00–4:30
Leading Career Pathways: A Certification for Practitioners (formerly Career Pathways Leadership I)
This interactive workshop immerses you in best practices and insightful discussions based on the Advancing Credentials through Career Pathways Framework. 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 to deploy with K-16, adult education, community, and employer partners.

Kay Sharbono
Former Director of Adult Education, Louisiana Delta Community College;
Former President, Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE)

Jennifer Wagner
Campus Manager, Fox Valley Technical College, Chilton Regional Center
Scaling Career Pathways: A Certification for Influencers (formerly Career Pathways Leadership 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
- Designing labor market-responsive professional development
- Facilitating partner collaboration for program-to-program articulation
Participants will have a pre-workshop assignment prior to the conference, and benefit from a virtual roundtable a month after the conference.

Ann Westrich
Career Prep and Career Transition Education Director with the Wisconsin Technical College System

Claudia Maness
Director, National Career Pathways Network
WED 9:00–Noon
The Heart of Leadership: A Pathway Forward

Dr. Nicholas Brown
Leadership Coach/Business Consultant
Employer Engagement: From Strategy to Implementation

Debbie Davidson
Technical Assistance Director, Center for Occupational Research and Development (CORD)

Danielle Rose
Director of Experiential Learning, Forsyth Technical Community College
WED 1:00–4:00
Apprenticeships in Career Pathways: Best Practices and Lessons Learned

Jennifer Jirous-Rapp
Senior Research Associate, CORD
Tools for Adopting the Framework for a Cross-Disciplinary STEM Core

Ann-Claire Anderson
Senior Vice President, Special Projects, CORD