Traditional college and career prep is not working. Most students in our country navigate a disjointed “patchwork” of programs—dual credit, work-based learning, and sporadic advising—that leaves them ill-prepared for an AI-driven workforce.

We dive into the newly released A Launchpad for Life report from the Commission on Purposeful Pathways. This session will explore how to move beyond the patchwork toward a cohesive system approach that ensures every student graduates knowing who they are, where they are going, and who can help them get there.

Key Discussion Points:

• The Four Critical Shifts: Why we must move the goalposts from high school graduation to long-term economic mobility.
• The Advising Linchpin: Practical insights on how to pivot from transactional counseling to transformational advising that accounts for AI and economic shifts.
• Navigating Uncertainty: How to build student agency, belonging, and social capital to future-proof careers against AI disruption and economic shifts.
• A Call to Action: How district leaders, state officials, and funders can align policy and practice to make transitions a shared responsibility.