FALL 2023

Greetings,

We hope you had a great summer and are ready to re-engage with the Coalition of Career Development (CCD) Center. 

We have had an eventful few months participating in and contributing to career readiness and workforce development events and research. From March to August, we celebrated International Women's Day, raised awareness about internships, emphasized mental health in the workplace and honored Disability Pride Month. Looking ahead, we are pleased to announce that the highly anticipated “2023 Condition of Career Readiness” Report will be released later this year.

I joined the CCD Center last year as CEO with the enduring conviction that everyone is entitled to a democracy of opportunity to learn, earn and thrive in the future of work. All students and adults—as early as possible and throughout their lives—need guidance to access pathways; learn about industry; and engage in a range of high-quality, profession-based learning experiences. This conviction has only been strengthened through my engagements with our Coalition members.

This past May, our Executive Committee and staff gathered in Boston at the American Student Assistance headquarters to frame our new, three-year Strategic Plan. Informed by our founding mission, the Plan is key in helping us prepare our future workforce for high-quality, high-growth careers by making career readiness the first priority of American education.

To that end, we need nothing less than a dedicated coalition of industry leaders to INFORM, CONNECT and EMPOWER all who benefit from career readiness. We look forward to partnering with those from K-12 education, the business and industry sector, workforce development professionals, policymakers, innovative nonprofit and philanthropic organizations and certainly our youth, families and communities at large.

It is our pleasure to share what’s been happening at the CCD Center with you. To provide more focused updates, our newsletter is moving from a monthly to quarterly edition.

Thank you for your continued support of the CCD Center as we work towards career readiness for all!

Eva Mitchell, CEO

“Supporting Workforce Transitions for People with Disabilities”—the latest episode of our “Career Readiness for All” podcast—features Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Taryn Williams’ insights on federal efforts to support workforce transitions among individuals with disabilities.

“Career Readiness: A U.S. Infrastructure Imperative,” penned by our own Vice President for Research Scott Solberg, outlines clear action steps to building a high-quality, national Career Readiness Infrastructure.

In his “Special Memorial Blog,” a tribute to the architect of the ADA Robert “Bobby” Silverstein, Scott recounts the moment he realized he had met a true giant.

The CCD Center collaborates with leaders from education, business, government and non-profit organizations to create a national movement dedicated to helping all learners become career and future ready. Our work aligns with five core pillars that address the entire career development journey and offer opportunities for you to join our cause and move the complex education and workforce-development systems forward.

Our Board Members, Advisory Council and State Leaders Network convened earlier this year to strategize ways to reform our nation's career readiness infrastructure by leveraging four pivotal pieces of legislation: the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the Higher Education Act (HEA) and the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V).

A special thank you to all our participants, including our Committee Chairs Julie Lammers, Career Planning; Dr. Sharon Givens, Career Advising; Paul Perkins and David Wilcox, Applied and Work-Based Learning; Casey Welch and Matt McQuillen, Career Technology Development; and Dr. Annette Parker and Dr. Scott Solberg, Accountability.

Look out for the release of related resources and invitations to our upcoming events for opportunities to engage with our work.

Founder Leo Reddy, President of the Manufacturing Skills Council, Board Member Penny Enroth, Chair of The Palmer Foundation, Eva Mitchell and Chair Bryan Albrecht, President of Gateway Technical College, reaffirmed the CCD Center's three-year Strategic Plan and discussed implementation steps in September 2023 in Fish Creek, WI.

CCD Center's State Leader's Network Member Ilze Jansone chatted with Scott Solberg at the 2023 convening of the European Union’s NICE Academy in August 2023 in Latvia.

Board Member Roger Tadajewsi, Executive Director of the National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3) and Eva connected at NC3's Annual Leadership Summit in July 2023 in Kenosha, WI.

While in Kenosha, Board Member Sam Bottum, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Snap-on, Inc. gave Eva Mitchell and Bryan Albrecht a tour of Snap on, followed by a lunch with Snap-on CEO Nick Pinchuk!

Vice Chair Annette Parker, President of South Central College, Sam Bottum and Eva Mitchell attended the SkillsUSA Competition in June 2023 in Atlanta, GA.

Not pictured: Boyd Worsham, who sponsored CCD Center's attendance and led a large group of construction professionals to support high school and college teams—what an event!

Bryan Albrecht, Eva Mitchell, Board Vice-Chair Annette Parker, President of South Central College, Boyd Worsham and Scott Solberg toured Boston, MA after the CCD Center Retreat in May 2023.

Thank you to Board Secretary Jean Eddy, President of the American Student Assistance, for hosting our retreat (not pictured).

Board Member Sharon Givens, President of the National Career Development Association (NCDA), linked up with Eva Mitchell and Scott Solberg at NCDA's Global Career Development Conference in June 2023 in Chicago, IL.

Jean Eddy and Eva Mitchell networked at the ASU+GSV Summit in April 2023 in San Diego, CA.

Eva Mitchell presented at the National Partnerships for Educational Access Annual Conference in April 2023 in Boston, MA.

Advisory Council Member Steve DeWitt, Deputy Executive Director of the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), and Eva Mitchell exchanged ideas at ACTE's National Policy Seminar & CTE Innovation Summit 2023 in March 2023 in Washington, DC.

Eva Mitchell and Grace Moster of the Prism Group discussed economic policy with other Modern Economy Project Members in March 2023 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

Advisory Council Member Chad d’Entremont, Executive Director of the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy, and Eva Mitchell participated in the Rennie Center's 2023 Condition of Education in the Commonwealth in January 2023 in Boston, MA.

Board Member Carolyn Lee, President of The Manufacturing Institute, gave remarks at The Manufacturing Institute's Workforce Summit in October 2022 in Cleveland, OH.

CCD Center Presentations and Events | Fall 2023

Launching the 2023 Condition of Career Readiness Report

Fall 2023 | Nationwide

Later this year, CCD Center will begin to publish portions of the highly anticipated “2023 Condition of Career Readiness” report. In conjunction with a series of strategic events focused on each of our industry partners, we expect this launch to be an impactful and enriching opportunity for all to network, exchange knowledge and contribute to shaping the future of career readiness. The comprehensive report delves into the latest trends, insights and best practices across a variety of areas related to education, career readiness, workforce development and economic stability, providing valuable information for professionals, policymakers and industry leaders.

Stay tuned for further updates and information on this exciting research!

Discussing Postsecondary CTE Opportunities

September 2023 | Denver, CO

Invited to serve as a distinguished speaker, CCD Center will present at ECMC Foundation's upcoming, invitation-only Postsecondary CTE Convening. The ECMC Foundation works nationally to improve higher education for career success among underserved populations through evidence-based innovation.

Presenting on Social and Emotional Learning

September 2023 | Washington, DC

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) and the Edna Bennet Pierce Prevention Research Center at the Pennsylvania State University invited the CCD Center to present on the intersection of social and emotional learning (SEL), career readiness, and workforce readiness at the “Envisioning a Coordinated Public-Sector Agenda on SEL and Workforce Readiness.”

Upcoming Partner Events | Fall 2023

ACTE Best Practices and Innovations in CTE Conference

September 27-29, 2023 | Salt Lake City, Utah

US Chamber of Commerce Foundation Talent Forward 2023

October 4, 2023 | Washington, DC

Manufacturing Institute Workforce Summit

October 16-17, 2023 | Atlanta, GA

US Chamber of Commerce Foundation Corporate Citizenship Conference and Citizen Awards Ceremony

November 1-2, 2023 | Washington, DC

Association for Middle Level Education Annual Conference

November 1-4, 2023 | National Harbor, MD

CASEL 2023 SEL Exchange

November 7-9, 2023 | Atlanta, GA

2023 Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) Annual Conference

November 8-10, 2023 | Baltimore, MD

Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) Annual Policy Forum

November 13-15, 2023 | Nashville, TN

ACTE CareerTech VISION

November 29 - December 3, 2023 | Phoenix, AZ

The Coalition for Career Development (CCD) Center is an industry-led nonpartisan coalition committed to making career readiness the first priority of American education and workforce development. We collaborate with educators and educational institutions, business and industry champions, workforce development leaders, policymakers and other government entities who—like you—are dedicated to enhancing career planning, professional career advising, applied and work-based learning, career development technology and accountability. Informed by our partners’ varied and valuable expertise and bolstered by emerging research, our work ensures all learners are career and future ready.