Designing What’s Next in Career-Connected Learning
Leaders across education, workforce, industry, and policy are navigating rapid change. The Career-Connected L/Earning Conference brings these perspectives together to build clarity, strengthen connections, and turn complexity into coordinated action.
Join us October 29-30, 2026 | The Antlers Hotel, Colorado Springs
Across Colorado and the Mountain West, educators, employers, and community leaders are working to create clearer, more connected pathways from learning to meaningful careers.
At a time of both complexity and opportunity, this conference is a working convening designed to build alignment, strengthen cross-sector connections, and turn ideas into actionable strategies that expand opportunity for learners and earners.
Join leaders and practitioners across education, workforce, industry, policy, and philanthropy to explore what’s working — and what’s next.
The Full Conference Agenda Is Here!
Two days. Four session strands. A wealth of opportunities to connect, learn, and move ideas into action.
Explore the full agenda for the 2026 Career-Connected L/Earning Conference, featuring thought-provoking keynotes, cross-sector panel discussions, practical breakout sessions, and regional conversations designed to strengthen education-to-career pathways.
See what's happening, discover the sessions most relevant to your work, and start planning your conference experience.
INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES
Explore hands-on activities, featured exhibits, and opportunities to connect throughout the conference. Available during breaks and networking time, these experiences bring career-connected learning to life.
EXPERIENCE THE FUTURE OF WORK
Don't just talk about the future of work, experience it. Step beyond traditional conference sessions to test-drive VR career simulations, explore quantum in action, and engage with hands-on demonstrations that showcase the skills and industries powering Colorado's future workforce.
THE CAREER I COULD HAVE BEEN...
Ever wondered what career path you might have taken? Step into the role with career-inspired props and attire, strike a pose, and capture a photo that celebrates the many pathways that shape our workforce.
FEATURED EXHIBITORS
Connect with organizations advancing career-connected learning and workforce development. Visit throughout the conference to explore innovative tools, resources, and solutions designed to support learners, educators, employers, and communities.
Learn from the Leaders Shaping the Future of Learning and Work
Hear from nationally recognized keynote speakers who are rethinking how we connect learning, work and economic opportunity.
Chris Gardner, bestselling author and the inspiration behind The Pursuit of Happyness, will challenge us to consider what it takes to rebuild the American Dream—one good job at a time.
Bill Burnett, co-author of Designing Your Life and Executive Director of Stanford University’s Life Design Lab, will lead an interactive keynote exploring how design thinking can help us build more meaningful, responsive pathways for learners and earners.
Explore the keynote speakers and conversations that will help shape what’s next in career-connected learning.
Find the Sessions & PANELS That Matter Most to You
No two attendees will have the same conference experience.
With sessions and panels spanning Career Advising & Navigation, Data & Evidence Building, Employer-Led Innovations, and Learner & Earner Experiences, you can build an agenda tailored to your work and your goals.
Explore topics ranging from AI and workforce readiness to apprenticeships, postsecondary success, employer partnerships, learner voice, and economic mobility.
Start exploring the agenda and discover why leaders from across the Mountain West are coming together in Colorado Springs this October.
EXPLORE SESSIONS STRANDS & REGISTER
Click the Strand icon to see all sessions in that topic.
PLANNING YOUR TRIP?
The Career-Connected L/Earning Conference will be held at the Antlers Hotel in downtown Colorado Springs. Explore nearby hotel options and plan your stay. We recommend booking early to secure your preferred location.
WHAT WE'LL TACKLE TOGETHER
This conference is grounded in the realities leaders are navigating right now — and designed to move from conversation to action.
CLARITY IN A TIME OF COMPLEXITY
Make sense of shifting policies, major investments, and evolving workforce demands through cross-sector dialogue and practical learning.
ALIGNMENT IS THE NEW ADVANTAGE
Explore how stronger connections across education, workforce, industry, and policy enable coordinated action and lasting impact.
WHAT WE COUNT — AND WHAT PEOPLE COUNT ON
Expand how we define success to include purpose, belonging, durable skills, and real pathways to opportunity.
BUILDING PATHWAYS THAT GROW WITH PEOPLE
Design flexible, connected pathways — including apprenticeships, degrees, credentials, and upskilling — that evolve with learners and earners.
WHo SHOULD attend
The Career-Connected L/Earning Conference is designed for leaders and practitioners working at the intersection of education, workforce, and economic mobility:
- K-12, postsecondary, and adult Education
- Workforce
- Employers and Industry Associations
- State and Local Policymakers
- Researchers and Data Leaders
- Intermediaries
- Community-Based Organizations
- Funders
why attend
Participants will build their capacity to design and implement real change in education-to-workforce systems.
- Explore effective strategies to align K-12, postsecondary, workforce, and employer systems
- Dig into the role of data in improving navigation, accountability, and outcomes
- Hear directly from learners and earners on support they need to build meaningful careers
- Build relationships that support sustained collaboration beyond the conference
DON'T JUST KEEP UP — HELP SHAPE WHAT's NEXT
BECOME A SPONSOR
Supporting this conference means investing in stronger connections across systems and expanding economic mobility across our region. Position your organization at the center of Colorado’s education-to-workforce transformation. The 2026 Career-Connected L/Earning Conference will convene up to 600 leaders from K–12, higher education, industry, government, and philanthropy for two days of collaboration, innovation, and action. Explore sponsorship opportunities designed to elevate your brand, amplify your impact, and demonstrate your commitment to advancing equitable career-connected pathways across the state.
YOUR CO-HOSTS
Cohosted by The Attainment Network, Peak Education, Business & Education Alliance, and the Colorado Equitable Economic Mobility Initiative (CEEMI), the conference is designed by leaders with deep expertise in regional collaboration, data-informed decision-making, and equity-centered system design.
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
