MAKE SENSE OF WHAT's NOW - AND WHAT's NEXT
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.
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 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.
01
DATA AND EVALUATION
Use data with intention to identify what’s working, understand what needs to change, and strengthen outcomes through better decision-making.
02
CAREER ADVISING & NAVIGATION
Learn how strong advising systems help learners connect education to career goals, navigate pathways with confidence, and build purpose and belonging.
03
EMPLOYER-LED INNOVATIONS
Explore how employers are shaping and partnering across systems to design pathways aligned to real workforce needs.
04
LEARNER AND EARNER EXPERIENCES
Hear directly from learners and earners about what’s working — and where gaps remain — to design systems that are accessible, meaningful, and aligned to in-demand careers.
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
Join leaders across sectors working to build clearer, more connected pathways from learning to meaningful careers.
Early registration is $350. Beginning August 1, the registration fee will increase to $400.
Submit a proposal to present
We’re seeking dynamic, practice-focused sessions that move beyond ideas in isolation and demonstrate how real change happens. We want to showcase work that:
- Advances high-quality career-connected pathways
- Strengthens career advising and navigation
- Builds trust in data and evidence to guide decision-making
- Demonstrates meaningful employer engagement
- Centers learner and earner perspectives
- Moves promising practices from pilots to measurable, scalable impact
🗓 Proposal deadline: April 24, 2026
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.
