Transforming Education-to-Career Pathways

Recalculating Routes… The State of Education to Career Navigation

In this powerful session moderated by Julie Lammers of American Student Assistance, Jane joined leaders from ECMC, Kuder, and the Schultz Family Foundation to spotlight solutions that help students discover and pursue rewarding careers—whether through traditional degrees or alternative pathways like work-based learning and credentials.

Jane shared how Education at Work’s unique model integrates paid, meaningful employment with guided skill development and mentorship. As she described, “When students in our Intuit program assist real customers during tax season, they aren’t just learning technical skills—they’re gaining confidence, building cultural capital, and navigating real workplace dynamics. That’s the kind of preparation that sticks.”

She emphasized that career navigation isn’t just about coursework—it’s also about building social and professional networks, understanding workplace culture, and gaining the kind of experience that makes students stand out. “A student scanning a QR code to walk through a tax filing process isn’t just learning software,” she said. “They’re learning to explain, guide, and build trust—all essential, transferable skills.”

The conversation underscored students’ challenges navigating over 1 million credentials from 60,000 providers and the growing disconnect between degrees and perceived readiness. With 81% of employers now believing that skills matter more than degrees, the panelists called for multi-sector collaboration, greater transparency, and scalable tools that help students, families, and employers evaluate and understand all post-secondary options.

Forming a More Perfect Union… A Bipartisan Conversation

During Tuesday’s Lightning X Lunch, Jane joined an extraordinary panel of public officials and education leaders, including former U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema, former Delaware Governor Jack Markell, and state education secretaries Katie Jenner and Aimee Guidera, for a bipartisan conversation on the power of unity in transforming education and workforce development.

Moderated by Ben Wallerstein of Whiteboard Advisors, the conversation was a rare and refreshing reminder that bridging divides is possible—and necessary—when preparing young people for meaningful careers.

Jane offered a compelling perspective from the nonprofit and employer-partnered side, reinforcing that real change becomes possible when industry, government, and education align. She stressed the importance of equity, access, and relevance and how collaborative work-based learning programs like those offered by Education at Work can serve as scalable, inclusive models for student success.

Why It Matters

These two panels showcased what Jane—and Education at Work—stand for: breaking down silos, building social capital, and helping students take the most direct and supportive route from college to career. At a time when traditional education pathways are under scrutiny, E@W is proving that innovative, hands-on, and human-centered models can offer real solutions that meet the needs of both students and employers.

Let’s keep the conversation going.

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