Schedule

8:30 AM  |  Breakfast

9:15 AM  |  Welcome Remarks

9:30 – 10:30 AM |  Keynote: Jeremy Podany

10:30 – 10:45 AM|  Break

10:45 – 11:45 AM|  Breakout Sessions

• Engaging Student Veterans in the Classroom to Prepare them for Civilian Employment
  Chris Taylor, Senior Technical Assistance Coach, Safal Partners (National Veterans’ Technical Assistance Center)
• Collaborative Success: Scaling Student-Centered Career Development & Inclusive Pathways through the Michigan Apprenticeship Readiness Certification (MARC)
  Wanda Bigelow, Apprenticeship Expansion Analyst, LEO WD State Apprenticeship Expansion
• Roadmap2Opportunity – Attract and retain talent through clear career pathways
  Shelley Lowe, Director of Educated Workforce Strategy, Michigan College Access Network

12:00 – 1:15 PM |  Lunch with MCEEA Awards

1:15 – 1:30 PM  |  Break

1:30 – 2:30 PM  |  Breakout Sessions

• Aligning Learning and Work: A Student‑Centered Perspective on Career Readiness
  Amber Neher, Director, Student Success and Postsecondary Partnerships; Kiara Hayes, PSAF Fellow; Donzelle Collins, PSAF Fellow, Detroit Regional Chamber
• Untapped Talent: Connecting Employers to the Upskilled Adult Workforce
  Michelle Burke, Director of Postsecondary Programs and Partnerships, Michigan Center for Adult College Success/TalentFirst; Steve Sanocki, Director of Student Success, Muskegon Community College; Alicia Goll, Student Success Navigation Project Manager, Muskegon Community College
• Embedding Career Design into Biology Curriculum: A Collaborative Campus Model
  Denise McConkey, Career and Life Design Coach; Kelly Dorner, Director, Life Design and Campus Partnerships; Valance Washington, Professor, Oakland University

2:30 – 3:00 PM  |  Break (with snacks)

3:00 – 4:00 PM  |  Breakout Sessions

• Stackable Skills: Building Employer Aligned Microcredential Pathways
  Sarah Marshall, Professor and Department Chairperson; Jon Humiston (they/them), Director | Noncredit and Alternate Enrollment Programs, Central Michigan University
• Leveraging Handshake Tools and Data to Increase “Placement” & Employer Engagement in Required Internship Programs
  Ethan Tanis, Industry Partnerships & Work-Based Learning Manager, GVSU – Padnos College of Engineering
• Coaching Strategies for Students Stuck in the Job Search
  Kyle Thompson, Career Consultant, Michigan State University

4:00 – 5:30 PM  |  Happy Hour Reception

8:30 AM  |  Breakfast

9:30 – 10:45 AM |  Strengthening Michigan’s Early Talent Pipeline Panel

10:45 – 11:00 AM|  Break

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM|  Breakout Sessions

• Unlocking Student Motivation: Strength-Based & Transformational Coaching Techniques
  Maelle Rouquet, Career and Life Design Coach, Oakland University
• Netweaving 101: Understanding the Assignment
  James Jackson, Transportation Development and Recruitment Program Coordinator, MDOT
• Connecting Education and Employer-Led Collaboratives: Building Michigan’s Future Workforce
  Amy Kraatz, Talent Development Liaison; Collin Hoffmeyer, Talent Development Liaison, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity; James Fults, Workforce Programs and Recruitment Section Manager, Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT)

12:00 – 1:00 PM |  Lunch – Closing Ceremony