by Jen Myers

Project Learn and the Middlesex 3 Coalition recently brought leaders in government, education, and industry together for “Pathways to Possibility: From Classroom to Career,” a discussion at Middlesex Community College about the current climate and what the future holds.

The event featured a panel discussion and Q&A session moderated by attorney and Project Learn board member Stephanie Klinkenberg-Ramirez (LHS ’09) with Congresswoman Lori Trahan, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Associate Commissioner Elizabeth Bennett, and Superintendent of Schools Liam Skinner.

“We know that collaboration among stakeholders is essential to effectively support education, our youth, our workforce and career pathways to foster a strong economy in the city of Lowell and our region,” said State Rep. Vanna Howard in opening the event and introducing Congresswoman Lori Trahan.

Trahan emphasized the importance of federal support for technical and vocational education and workforce training programs, which are facing budget cuts and closures under the Trump administration.

“Every student should have access to both college and career-connected learning opportunities no matter their zip code, no matter their upbringing, and programs like Job Corps and AmeriCorps and federal investments in career and technical education are designed to do just that – expand opportunities and level the playing field,” she said. “That’s why it is so frustrating that the Trump administration is actively working to gut many of these programs; they are undermining pathways that help young people find stability and find success. These aren’t just education cuts; they are cuts to our country’s future workforce, to our economic resilience, and to our national economic security.”

She added that by weakening our education and workforce training programs we are weakening the nation’s ability to respond to future public health, cybersecurity, and other crises.

The panel discussion focused on college and career readiness as early as elementary school, so students have the knowledge, tools, and supports needed to create and follow a plan to reach their goals.

Klinkenberg-Ramirez said when she was in high school 20 years ago, she had no idea how to look for or get an internship or if any were available. She was not aware of career opportunities beyond the well-known jobs like doctor, lawyer, teacher, etc.

Last summer, she attended a showcase for the students who participated in Project Learn’s internship program, working in a variety of organizations and businesses, and was blown away by what they told her they had gained from the experience – how to better manage their time, how to prioritize projects, and how to work autonomously – all real-world skills that will make them better students and more prepared when they enter the workforce.

Bennett, a Lowell native, said DESE is “looking at reimagining high school to ensure all students are college, career, and civic-ready when they graduate.”

That vision starts in middle school with a plan known as MyCAP (My Career and Academic Plan) that helps middle school students focus on what they are interested in and choose courses in high school that provide the foundation as well as learning opportunities in their field of choice.

Bennett said DESE is committed to offering different types of pathways to meet the needs of all students including:

Innovation Career Pathways – career-focused programs within high schools, designed to connect students with high-demand industries through coursework and internships.

Chapter 74 Vocational Training: Career and technical education programs that prepare students with industry-recognized credentials and hands-on applied learning, after which students can either continue on to college or go directly into the workforce.

Early College – An opportunity for high school students to earn college credits while still in high school and get a taste for what they can expect in college.

Bennett stressed that these programs need partners like MassHire, Project Learn, MEPA Pathways, and others to make them a reality and that DESE is looking forward to continuing these partnerships and building more.

Skinner echoed the importance of partnerships. At Lowell Public Schools, we rely on strong partnerships with Middlesex Community College, UMass Lowell, and Project Learn to provide college and career opportunities to our students.

And like Bennett, Skinner emphasized that the seeds need to be planted early and the message reinforced that there are opportunities available to those willing to put in the work.

“At the Butler Middle School, Principal Jaime Moody came in and completely ramped up the academic expectations, so students are learning at a much higher level, but in concert with that they have introduced a series of college and career ready opportunities for middle schoolers,” he said. “The expectation at the school is – ‘I’m going somewhere,’ even if the student is undecided as to what they want to do.”

At Lowell High School, planning becomes more intentional. Students start to map out their MyCAP in ninth grade and in junior year English class go through a series of career explorations, as well as attend college and career fairs, have opportunities for internships, participate in Career Speaker Week, and more.

“We try to balance the needs of our students with the needs of society,” Skinner said.

During the Q&A period, Peter Shea, the Assistant Dean for AI Integration at MCC asked what role the panelists see generative AI playing in education.

Bennett said technologies are integrated into every program now. At the vocational schools, carpentry students are using iPads to set plans and to measure; the days of the measuring tape are coming to an end. In the auto technology shops, the students need to understand technology and computers to fix cars because our cars today are essentially just big computers.

She said, just like when the internet came in and there was fear of change, education will also adapt to the integration and use of AI; the key is helping students understand how to use those tools in their education and connect them to what they may be doing in the future.

Skinner said AI is certainly going to change the career landscape, as all new technologies do, but we will learn to evolve with it.

“Careers that involve routine tasks are on their way out,” he said, adding that the internet made some jobs obsolete but also created new types of jobs, which AI will as well. “AI can’t replace empathy or ethics and there will be new jobs that we cannot predict. We have to give our students transferrable skills; we have to get them to be really good critical thinkers, problem solvers, and communicators and those skills will transfer across various fields.”