Connecticut has launched a new Career Pathways Commission with former U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona chairing the effort, aiming to produce a five-year strategic plan to modernize the state’s career pathways system. Gov. Ned Lamont signed the executive order, directing the panel to recommend how leaders can expand and improve pathways for students and jobseekers. The commission’s mandate explicitly calls for incorporating innovations in artificial intelligence, automation, and global competition into career pathways, with a final report due by the end of 2026. Officials said the goal is a system that equips residents with tools for “good-paying, long-lasting careers” that can adapt as technology and labor markets shift. Cardona, who previously served as Connecticut’s education commissioner, emphasized the need for coordination across K–12, higher education, and the private sector to create “synergy” and better options for graduates. For higher education institutions, the commission’s timeframe and emphasis on AI-enabled workforce readiness point to likely new partnerships with employers and a renewed alignment push between credentialing programs and career pathway outcomes.