Advance CTE released a refreshed vision for career and technical education centered on building a more “connected path” between schools and the workforce. The national nonprofit, which represents state CTE leaders, framed the need for coherence in a crowded funding and program environment while emphasizing employer co-designed systems. The vision was developed with input from more than 200 CTE leaders and guided by a cross-sector coalition including education, business, philanthropy, and research partners. It reflects growing investment in career-connected learning, but also the frustration that many stakeholders are still having the same employer-engagement discussions. Advance CTE’s Executive Director Kate Kreamer described a shift toward co-designed systems that function as connection points for learners as the economy and work roles change faster, including AI-linked uncertainty. For campus and district leaders building workforce-aligned programming, the near-term takeaway is structural: the sector is pushing for better integration between education systems and employer engagement rather than treating employer relationships as episodic partnerships.