103: Career and Technical Education (CTE) in the Age of AI: Walking in Two Worlds
10:15-11:15am
Youth Track
Mbish
Ballroom D
As Anishinaabek people, we are no strangers to walking through life with a foot in two worlds. This history of adaptation and balance prepares us well to navigate the rapidly changing world of AI with confidence. Career and Technical Education (CTE) holds a similar strength — rooted in tradition and skill, yet capable of embracing innovation. While AI can crunch data, predict trends, and automate repetitive tasks, it cannot wire a building, repair a diesel engine, assist a patient, weld a structural beam, or troubleshoot a complex machine on a job site. The hands-on, judgment-based work at the heart of CTE remains firmly out of AI’s reach. Instead of replacing these careers, AI is becoming a powerful partner. Although many sectors may feel the negative effects of automation, CTE will continue to thrive — if we choose to embrace the change rather than resist it. Skilled trades and technical careers are strengthened, not threatened, by these emerging tools. The message is clear: AI isn’t the end of the skilled trades. It’s the upgrade. And the future workforce will rely on CTE-trained professionals who know how to use AI to build, fix, care, and create in ways no machine ever can.
It is important that we show the next generation of youth that AI is not something to fear; it's something to embrace. This presentation will also show them that CTE and trade jobs are careers that will withstand the AI boom and that there are things that technology can never replicate or replace.
Lead By:
Courtney Lewis (Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians [LTBB]), Student Advisor, Waganakising Odawa Career and Technical Education Program, LTBB
Courtney Lewis is a Student Advisor with the Waganakising Odawa Career and Technical Education Program (WOCTEP), where she has supported students for the past two and a half years. As a citizen of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, she is committed to helping learners pursue meaningful pathways in career and technical education that blend academic, career, and cultural strengths.
When she’s not working with students, Courtney enjoys beadworking and spending time with her two children, two dogs, and her cat. She is thrilled to connect with fellow educators and share her perspective on the growing relationship between Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Artificial Intelligence at this year’s conference.