Career Everywhere Conference
Preparing Students for the Future of Work

Friday, November 13, 2026 | UConn, Storrs, Connecticut

At the 2026 Career Everywhere Conference, Preparing Students for the Future of Work, faculty, staff, employers, alumni mentors, and career champions from across the UConn community will come together to explore how higher education can prepare students to thrive in an evolving workforce shaped by rapid technological advancement, artificial intelligence, and changing employer expectations. Through collaborative presentations, interactive discussions, and cross-sector perspectives, participants will examine how career readiness is being redefined and identify strategies for equipping students with the adaptability, confidence, and durable skills needed for lifelong career success. Sessions will highlight innovative approaches to advising, teaching, mentoring, employer engagement, and talent development, while fostering meaningful collaboration among educators, employers, and career professionals committed to supporting students in a dynamic and uncertain future of work landscape. 

What is Career Everywhere?

The vision of the Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills is to create a university-wide career readiness culture that prepares all students for post-graduation success. 
 
Career Everywhere supports this vision by infusing career readiness into all facets of a student’s university experience. Research indicates that Career Success and Required for My Career Aspirations are two of the top three motivators for college students. However, not all students come to college with the same level of access, equity, or knowledge of career planning and development. Career Everywhere closes this gap by giving students from all backgrounds and identities access to guidance and resources regardless of where they are in their career planning process.   
 
Students seek advice and support not only from the Career Center but also from professors, advisors, supervisors, coaches, alumni, recruiters, and peers. Career Everywhere equips all members of the UConn community with the knowledge and the tools to assist in having meaningful conversations with students. A consistent message of career readiness sets students up to create their plan for post-graduation success. 
 
The Career Center’s charge is to further Career Everywhere by collaborating with the UConn community and campus partners, sharing essential best practices, identifying and communicating relevant resources, and curating content for use in the classroom, during advising appointments, as professional development exercises, and more – anywhere students are seeking career advice. These efforts aim to enhance equity and access to career planning, ensuring that every student, regardless of their background, is empowered for postgraduate success.

Why Preparing Students for the Future of Work?

The workforce has continually evolved over the decades in response to economic shifts, globalization, technological innovation, and changing societal needs. From the industrial era to the digital age, each transformation has reshaped how people work, the skills employers value, and the ways individuals build their careers. Today, artificial intelligence represents the next phase in that evolution, influencing industries, job functions, hiring practices, and expectations for career readiness. 

What Can I Expect to Gain from the Conference? 

Attendees will leave the 2026 Career Everywhere Conference with practical strategies, fresh insights, and a deeper understanding of how to support students in today’s rapidly evolving career landscape. Through sessions, panels, and interactive discussions, participants will: 

• Learn key factors shaping the future of work, including technological change, artificial intelligence, and evolving employer expectations. 
• Explain how career readiness is being redefined to emphasize adaptability, confidence, and durable, transferable skills. 
• Identify at least one strategy to support student career development through teaching, advising, mentoring, or employer engagement. 
• Demonstrate how to incorporate career readiness into practice by applying approaches that help students navigate change and uncertainty. 
• Recognize effective methods for collaboration across faculty, staff, employers, and alumni to better prepare students for lifelong career success. 

Whether you’re new to career conversations or already deeply engaged, the conference will equip you with tools to better support UConn students in a world shaped by technology and change.