The Palmetto Education Summit 2026

What sets a top-performing CTE program apart? Join this session to uncover the strategies behind a cutting-edge program that’s preparing students to lead in high-demand industries. In this session, you’ll gain actionable strategies and tactics that empower students with career-ready skills. Walk away with practical ideas, innovative approaches, and proven methods to elevate your own CTE program and inspire the next generation of changemakers

For decades, Career and Technical Education (CTE) carried outdated perceptions—“vocational tracks,” limited academic rigor, and narrow post-graduation pathways. That model no longer exists. At Beaufort Jasper Academy for Career Excellence (BJACE), CTE is rigorous, industry-aligned, data-driven, and directly connected to workforce demands. Today’s CTE integrates STEM, real-world problem solving, industry certifications, work-based learning, and postsecondary partnerships to prepare students not just for jobs—but for high-wage, high-skill, high-demand careers. This session will challenge outdated assumptions about CTE and showcase how BJACE has transformed career readiness into a strategic, measurable, and future-focused system that benefits students, employers, and communities. Session DescriptionCTE has evolved from shop classes and isolated skills training into comprehensive, STEM-infused, industry-partnered pathways aligned with workforce and economic development needs. Participants will explore: How modern CTE programs align with regional labor market demands The integration of academic rigor and industry credentials The role of work-based learning and employer partnerships How career centers can serve as regional workforce engines Data-driven strategies that measure placement, certifications, and student outcomes Using BJACE as a case study, attendees will learn how one multi-district career center restructured programs to: increase industry-recognized certifications, expand work-based learning opportunities, strengthen employer partnerships, align programs with high-growth career sectors, and shift community perception about CTE. This session will provide replicable strategies that districts can implement to elevate career readiness in their own schools and regions.

South Carolina Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP), in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Education Office of Career Readiness, is launching a statewide effort to develop South Carolina’s first comprehensive K–12 Computer Science Education Strategic Plan. Building on the state’s landmark progress—including being the first in the nation to mandate a full-credit CS graduation course—this initiative seeks to create a clear, coordinated roadmap. The plan's core objective is to strengthen instruction, expand equitable access to high-quality computer science learning, and ensure that all students graduate prepared for the rapidly evolving career and workforce.