Careers Conference marks 25 years on Jan. 24-26

Later this month, the Careers Conference, hosted by the University of Wisconsin–Madison Center on Education and Work, will mark 25 years of career education and development with its annual event in Madison.

What started as a local event has grown progressively to a national affair that also reaches audiences from other countries. The conference will be held Monday-Wednesday, Jan. 24-26, at Madison’s Concourse Hotel, 1 W. Dayton St.

Running themes will honor the past yet look toward the future in career development and career education. As the economy slowly recovers, the need for well-trained careers specialists and career educators grows.

The Careers Conference offers career specialists and career educators the opportunity to connect with other experts and practitioners in their fields as well as learn about practices, strategies and programs that will help them develop into well-informed professional individuals. The conference will feature overall sessions, workshops, on-site work tours and more. Stressing the importance of lifelong career development needs, the conference’s topics target a wide range of participants.

Among the conference highlights are workshops lead by nationally known experts. This year, the conference will be “Exploring Green Careers” with Katia Albright on worksite visits; SolRayo and Operation Fresh Start in efforts to focus on a green economy, and the green economy’s impact on future jobs and skill demands.

Other workshops include “Job Search Strategies” with Windie Wilson and Emily Hatfield, “Career Pathways 201” with Belinda McCharen, “Promoting Transferable Skills Development with Angela M. Byars-Winston, and many more.

Opening this year’s conference on Jan. 25 will be keynote speaker Jim Brazell. As a technology forecaster and strategist focusing on innovation and transformative systems, Brazell explores the essential knowledge innovation skills that have become increasingly required of today’s students and workers. With a background in consulting on international technology innovation strategies, discover with him how to create a future in a world today that works with creativity and innovation as well as theory and action.

Richard Nelson Bolles will be the conference keynote speaker on Jan. 26. Bolles, an author, consultant, speaker, master teacher and workshop leader, will be reinforcing his long-held career development core beliefs, while expanding on the new issues and trends he sees affecting us all in this tumultuous job market.

The conference is designed for anyone involved in career development, career education and other related fields.

For details on conference sessions, speakers, and registration, visit http://www.cew.wisc.edu/careersConf/Default.aspx or contact Carol Edds at 608-263-4779 or cedds@education.wisc.edu.