What if the greatest barrier to workforce readiness isn’t a lack of technical skills, but the absence of systems that help young people adapt in an ever-changing world? The future of workforce readiness may depend less on what young people know and more on how effectively they collaborate, communicate, regulate stress, and navigate uncertainty. As AI reshapes industries and traditional career pathways, emotional intelligence, mental health, and relationship-building are emerging not as “soft skills,” but as essential ones.

Join NationSwell, Dr. Isaiah Pickens of iOpening Enterprises, and Christina Sass of the International Youth Foundation for a candid conversation exploring how schools, employers, and youth-serving organizations can redesign the school-to-work pipeline to better prepare young people for sustainable success. Moving beyond compliance-driven approaches to career readiness, this discussion will examine how relationship-centered environments, identity safety, and well-being practices strengthen resilience, deepen engagement, and improve long-term workforce outcomes.

Participants will leave with practical strategies to create career-connected learning experiences that equip young people not just to secure jobs, but to thrive in them—along with insights for building workplace cultures that continue to develop these critical skills across the entire workforce.

To encourage open and candid discussion, this event follows the Chatham House Rule – attendees may share insights from the conversation but cannot attribute statements to specific individuals or organizations. This ensures a trusted space for thoughtful dialogue and deeper insights.