Desert Sands Unified School District and Palm Springs Unified School District -- both in California -- offer career technical education programs and career academies that provide students with industry certifications and hands-on experience. The programs cover fields such as automotive technology, engineering, culinary arts and digital arts, with both districts reporting a 100% graduation rate for students in career academies.

Career and technical education programs are expanding in Michigan, driven by student demand and the need for skilled trades, but access remains unequal, particularly in areas such as Ypsilanti, which is considered a CTE desert. A millage on the Nov. 4 ballot could raise $25 million a year for 10 years to fund CTE programs across Washtenaw County.

The South County Airport Pilots Association (SCAPA) in California has distributed $15,000 in scholarships to five students as part of its annual initiative to support aviation education. Each scholarship, valued at $3,000, is funded through community donations and events like the Food-Truck Fly-In. SCAPA emphasizes that all proceeds directly benefit students pursuing flight and maintenance training, reinforcing the organization's commitment to advancing general aviation through educational support.

Iowa State University researchers, in collaboration with Polk County Emergency Management, are developing an online training game designed to simulate emergency response scenarios during severe weather events. The game aims to provide public safety professionals with an immersive, interactive environment to practice real-time decision-making, resource allocation and interagency communication with the goal of addressing gaps that traditional tabletop exercises might overlook.

Employers in the US value durable skills such as teamwork and communication and attitudes such as adaptability and resilience in early-career hires, according to a survey by UpSkill America and Western Governors University. While 58% of employers hire primarily for skills, 42% prioritize attitudes, and employers who have removed degree requirements tend to fall into the latter group.  

Despite widespread agreement among leaders about AI's importance, a persistent gap exists in employee readiness, according to an Oct. 22 report from Express Employment Professional and Harris Poll. Over half of surveyed companies report lacking resources to train staff on AI, while only about 12% of workers received AI training in the past year, according to a Pew Research Center report. This ongoing skills gap challenges companies' ability to leverage AI effectively, even as usage is up six percentage points from the year prior.

AI is rapidly automating tasks in white-collar roles, with some major firms already reducing headcounts or limiting new hires due to AI integration. Estimates from Goldman Sachs suggest 6% to 7% of US workers could lose their jobs to AI, with entry-level hiring in AI-exposed jobs dropping 13% since large language models became widespread. Sectors most affected include software development, customer service and clerical work. However, while job displacement is real, reports indicate new opportunities are emerging in AI development, research and robotics.

The Reno, Nev., metropolitan area has added 3,238 jobs on average from January to August, slightly surpassing the Las Vegas metro's gain of 3,200, according to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. This trend is attributed to a slowdown in Las Vegas' tourism-driven economy, with fewer people quitting jobs and increased layoffs. This is a notable shift since Las Vegas typically outpaces Reno by tens of thousands of jobs annually.