2024 CTE Conference Program

DAY 2: TUESDAY

August 5, 2025

3:45 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Breakout Sessions

ELM- EAST HALL MAMA Scholarship Opportunities

School of Hard Knocks & Soft Skills: Where Grit Meets Grace in the Workplace MIMOSA- EAST HALL This interactive session explores how community colleges can intentionally pair soft skills with hard skills to better prepare students for real-world careers. Using data-driven insights, industry case studies, and hands-on planning tools, participants will learn how to embed soft skill development into CTE courses and work-based learning. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use strategies and resources to support students in becoming not just job-ready, but future-ready. During the past twenty years, the Mississippi Automotive Manufacturers Association (MAMA) has awarded over $400K in scholarships to students attending community colleges and universities in the state. MAMA is eager to build new and strengthen existing relationships to increase awareness for students, educators, and workforce development professionals to the vast array of career opportunities in the automotive industry. In this interactive session, Ms. Johnson will explore how MAMA can further engage with educational institutions through initiatives related to automotive manufacturing. Empowering Workforce Leaders: Strengthening Communication, Collaboration and Conflict Resolution for 21 Century Success st MAGNOLIA- EAST HALL This interactive seminar, Empowering Workforce Leaders, is designed to equip Career and Technical Education (CTE) professionals with practical, research-based strategies to:

Judy Johnson

MAMA

MPACTFUL MEASURES Dr. Shana Middleton

VASSEL GROUP Daniel Vassel

Enhance communication across diverse teams Build high-trust collaboration among faculty and workforce partners Navigate and resolve conflicts constructively to strengthen outcomes Foster a culture that is agile, innovative, and aligned with workforce demands