The Amazing Shake is more than just an event; it's a transformative experience designed to equip young individuals with essential life skills. Originating as an initiative to bolster the confidence and social acumen of students, this program has grown into a nationwide phenomenon that emphasizes the importance of professional demeanor, effective communication and leadership abilities.

A recently completed survey of parent perceptions of post-secondary options and high-demand careers found significant changes since it was first conducted in 2019, including parents’ growing acceptance of their children pursuing skilled trade careers and alternatives to traditional four-year college.

In 2023, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly approved Kansas Senate Bill (SB) 123, the Career and Technical Education Credential and Transition Incentive for Employment Success Act. This act requires Kansas school districts that offer career and technical education (CTE) for students in grades 9-12 to pay fees associated with obtaining some credentials.

As the statewide teacher shortage continues to impact education, Kansas students, parents and teachers await a sustainable, long-term solution. Although 262 Kansas teaching vacancies were filled between Fall 2022 and Spring 2023, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) estimates that the total number of vacancies remains at over 1,600 unfilled teaching positions across Kansas.

When Kansas Farm Bureau (KFB) leaders sat down in early 2022 to brainstorm innovative ways to support their members, strengthening the state’s rural economic health emerged as a top priority. 

If you have a senior — or you teach or advise seniors — enrolled in Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes, here’s your chance to help them secure a statewide honor to recognize their hard work.

Start the Application Now

While apprenticeship is a centuries old, tried-and-true way to learn a trade, it’s a relatively new way for business and management professionals to earn the credentials they need to launch a career. However, the Kansas Society of Human Resource Management is bringing a new registered apprenticeship program to the state that helps an emerging professional (or you!) launch a new career.

Ever since its inception, HirePaths’ purpose has been to help parents set their children up for a successful future. We know that each kid has a unique combination of skills, interests and goals that could lead to a successful, in-demand career. The truth is, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all plan for kids after high school, so we need to expand their knowledge — and our own! — about the possibilities. 

Kansas’ own Manhattan Area Technical College (MATC) hit it out of the park with an impressive No. 4 spot on WalletHub’s national 2022 Best & Worst Community Colleges list.