“The tools I leveraged in high school really helped me out to get where I am by giving me the confidence to pursue the career I want.”
Sean, Edward Bell Career Tech Center Graduate
Across Alabama, students like Sean are discovering what’s possible when career exploration begins early, guidance is intentional, and technology connects learning to opportunity. Through the Alabama Career Planning System (ACPS) powered by Kuder, educators are helping students identify their strengths, plan their futures, and build the confidence to take the next step.
Sean’s story shows how the right combination of personalized support and career readiness tools can change a student’s trajectory while also illustrating the measurable outcomes that excite CTE directors and education leaders across the state.
For Sean, career planning started with curiosity and a little uncertainty. Like many middle schoolers, he wasn’t sure what came next.
“It really started when my counselor talked to me back in eighth grade,” Sean recalled. “She told me that once I started ninth grade, I’d get to explore different career programs at the CTE centers. My guardian thought welding would be a good fit for me, so I gave it a try.”
Sean spent three years learning the fundamentals of welding at the Edward Bell Career Tech Center. He developed valuable skills, but as he spent more time in the program, he started to question whether it was truly his path.
That changed when a guest speaker from Southern Union State Community College visited the center and spoke about their Mechatronics and FAME programs.
“I heard about the Mechatronics program and realized it better aligned with the work style I wanted and fit my interests more,” he said. “Once I took robotics for half a year, I knew it was for me.”
In that moment, Sean found the spark he had been missing. He could see himself working in this career field for his future.
Behind Sean’s discovery was a team of educators using Kuder’s Alabama Career Planning System to help students connect their skills to real opportunities.
At Edward Bell, Counselor Ms. McElvy works closely with students from ninth through twelfth grade, guiding them through the system’s assessments, portfolio tools, and career planning resources.
“We use the data from the ACPS to guide students toward programs that fit their interests,” McElvy explained. “They take the assessments at their home schools, and when they come to the Career Tech Center, we can pull up their results, review them together, and talk about what paths make sense.”
McElvy and her team use Kuder’s tools every year, ensuring students build on their previous experiences. They revisit goals, update their resume, digital portfolio, and refine career plans.
“The system is very user-friendly,” she added. “It’s easy to access, and we can walk students through it together. They see how their goals evolve over time, and it gives them ownership of their futures.”
When the Career Tech Center hosted its annual career fair, McElvy saw another chance to help students shine. She wanted them to present themselves professionally and confidently, especially when meeting employers and college representatives.
“In the past, students brought paper résumés, and by the end of the day they were wrinkled or lost,” McElvy said. “They had the skills, but they needed a better way to stand out.”
She created a simple digital business card template that included a QR code linking directly to each student’s e-profile hosted in the Alabama Career Planning System. The e-profile is an online portfolio that combines a student’s résumé, coursework, certifications, and project links into a professional presentation.
“The QR business card gave students something tangible,” McElvy explained. “They could hand it out, and employers or college recruiters could scan it to see their portfolio instantly. It gave them a competitive edge.”
Sean quickly saw the value in this new approach.
“The résumé builder in the system helped me a lot,” he said. “I didn’t really understand how to make one before, but it showed me what to include and how to organize it. Then, when I gave my business card to the Southern Union representatives, they scanned it and saw everything about me. It made me stand out.”
That preparation and professionalism paid off in a big way.
Sean applied for a $10,000 technical tuition scholarship from Southern Union and was awarded the full amount. He was also accepted into Southern Union’s FAME program, a competitive initiative that combines coursework in Mechatronics with paid, on-the-job experience.
“When Sean went into his interview, they already knew who he was,” McElvy said. “That digital profile gave him credibility before he even sat down.”
Now, Sean is working toward his associate degree in Mechatronics and preparing for a career in the field. He credits his preparation in high school for giving him both the technical foundation and the confidence to pursue his goals.
“I feel like everything I learned in high school, and the tools I used in the [Alabama Career Planning] System, helped me get to where I am,” he said. “It gave me the confidence to go after what I want.”
Sean is now thriving in college, pursuing an associate degree in Mechatronics and looking forward to starting his career. He credits his success to both the people and the tools that guided him along the way.
The Alabama Career Planning System is designed to make stories like Sean’s possible across the state. Through a combination of assessments, career planning tools, college access features, and education planning aligned with CTE pathways, it helps students make informed decisions about their futures.
For counselors and career coaches, it provides the structure and resources to deliver consistent, meaningful guidance. For CTE directors, it offers measurable outcomes and a clear view of student progress over time.
At Edward Bell, students start using the system in middle school. In eighth grade, they complete assessments that identify their top career clusters. When they visit the Career Tech Center, staff use those results to group students by interest area and introduce them to programs that align with their strengths.
“More often than not, it matches perfectly,” McElvy said. “And even when it doesn’t, it starts a conversation. Students realize there are options they hadn’t considered before.”
The success of the Alabama Career Planning System lies in how it brings together technology, guidance, and opportunity.
For educators, it simplifies the process of helping students connect interests to programs and pathways. For students, it builds confidence and agency. For districts and CTE administrators, it demonstrates tangible results that align with workforce-readiness goals.
Across the state, more than 200 public school districts and private schools are now using the ACPS to help students graduate not just with a diploma, but with direction.
“When students realize their skills match their dreams, everything changes,” McElvy said. “You can see it in their confidence and the way they talk about their futures.”
Every student deserves a chance to find a meaningful path forward. Every educator deserves a system that makes that possible.
Reach out to see how Kuder solutions can transform your students’ futures.
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