JFYNetWorks at MAVA 2025
by Michael Mino
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept. It is already reshaping industries central to vocational education, including manufacturing, construction, healthcare, IT, design and media. AI is becoming an everyday tool in these sectors, changing how work gets done, and demanding workers with new skills to do it.
Vocational schools need to adapt to this new world. JFYNetWorks can help them. That’s why JFYNetWorks is proud to join the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators (MAVA) Connecting for Success Conference, taking place June 25–26 at Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School. This year’s theme, “Building Bridges: Connecting Education and Industry,” couldn’t be more timely.
The impact of AI is rapidly transforming industries central to vocational education in Massachusetts, such as automotive, construction, design and visual communications, engineering, graphic arts, health care, manufacturing, computer programming, multimedia, and robotics. These sectors are seeing rising demand for AI-related skills, with traditional automation giving way to a deeper shift in how work is done—prioritizing creativity, critical thinking, and adaptability. As employers increasingly value hands-on capabilities, vocational programs are uniquely positioned to lead in preparing students with practical, AI-integrated skills that match the evolving needs of the workforce.
For vocational educators, this shift is a challenge and a historic opportunity. Students must graduate not only with technical expertise, but with AI literacy, adaptability, and an innovation mindset. They must be able to collaborate with AI, use it ethically and creatively, and bring their uniquely human skills to bear in the new AI-augmented work environment.
To meet this opportunity, JFYNetWorks is launching the JFY AI Leadership Institute: Lead the Future, a groundbreaking professional development program that helps vocational educators lead the charge in integrating AI into instruction. This hands-on program equips teachers, curriculum leaders, and administrators with practical knowledge of AI tools across disciplines; with strategies for embedding AI in technical and academic curriculum; and with a roadmap for fostering student creativity, inquiry, and career-aligned innovation using AI.
At MAVA 2025, June 25-26, we will present two empowering sessions each day:
- The AI Creative Edge: Bridging AI and the Future of Work
- Hands-on exploration of emerging AI tools specifically relevant to creative and technical disciplines.
- Career roadmap to connect AI creative and technical skills with relevant career pathways.
2. From Theory to Practice: A Practical AI Implementation Plan for Vocational Technical Schools
- Knowledge and tools to craft comprehensive AI policies addressing key issues including ethics, data privacy, academic integrity, and equitable access.
- Strategies for leading change management and cultivating a supportive culture that encourages responsible AI innovation among staff and students.
These two sessions will offer concrete strategies and tools to integrate AI into hands-on projects that reflect real workplace conditions. These workshops align AI use with actual evolving career pathways in high-demand fields to prepare students for success in AI-driven industries.
We invite teachers, administrators, and district leaders to “Lead the Future” by visiting the JFYNetWorks booth and attending our sessions on June 25–26. We look forward to working with you to build the bridge between vocational education and the AI-powered future of work.
Michael Mino is an AI education development specialist working with JFY.
Want to learn more about the conference and our sessions? Click on the button below to Visit JFY’s MAVA Conference webpage, and reserve your seat today.
Other posts authored by Michael can be found here.
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