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Career readiness used to be a fixed target. It isn't anymore. 

What employers want has shifted. What students want from work has shifted. And AI is rewriting entry-level roles faster than any curriculum can keep up with. Students, meanwhile, remain confident: 83.8% say their education has prepared them for the workforce. Only 37% of recruiters agree.

Join the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) for a panel-style roundtable on what career readiness means in 2026, drawing on findings from the "State of Higher Ed 2026" report. The panel will look at where the target has moved, why students are still aiming at the old one and what institutions can do right now to help them adjust. 

This webinar will discuss:

  • What recruiters rank first when hiring and why it isn't what students expect 

  • The experience gap: only 19.4% of undergraduates have completed an internship, even though 94% of those who did say it prepared them for their career 

  • Why 84.3% of students know career services exist, but only 46% of them have ever used it 

  • How AI fluency is quickly becoming an employability signal rather than a classroom concern 

  • Practical ways to build readiness into the programming you already run, without adding to a strained budget 

Whether you work in career services, student affairs or academic leadership, or you're a student trying to read a job market that keeps moving, this conversation is for you.

Can't attend the webinar? You should still register—all registrants will receive a recording of the webinar and a copy of the presentation slides. 

Thursday, September 17 at 2PM ET / 11AM PT

Ready for What? Career Readiness in a Shifting Market

PANELISTS

Kevin Prentiss
Head of Product and Technology at the NSLS

Kevin Prentiss is a dynamic technology and product leader recognized for driving innovation, operational excellence and sustainable growth. He's focused his career on helping individuals and groups thrive. With deep expertise in digital transformation, data-driven decision-making and AI-powered innovation, he has built resilient organizations capable of adapting to fast-evolving market demands. His leadership philosophy fosters collaborative, highly-aligned and mission-driven cultures where high performance and continuous improvement are the norm. He brings a future-focused, execution-first mindset paired with a grounded understanding of operational realities—a rare blend that enables companies to not just envision the future, but build it.

Rich Schultz, Ph.D.
Program Chair for the College of Health Professions and Faculty Advisor at the University of Phoenix

Dr. Rich Schultz has served as program chair for the College of Health Professions at the University of Phoenix for 11 years, where he supervises 117 faculty, serving more than 12,000 students and facilitates roughly 30 classes annually. He earned his doctorate in public health with a concentration in epidemiology from Walden University, and his dissertation research led to the redefinition of "Alzheimer's disease" as "Classic Alzheimer's disease symptoms" in the DSM-IV and ICD. His 2025 publications explore artificial intelligence in higher education. He also advises the UOPX chapters of the NSLS and Upsilon Phi Delta and serves as director of talent acquisition for his family's healthcare businesses.

Hannah Stoneburner
Director of Program Development at the NSLS

Hannah has been with the NSLS for nearly seven years, building on a decade-long career in traditional higher education. Prior to joining the NSLS team, Hannah spent 10 years working on college campuses, including several years in residential life and later serving as the director of living learning communities. Hannah's work centered on student retention initiatives and implementing high-impact practices. Hannah holds a master’s degree in student affairs administration from Ball State University..

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