Sessions of 2026 Midwinter Leadership Conference: Erik Gonzalez
Gonzalez, Erik
Regional Manager
Klein Educational Systems
Erik Gonzalez is the Regional Sales Manager and Workforce Consultant for Klein Educational Systems, with a strong background and passion for advanced manufacturing and workforce development. He spent three years in the industry honing his technical skills, followed by three years teaching advanced manufacturing at a CTE academy, where he helped prepare the next generation of skilled professionals. His mission is to upskill America’s workforce, bridging the gap between education and industry.
Sessions:
Impressionable Minds: K–12, Social Media & Future Careers
| Date | From | To |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Prescott Resort & Conference Center
This session explores how social media shapes adolescents’ impressionability, identity, and career choices, which are ultimately influencing our future workforce. Constant exposure to rapid online feedback conditions teens to seek instant validation, making them more susceptible to external influence and less patient with long-term goals. As a result, career decisions may be based on popularity or perceived status rather than genuine interest or skill. To counter this, educators and employers can help youth develop resilience and self-efficacy by setting smaller, bite-sized goals that provide consistent positive reinforcement, which are mirroring social media’s instant feedback loops, but in a productive, skill-building way. By aligning digital feedback patterns with real-world growth, we can better prepare the next generation for meaningful, sustainable careers and ensure their digital habits become a strength, not a setback.
