Career readiness begins long before students enter the workforce, and strong literacy and numeracy skills provide the foundation for many of the competencies embedded within Advance CTE's 12 Career Ready Practices. In this interactive session, out-of-school time professionals will learn what the 12 Career Ready Practices are and how they can be intentionally integrated into everyday programming for upper elementary, middle school, and high school youth. Participants will explore how literacy skills such as reading, communication, analysis, and problem-solving, along with numeracy skills such as interpreting data, managing resources, and evaluating outcomes, support essential employability skills. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for helping students understand the "why" behind what they are learning while embedding career-connected learning into existing OST programs.