with Jennifer Wilkerson
The replay period for this interview is over, but you can still access the recording through the Success Package, here.
Redefining “Success”: How skilled professions can set students up for college and career success
There’s a perception among many students, and parents, that to be “successful” you have to go to college and get a four-year degree. Otherwise, you’re never going to make a sustainable living… nobody can be successful in life without a college degree. But this is, afterall, a perception. And “success” can mean so many things to different people. It’s time we start redefining success, and set our kids up for both career readiness and college readiness. It’s not just about getting into college…where are we headed and what is this all about? Jennifer Wilkerson is a member of the leadership team for the National Center for Construction Education and Research, and she’s the Director of Marketing, Public Relations for Build Your Future, an initiative to help students figure out how to explore careers in the construction industry. Join us to learn…
- Great career opportunities available for students without a college degree
- Why it doesn’t have to be EITHER / OR (college OR career)
- How to get started in a skills-based field, and see if this is something that might be a good fit for your teen
- How to find colleges that will set students up for success if they want to pursue a trade career
About Your Speaker
Jennifer Wilkerson
Jennifer Wilkerson is a member of the NCCER leadership team and director of marketing, public relations and Build Your Future. She has a background in both education and construction. She taught high school English for 13 years and is part owner in a welding and fabrication company where she was the acting business manager for six years.
For the past 9.5 years she has been with NCCER where she began as a project manager overseeing the development and revision of curricula and assessments. She now leads a successful marketing team who has won numerous advertising awards and has enhanced NCCER’s brand and presence in the construction and maintenance marketplace. The team has generated renewed interest in the Build Your Future initiative aimed at recruitment and image enhancement and launched the first credentialing portal providing veterans with industry-recognized credentials for the training they received while in the military.
Jennifer currently is a member of the AGC Industry-Educator Taskforce, the CURT Workforce Development Committee and is a member of the Power Up Board. She actively presents about workforce development issues and resources, construction career pathways, industry-education partnerships and recruitment into the construction and maintenance industries. She holds degrees in English Education and Business Administration.