For teacher Jeremy Pett, the transition to a career teaching young people about construction trades was a logical one.
“I grew up in a really handy family — fixers, builders, always taking things apart,” Pett says. “At Thanksgiving, there would be a Sawzall on the table to cut the turkey. We are self-made, entrepreneurial people.”
In fact, it was a love of cars — something his family was also passionate about — that, in a roundabout way, led Jeremy to a career in teaching.
“I drew cars all the time, and became an artist,” he explains. “In time, it morphed into more of the [Career and Technical Education] world.”
Jeremy attended school to study art, intending to become a high school art teacher. He taught art at Northridge High School in Greeley, where he says he “made a home” for 10 years, followed by teaching construction and engineering at Mountain View High School and Berthoud High School. He then left the district for a brief time, but when Thompson School District announced the implementation of a construction trades program through the Thompson Career Campus (TCC), Jeremy knew he wanted to be a part of it.
“I felt like it was a great opportunity because, having done construction and skilled trades, I felt like this model was crazy enough to work,” he recalls.
Students apply for the two-year program, which Jeremy refers to as a “pre-apprenticeship.” The workload for the program is a mix of asynchronous book work and hands-on practical learning, as well as a variety of field trips. By the time a student completes the program, they have earned numerous certifications in addition to several college credits.
“The kids who do this have a lot of passion for this field,” Jeremy says. “I’m amazed at the enthusiasm and how quickly they dig in and get to work. I’m amazed at the real-world questions and concerns they have. And I’m amazed at how they tune in to what the partners have to deliver.”
Jeremy Pett Advances Career Readiness Through Strategic Partnerships
It’s this love of learning paired with the program’s unique relationship with its industry partners that Jeremy Pett says makes TCC’s construction trades so valuable.
“The students respond to it, the community responds to it,” he says. “We are doing it right, and I love being a part of that.
“We’re helping kids find a place that ultimately sets them on a track to be successful. But even more, they’re finding their happiness.”
Jeremy has also found happiness, helping to create a program that educates 50 students each year in skills such as roofing, soldering, drywall, and the safe operation of power tools, among others. He considers TCC classes to be extremely collaborative, and says it is a wonderful place for students — including his own two children, who both have gone through TCC programs — to learn.
“We’re aligned in the work,” he explains. “The kids are given license to fail and try again, and rework. There is a lot of support here. The community is behind us.”
It is this support of career education in the community that reinforces to Jeremy that he is making a difference by preparing kids for successful futures.
“It’s worth saying that for decades, we didn’t have or recognize schooling systems for this stuff,” he says. “The fact that we are beginning to institutionalize some of this schooling is really awesome. It provides a lot of options and latitudes for kids. We are finally recognizing this.”
While Jeremy says there is still some work to be done, he believes the future of education is headed in the right direction by recognizing different paths for our students.
“It’s not just the university track as a legitimate option,” he says. “Most kids respond to a hands-on learning environment, and that’s why this is so important.”
