Katrina Chertkow graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage earlier this month with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. A member of the Honors College, she graduated summa cum laude, and is pursuing a master’s degree in integrated marketing and communications at Northwestern University in the fall.
Chertkow is a high achiever by any definition. And yet, her career path is uncertain.
“I’m not sure what my career options are after grad school, which avenues to take,” she said. “Should I work for a marketing agency, start my own business, or freelance?”
Cherkow’s uncertainty isn’t surprising. Students graduating this spring have watched as the number of people spending their career with one employer rapidly shrinks, and an increasing number of individuals have multiple careers in their lifetime.
The Freelancers Union says that 34 percent of the U.S. workforce — 53 million Americans — are working as freelancers. With the rise of the “gig economy” short-term employment contracts will become more common.
For those in workforce development, this raises an interesting question: How can we prepare Alaskans for an ever-evolving world of work?
Read the full article here.
Source: Alaska Journal of Commerce – Workforce development: Career readiness and the evolving world of work
UA Workforce Development News 