Jenny Connick
Jenny is the Founder of Talentino, an independent early career development company founded in 2011, who specialise in the early career development of young people with special needs and those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged. The Talentino SEND Career development programmes can be found in over 400 special schools, schools and colleges across England.
Jenny’s background was as an HR Director both in the UK and internationally latterly for Siemens, focusing on strategy, organisational development, and design.
However, it is her experience with Talentino that has enabled her to create her latest book, Big Inclusive SEND Careers Handbook, having listened to thousands of careers practitioners, teaching staff, young people, parents and families and employers. Talentino’s vision is and always has been to improve outcomes through raising the quality and relevance of early career development for young people with additional needs.
Leading Talentino, which has been the strategic partner for SEND and Inclusion for the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) since December 2018, has also given Jenny the chance to contribute to national SEND Careers initiatives like writing the SEND Gatsby Toolkits. And it has been a transformative partnership. Jenny is considered a thought leader in the field of SEND and early career development.
Award winning for many years, Jenny was recognised for services to education being invited to the late Queen’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in 2017.
She wrote Little SEND Careers Handbook in 2022 predominantly for her customers but it became a hit with over 4,000 copies sold after self-publishing. Her new book captures many voices and opinions as well as her learning over the last 13 years and is shared with love and respect but most of all with the fervour she has shown for many years to improve career outcomes for all young people but particularly those with any additional need.
Outside of writing and running Talentino, Jenny can be found in the company of her close and extensive family and is looking forward to welcoming her first granddaughter as well as growing vegetables but is still at a loss as to how to grow sizeable celeriac!
Follow Talentino on X and LinkedIn and Jenny Connick also on LinkedIn.