Why The Trades Rock [Part 1]

The trades are awesome. I don’t know why we don’t talk about the trades more.

Jay certainly put it nicely in Chapter 4 of our book. “An economic development organization’s success is measured in job creation, retention, and investment; in short – wealth creation for a community’s citizens. The number one differentiator between your community and your competition is having irrefutable proof of a skilled workforce that is ready for work today, as well as a talent pipeline that is ready to fill the jobs of tomorrow.”

I couldn’t say it better!

TALENT IS THE NEW CURRENCY ®

If you are like me, you probably hear from your employers CONSTANTLY about the workforce challenges they are facing daily in attracting qualified workers. They need electricians, plumbers, carpenters, welders, machine technicians, etc. There’s not only a skills gap, but a technology skills gap. It’s been a problem for years, and continues to be a challenge today. There simply isn’t enough supply.

It’s why Jay coined the phrase, Talent is the new currency ® 

NO DEBT, A JOB IN HAND, AND GETTING PAID TO LEARN

The trades helped build the middle class in this country, but perplexingly, the trades were looked down upon for a while and many parents and educators pushed 4-year degrees as something “better-than” the trade school route.  And that is frankly absurd.

Ultimately, I chose a 4-year degree, but if I had a do-over, I wouldn’t make that choice again. The trades offer good-paying jobs with huge growth potential, entrepreneurship, and wealth building opportunities, and don’t come with the huge price tag and crushing debt that the 4-year degree myself and many of my peers chose.

I started my economic development career at $15/hour (without benefits!) for the first 3-4 years, living with 2-3 roommates and perfecting my frugalness to make it all work. Most trade students get paid that (or more!) to learn while on apprenticeship and often graduate after 1-2 years without any debt, a job & diploma in hand, and the salary they banked (compared to their peers) while learning on the job.

Now that’s called winning, folks!

If there is schooling cost, it’s extremely low, and some states and communities (like mine!) even subsidize residents’ tuition to incentivize them to move into the trades. Some expedite this further by offering career pathways and dual enrollment while in high school! Incredible. These options provide so many benefits to setting people off on solid footing financially, something I talk about extensively in Chapter 8 “Y’all means Y’all!”

BEST PRACTICES

If you are looking for best practices, my co-author Jay has you covered! Jay packs a ton of great material, suggestions, and best practices that he’s seen in Chapter 4, Is Your Labor Force Work Ready? Greensboro (Guilford County, North Carolina) has an excellent example designed on the local level named the Guilford Apprenticeship Partners. If you represent a region or statewide organization, the Commonwealth of Kentucky has a best practice apprenticeships program they call “modern apprenticeship”. And there are even some excellent K-12 systems that stand out. The Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center, a product of the Evansvillle/Vanderburgh School Corporation is a hub for the development and delivery of advanced career and technical education, workforce development, and training for the entire southwest Indiana region. High school students from five counties can receive classroom and hands-on training in 22 diverse areas of study, using the latest emerging technologies and equipment.

In Part 2, I’ll explore how you can use the trades as an awesome way to push Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion goals forward, how demand for the trades is increasing with the Inflation Reduction Act, and how some older communities are getting creative in using trade schools to solve the skills gap and build wealth for their residents. Stay tuned!

TAKEAWAYS

• Talent is the new currency ®
• Academic and business must be partners (and on the same page) in developing the talent pipeline to fill the skills demand of businesses.
• Use this opportunity to push your Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion goals to fill the jobs of tomorrow