The skilled trades are certainly no stranger to the difficulties amidst a labor shortage. The most experienced trade pros are nearing retirement, and when you combine that with the lack of high school graduates entering the trades, the skills gap continues to grow.
“American Plumber Stories” aims to promote the plumbing trade to the next generation of professionals. The show highlights the stories of plumbers around the nation, including how they got started in the plumbing trade and the passion they have for their profession.
Tools & Tiaras is an organization dedicated to advancing the interest of young girls and women who want to pursue careers in traditionally male-dominated trade professions.
Bradford White announced its partnership with Plumbers Without Borders, a grassroots non-profit organization working to increase global access to safe water and sanitation.
The Home Depot and The Home Depot Foundation, alongside Klein Tools and SkillsUSA, celebrated SkillsUSA's National Signing Day with students from across the Southeast via its Path to Pro program, which provided scholarships to six students entering the skilled trades.
I am lucky enough to talk to contractors, both large and small, all across the U.S. Inevitably, when I ask them about their greatest challenge or greatest future challenge, the answer is always the same: The skilled trades labor shortage.
Recruiting skilled, reliable plumbing employees is getting more difficult by the day. I know all about this because I operate a technical trade school with locations in Las Vegas and Phoenix.
Reliance Worldwide Corporation (RWC), a manufacturer of push-to-connect plumbing products, valves, secondary pipe supports, firestopping solutions and fluid control technologies, is partnering with Home Builders Institute (HBI), a national leader in career training for the building and construction industry, as the exclusive Trade Sponsor for its 22 plumbing programs across the U.S., primarily serving Job Corps students and justice-involved individuals.
On Sept. 4, Carhartt unveiled a larger-than-life installation of 1,670 hard hats to represent 1.67 million job openings across construction, manufacturing, mining, logging, transportation, trade and utilities.