You don’t need to become an expert in the trades to make a difference. And you can start right now. Not every student who will thrive in the trades is an obvious “shop class kid.” In fact, many of them aren’t even in shop class. Many students with natural trade skills go unnoticed because they aren’t exposed to opportunities to try the trades out.
This is about expanding possibilities, not stereotyping. It’s not about deciding a student should go into the trades—it’s about making sure students with these interests know it’s an option.
In 2013, more than half of the U.S. skilled trades workers were over 45. As the youngest in this group gets closer to retirement age, the opportunities grow for the next generation to fill their shoes. The old-fashioned stereotype of a “trades worker” is slowly dissolving, and a new generation stands to transform the work landscape.
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