Explore the Trades is Bridging the Gap to Skilled Trades Careers for our Youth

Explore the Trades, a non-profit organization founded in 2005, addresses the skilled trades workforce shortage by connecting students to careers in plumbing, HVAC, and electrical work. Kate Cinnamo, the executive director since 2017, discusses the organization’s efforts to engage students, educators, and families. Through tools like poster programs and skills labs, Explore the Trades promotes trades education, offering free resources to schools and providing hands-on equipment and curriculum. The initiative highlights the high earning potential and fulfilling nature of skilled trades careers, while emphasizing the need for continued outreach to shift perceptions and support future workforce development.

• Explore the Trades’ mission to connect students with plumbing, HVAC, and electrical careers
• Free poster program for schools, including a Spanish version, promoting career paths and apprenticeship opportunities
• Skills lab program in partnership with Ferguson, providing schools with plumbing and HVAC equipment
• Collaboration with SkillCat to enhance trades education with technical training curriculum
• Efforts to change perceptions of trades work and emphasize its economic importance and work-life balance

Visit Explore The Trades and Support:  https://explorethetrades.org/