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The Issue

There is a major skilled-trades gap growing in America.

Failing to address this gap will have a profound impact on both our society and the economic opportunities for future generations. With the increasing student debt burden and the challenge of finding a job in their chosen field, it is becoming increasingly apparent that a college degree is not the guaranteed path to success it once was.

1of5

For every 5 skilled workers that exit, only 1 person enters the skilled workforce.1

2.4M

Unfilled manufacturing careers by 2028 with a negative economic impact of $2.5T2

10K

Every day 10k Baby Boomers reach retirement age, fueling the “Silver Tsunami”.1

43M

As of 2021, the U.S. had 43M youth between the ages of 10-19.3

Featured Projects

Skills Jam

Every year, over 6,500 of the country’s brightest students converge on Atlanta for the National Leadership and Skills Conference. SKILLS JAM 2023 is a powerful, teen-targeted docu-series that offers an all-access pass of their journey to prove who is the best of the best and ready to lead the next generation in the Skilled Careers arena.

Since its inception in 1979, the SkillsUSA Championships have been a series of career competition events showcasing the most skilled career and technical education students across the country. These competitions begin at a local level and continue through to state and national levels.

Featured Projects

Skills Connect

We are collaborating with SkillsUSA to create Skills Connect, a technology platform and CRM tool that will provide students with an assortment of resources for career and technical education, skilled career pathways, and connections to industry job opportunities.

The platform’s active use will enable us to gather significant data and insights on students’ interests, with an emphasis on identifying the gaps needing to be addressed during their Skilled Careers exploration.

The Partners

It will take a village.

As the skilled workers gap continues to grow, the next generation of makers, builders, crafters, and fixers are out there hoping for leaders like you to help them turn their passions into meaningful careers.

We need brand and media partners to generate broad awareness through storytelling. We need community partners to point students so they can learn their skill. We need industry partners to stand up the conversion machine to help students launch their Skilled Career.

This is your opportunity to make a real change. Join us in bringing the youth of today to the skilled careers of tomorrow.

SkillsUSA

SkillsUSA is a nonprofit national education association serving more than 333,000 students and instructors annually. Since 1965, SkillsUSA has served nearly 14 million annual members and is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Labor as a successful model of employer-driven workforce development.

ASCA

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) supports school counselors’ efforts to help students focus on academic, career, and social/emotional development so they achieve success in school and are prepared to lead fulfilling lives as responsible members of society. ASCA provides professional development, publications and other resources, research, and advocacy to school counselors around the globe.

Inherit The Music

Inherit the Music believes that music has the ability to enrich the lives of students in the classroom, their future careers, and beyond. By providing access to music experiences and education, we aim to empower the next generation of musicians to achieve their dreams.

IGN

IGN is the #1 Entertainment platform in the world producing over 1000+ hours of content a month across 30+ platforms worldwide, over 280 Million Monthly Users, 22.6 Million YouTube Subscribers, and more than 55 Million Social Followers.

The Education Advisory Board

Meet The Leading Experts Guiding The Way.

To help usher in the Skills Age, we’ve identified and connected with some of the most distinguished industry experts and school counselors in the country. From identifying trends to crafting communication strategies to discovering potential synergies within the Skilled Careers industry, this special advisory board is providing key insights to inform crucial tools and resources needed to provide information to students and parents in the most effective format.

Industry Experts

Chris Hannan

LA/OC Building Trades Council, Executive Director

Tom Kriger

North America’s Building Trades Unions; Director, Education & Research

Anne McMonigle

Apprentice Readiness Fund, Executive Director

Nicole Schwartz

TradesFutures, Executive Director

School Counselors

Denise Reddinger

Richland High School

Jill Cook

Assistant Director, ASCA

Marianne Matt

Capital High School

Jennifer Curry

Louisiana State University

Curtis Darragh

Westside Middle School Academy

Olivia Carter

Cape Junior High School

Eric Sparks

Executive Director, ASCA

Ryan Beard

Richland, WA
Richland High School

Kristina Guy

Western Maricopa Education Center

Amanda Fitzgerald

Assistant Deputy Executive Director, ASCA

Nwakaego Edordu Oriji

Garland, TX
Garland Independent School District
2018 LSSSCA School Counselor of the Year

If you are a company, school counselor, nonprofit, or passionate leader of a Skilled Careers group, please join us!

The Skills

Behind Everything We Love Is A Person Making, Building, and Crafting.

If not addressed, this gap will dramatically impact our society and the economic opportunities for generations to come. And the rising debt burden for students, coupled with difficulty finding a job in their chosen field, is leading many to realize college is not a guaranteed pathway to success.

Construction

Electricians
Plumbers
Carpenters
Bricklayers
HVAC Technicians
Insulators
Painters
Roofers
Sheet Metal Workers
Pipefitters
Plasterers

Industrial

Welders
Machinists
Tool & Die Makers
Fiberglass Fabricators
Steam Engineers
Ironworkers
Metal Fabricators
CNC Programmers
Robotics

Creative

Audio Engineers
Sound Technicians
Graphic Designers
Sculptors
Painters
Set Designers
Film Gaffers
Grips
Interactive Designers
Coders
Interior Designers

Service

Dental Assistants
Massage Therapists
Nursing Assistants
EMTs
Paramedics
Barbers
Cosmetologists
Chefs
Bakers
Automotive Mechanics
IT Professionals

Combine your skills and passions to unlock endless career possibilities! Play our Career Matcher to Craft your dream career today!

Contact Us

Let's Team Up!

You can reach us anytime via info@skilledcareers.org