Mission Statement
While there are a number of students pursuing skilled careers, the current demand for this talent is outstripping supply lending to an ever increasing deficit in available talent.
There is a large talent pool waiting to be inspired and guided to pursue a skilled career that would close the skilled trades gap.
With targeted messaging and better career pathway engagement, this talent would be unleashed.
There is a massive opportunity to raise awareness and inspire the younger generations to consider and pursue a skilled career.
Currently 16% of this large talent pool is pursuing a skilled career equaling 10-11 million students.
A mere 8% boost in conversion of this large talent pool would add 6-7 million students to the skilled careers pipeline.
The current recruitment and placement ecosystem is siloed and inefficient leading to oversupply and undersupply of talent in industries and jobs resulting in an overall greater loss of talent.
By leveraging and connecting our collective strengths, we can vastly improve the capacity and efficiency of this ecosystem. Moving further, faster.
By building a coalition across industries and employers, we can better deploy talent where needed while continuing to adapt to future workforce changes and needs.
With improved recruitment, retention and (re)training we can align talent fulfillment and satisfaction with industry and employer performance and success.
The Partners
Our most transformational partners, Keystone Partners provide significant investment and leadership to help close the skilled labor gap and power the mission of the SCC and its programs like Skills Jam.
Proud Partners invest in our work and actively support initiatives that expand awareness, access, and opportunity across skilled careers for the Coalition, its members, and its programs like Skills Jam.
Proud Supporters are valued members of our community and mission-aligned partners who contribute meaningfully to our work and may be featured in Skills Jam content that brings our shared values to life.
The Partners
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 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.
Harbor Freight Tools
Angi
Warner Bros. Discovery
Warner Bros. Discovery is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes the world’s most differentiated and complete portfolio of branded content across television, film, streaming and gaming. Available in more than 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Warner Bros. Discovery inspires, informs and entertains audiences worldwide through its iconic brands and products.
BlueRecruit
BlueRecruit is a direct hire marketplace connecting Job Seekers with Employers in the skilled trades across North America. Furthermore, the BlueRecruit family of companies is a complete skilled trades career development solution with BlueCareer and Booker. Booker provides schools, workforce development organizations, and governments with employment verification. BlueCareer is a career exploration and training platform for libraries, schools, and governments.
National Technical Honor Society
The National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) is the honor society for Career & Technical Education, serving 100,000 high school and postsecondary members while awarding over $300,000 in scholarships annually. A national non-profit, NTHS supports the growth and celebration of skilled individuals through career development, leadership, service, and recognition opportunities. Since 1984, NTHS has partnered with education and industry to honor and promote career success for over 1.2 million students.
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.
Education Partners
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.
The Board
SCC Advisory Board members provide advice on the organization’s mission, objectives and strategies and also act as connectors to business, government and other strategic partners.
David Ottavianelli
A former Infantry Officer and West Point graduate, David Ottavianelli has spent much of his career leading workforce development efforts at John Deere’s manufacturing facilities in Iowa and Illinois. He helped design innovative welding, CNC machining, and other apprenticeship programs that address the skilled labor gap by creating direct pathways from high school into high-demand careers. His work also includes launching military transition programs like SkillBridge and supporting the reintegration of returning citizens through targeted training and employment initiatives.
David’s collaborative approach with local, state, and federal leaders has made him a driving force in building inclusive, future-ready workforce pipelines.
Rich Camacho
Although a graduate of West Point, Rich will always say Roll Tide! Cattle ranching and military service runs in the blood of Rich’s family. Thus, he followed in the family footprints and served in the Army as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. Following his military service, Rich helped fellow Veterans make the transition into corporate America.
While helping many of America’s top companies, he recognized that the recruiting industry largely ignores the need of skilled trades workers and employers desperate for their talent. Rich knew our nation’s great workers and companies needed a solution to our nation’s growing talent drought, and this inspired him to lead the team at BlueRecruit.
Rich lives in Clayton, North Carolina, with his wife, son, and daughter.
About BlueRecruit
BlueRecruit is a direct-hire marketplace built for skilled trade workers who want to grow their career and the companies seeking their talent. BlueRecruit removes the inefficiencies of resumes and job posts and focuses on the skills, certifications, and licenses that matter in the trades. BlueRecruit was founded in October 2019 and is proudly headquartered in Clayton, North Carolina.
To learn more, visit BlueRecruit.us
Jennifer Wilkerson
Jennifer Wilkerson is the Vice President of Innovation and Advancement at the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), where she oversees the innovation process to identify and implement strategies, opportunities, and technologies to support the organization’s mission. With over 15 years at NCCER, she began as a project manager overseeing curricula development and later led award-winning marketing efforts, including the impactful Build Your Future recruitment campaign.
Her background includes 13 years as a high school English teacher and six years managing a welding and fabrication business she co-founded with her husband. A nationally recognized speaker, Jennifer advocates for industry-education partnerships, construction career pathways, and increasing representation of women in the skilled trades.
About NCCER
The National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit education foundation and the leading provider of construction education for industry and career and technical education programs. With flexible workforce development and learning solutions, NCCER’s programs provide consistency and quality to ensure craft professionals and learners receive industry-recognized credentials and certifications.
To learn more, visit NCCER.org
Jennifer Maher
Jennifer Maher is the CEO of TechForce Foundation, a national nonprofit that champions career exploration, technical education and workforce development of skilled technicians in the transportation industry (auto, aviation, trucking, etc.) She believes all students are wired differently and that the emerging technologies and future of mobility provide huge opportunities for those who love problem-solving and working with their hands.
Jennifer has enjoyed a 30-year career in nonprofit management, marketing and strategic alliances, having served on the national staff for Make-A-Wish America, YMCA of the USA and The Nature Conservancy. Her expertise is in aligning charitable causes with corporation investment, having personally raised over $100 million through partnerships with Disney, PepsiCo, Ford, Bridgestone and NASCAR, to name a few.
About TechForce Foundation
TechForce Foundation is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit with the charitable mission of championing all students to and through their technical education and into careers as professional technicians.
Techs will shape our future. TechForce donors help shape theirs.
To learn more, visit TechForce.org
Christian Dow
Christian Dow is the Executive Vice President of Industry Leadership and Workforce Development at MHI, where he guides teams that support 18 industry groups through collaboration, education, and member value. With over 25 years of experience in business development, executive management, and strategic planning, he has a proven track record in growing organizations and key partnerships.
Christian is passionate about workforce development and has led award-winning initiatives that connect students to careers in material handling and supply chain. He was honored with the 2018 Champions in Industry Education and Workforce Development Award for his work with Arapahoe Community College and STEM School Highlands Ranch.
About MHI
Materials Handling Institute (MHI) is a leading non-profit trade association representing the U.S. material handling, logistics and supply chain industry — the industry that makes supply chains work.
MHI members are material handling, logistics and supply chain equipment, systems and software manufacturers; consultants; systems integrators and simulators; third party logistics providers and publishers. MHI provides educational, business development, networking and solutions.
To learn more, visit MHI.org
The Education Advisory Board
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.
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
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
Kristina Guy
Western Maricopa Education Center
Amanda Fitzgerald
Assistant Deputy Executive Director, ASCA
Nwakaego Edordu Oriji
If you are a school counselor, nonprofit, or passionate leader of a Skilled Careers group, please join us!
The Team
