Skilled Careers Coalition (SCC), presenters of the for-youth, by- youth YouTube channel, SKILLS JAM, is pleased to announce that reality star and home improvement pro, Ty Pennington is back, returning to the series to reprise his role as host and mentor.
This year, Ty helps turn the spotlight on what life would be like without skilled trade pros as part of a new content series entitled A World Without, which poses the question – “What if no one could fix your home, wire your power, or build your city?” SKILLS JAM doesn’t just ask the question, however, with Pennington’s help, it shows viewers what a world without skilled workers would look like.
Pennington returns to Atlanta to shoot A World Without for SKILLS JAM, in addition to two other series – The Champions Journey – with Ty following a handful of finalist teams vying for the top spot in the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC); and Facing Forward with Ty Pennington – an open conversation between Ty and skilled trade students about what’s on their minds as they look ahead at their future.
Throughout each series, Pennington will tap into his own life’s experiences and career journey to inspire, mentor and guide students and SKILLS JAM fans looking to carve out their own skilled career path.
“When I first learned about SKILLS JAM and what Skilled Careers Coalition was doing to spread the word about the trades, I knew immediately this is my jam!” said reality home makeover star and master carpenter, Ty Pennington. “The skilled labor gap is real, so I’m glad to be back and continue to do all that I can to encourage more young people to pursue a career in the trades, which are a great way to write your own ticket to success.”
In addition to the three SKILLS JAM series, Pennington will also be the featured guest in An Evening with Skilled Careers Coalition, a coming together of cross-sector thought leaders to discuss the state and future of the skilled trades as the sector receives growing attention with the planned onshoring of manufacturing juxtaposed against an ever-widening gap in skilled talent needed to fill in-demand jobs. An Evening with Skilled Careers Coalition is scheduled for Thursday, June 26 and will cap off the week-long production (event open to media coverage/attendance).
Said Mark Hedstrom, Executive Director, Skilled Careers Coalition, “The skilled trades are the backbone of America’s economic engine, but the widening skilled labor gap is threatening entire industries, including booming sectors like manufacturing, construction, robotics and others. From high schoolers to those in career transition, teaming with Ty Pennington on SKILLS JAM will help us move further faster to rebuild the great American workforce and meet the demand for skilled talent today and long-term.”
In 2024, Pennington first appeared in the content series as the host of SKILLS JAM Champions League. Pennington spent 1:1 time with six NLSC finalist teams learning their stories, giving them advice and following their journey during the four-day competition.
This year, Ty’s expanded role as host and mentor of several SKILLS JAM multi-episode, long- and short-form content series set to debut on the channel in Fall 2025 hope to engage even more parents, pros and students to support careers in the trades.
In addition to his role on SKILLS JAM, SCC is also working with Pennington on the Great Skills Transfer, a new mentoring initiative by Skilled Careers Coalition to ensure that the knowledge, guidance, and passion of working tradesmen and women is passed along to the next generation.
The Great Skills Transfer evolved from a recent Skilled Trade Insight Research Study conducted by SCC which found that 43% of students surveyed would consider a skilled career if they had more information about career options and the best path to follow; with parents and counselors also surveyed citing a lack of knowledge to help provide young people with better guidance.