2024
Impact
Report
Photo courtesy of Mayfair School (Philadelphia, PA)
This report highlights Explore The Trades’ key accomplishments in 2024. From launching the fourth year of the “Skills Lab, Built By Ferguson” program, to increasing our reach and impact in school districts across the country – our work continues to grow and expand.
Your commitment makes this important work possible. The organization looks forward to all we can accomplish together to help create the next generation of skilled tradespeople.
With gratitude,
Explore The Trades
Our
Mission
To bridge the technical talent gap to the services trades of plumbing, heating, cooling, and electrical.
About
us
Founded in 2005, Explore The Trades is committed to developing the next generation of a skilled workforce by changing the perception of the trades. The organization creates awareness of the trades through key industry statistics, career resources and connections with educators, industry-leading companies, and residential service companies throughout North America and Canada.
Kate Cinnamo – Executive Director
Maddy Sorenson – Project Coordinator
Toni Bower – Donor Engagement Specialist
Board Of
trustees
Lara Beltz (President)
Co-Owner & Vice President
Beltz Home Service Co.
Findlay, Ohio
Peggy Hildebrandt (Vice President)
President
Connors Plumbing & Heating, Inc.
Waseca, Minnesota
Mike Bergstrom (Secretary)
General Manager & Partner
Thornton & Grooms
Farmington Hills, Michigan
Lauren Martin (Treasurer)
Co-Owner
Seaside Plumbing
Berlin, Maryland
Anthony Caccia (Trustee)
Vice President
Caccia Plumbing
San Mateo, California
Marty Cullen (Trustee)
Industry Advisor
Garden City, Idaho
Phil Smitherman (Trustee)
Owner
Aux Home Services
Bessemer, Alabama
Julian Scadden (Trustee, Ex Officio)
President & CEO
Nexstar Network
Bloomington, Minnesota
Key
Accomplishments
In 2021, Explore The Trades dedicated its focus to bringing skilled trades awareness to students and educators across the country. Since then, Explore The Trades’ resources have made their way into classrooms in 2,061 public school districts, equating to 15.6% of all U.S. public school districts. This impacts over 790,00 students.
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2024
poster kit impact
Through partnership with Ferguson, the “Explore The Trades Skills Lab, Built by Ferguson” initiative provides equipment grants to create or refurbish plumbing or HVAC training spaces in schools to bring the trades back into the classroom.
Since 2021, 25 schools in 15 states have been recipients of equipment grants, impacting over 2,100 students by having the plumbing and HVAC trades as part of their middle or high school education.
New for the 2024-2025 application year, SkillCat has joined this program to bring technical training to students of recipient schools. To complement the equipment grants, SkillCat will be providing all grant recipient schools with licenses to their platform to enhance the technical learning of students.
2024
impact
2024
recipients
Appomattox County High School – HVAC (Appomattox, Virginia)
Bemidji High School – HVAC (Bemidji, Minnesota)
Callaway High School – HVAC (Hogansville, Georgia)
Gateway Regional – HVAC (Woodbury, New Jersey)
Ivy Academy – HVAC (Soddy Daisy, Tennessee)
Lebanon County Career and Technology Center – Plumbing (Lebanon, Pennsylvania)
Mayfair School – Plumbing (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center – HVAC (Poplar Bluff, Missouri)
Raymore-Peculiar Public School Foundation – HVAC (Peculiar, Missouri)
Saginaw Career Complex – HVAC (Saginaw, Michigan)
Thomas J. Corcoran High School – HVAC (Syracuse, New York)
Woodruff Career and Technical Center – HVAC (Peoria, Illinois)
Photo courtesy of Western School of Technology and Environmental Science (Catonsville, MD)
This is the first year of our program. Between the two sessions that we offer, there are 27 students enrolled in the program (13 Seniors and 14 Juniors). One of our Seniors, Brayden Hulen, has really shown interest in the HVAC profession. He started working for a local HVAC company in September through our LEAD Center Internship program. He is loving it, and the company wants to hire him full-time when he graduates in May. We have another 3-4 Seniors who will also start internships in January with local HVAC companies. All of our students will have the opportunity to interview in the spring for placement with HVAC companies, union pipe fitters, union sheet metal companies, or other trade career opportunities to either work after graduation or work the summer between their Junior and Senior years. With your support, we can provide tremendous hands-on learning experiences and future job placement opportunities for our students at the LEAD Center in the Ray-Pec School District. We cannot thank you enough.
Abe Lewis, LEAD Center Director, Raymore-Peculiar Public School Foundation (Peculiar, Missouri)
Photos courtesy of Mayfair School (Philadelphia, PA)
2024
resources
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the percentage of the K-12 Hispanic student population has increased from 24% to 29% over the last decade. Of the 49.6 million students enrolled in elementary and secondary school in 2022, 14.4 million were Hispanic.
With the growing number of Spanish-speaking students, Explore The Trades recognized an opportunity to ensure more students have information about the skilled trades, by introducing our NEW Spanish-translated career path posters.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the HVAC, electrical, and plumbing trades are projected to create around 1.65 million jobs over next decade.
To prepare future generations to step in and replace retiring technicians, Explore The Trades created NEW illustrations for ages five-11 that showcase how skilled tradespeople keep our lights on, our water clean, and our homes comfortable.
This resource will provide early exposure to these trades through visually appealing, elementary-friendly content to spark curiosity and create a positive perception of careers.
2024
grant awards
Explore The Trades was awarded grant support from the following grantmaking organizations. We are proud to partner in our aligned goals to bolster skilled trades awareness and education in communities across the country.
$30,000
The Yelp Foundation's mission is to support charitable organizations and activities addressing the needs of local communities, including access to information, education, local economic development, and freedom of expression, and to promote a culture of philanthropy among employees of Yelp Inc.
This award is for unrestricted funding to support Explore The Trades’ mission and programs.
$17,000
Industry Forward® is Bradford White’s signature charitable giving program. Through this initiative, the company provides grants to eligible organizations to advance public awareness of the importance and value of the plumbing and HVAC industry including skilled trades, manufacturing, and distribution. By aligning resources and investing in key programs, Bradford White is making a positive impact in communities to help build a stronger and sustainable future for all.
This award will support Explore The Trades’ poster kit program expansion to include Spanish career path posters and a kids’ illustrated series for ages five-11.
$10,000
SandCastle Foundation is a private, family foundation that provides support to charitable organizations in Minnesota and Missouri, that focus on children and their families, education, and the environment.
This award will support general operating cost of Explore The Trades.
$5,000
James B. Linsmayer was a lifelong resident of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The James B. Linsmayer Foundation was established to further the legacy and memory of James B. Linsmayer by primarily funding/supporting programs in the areas of arts and culture, education, health and human services in the vibrant Twin Cities.
This award will support general operating cost of Explore The Trades.
Thank You
donors
Thank you to all Explore The Trades’ 2024 supporters!
We are grateful to partner with each of you to create a brighter future for the plumbing, heating, cooling, and electrical trades.
I really believe that adding the plumbing program through the Skills Lab grant was amazing and so fun. It gives students the opportunity to see more trades and experience other fields of work. It made room for more hands-on experiences and other opportunities to get into careers. I was introduced to the program, and I tried it out and loved it. Then, I was given the opportunity to go to the SkillsUSA Florida state competition and I was able to place second. I was also given the opportunity to go to a local competition and I came in first place. I truly believe the impact of being able to fund the program is highly needed.
Logan D., Student at Lyman High School (Longwood, FL), a 2022-2023 Skills Lab Recipient
Photo courtesy of Lyman High School (Longwood, FL)
Your gift today impacts the tradespeople of tomorrow.
Learn about ways you can support bringing the skilled trades back into the classroom below.