Trades Talk – February 2024
February 2024 “Explore The Trades Skills Lab, Built by Ferguson” Webinar Join Explore The Trades for a Skills Lab webinar on Wednesday, February 28th from 3-4 PM CST. Participants will have the chance to ask questions, learn about the initiative, and hear from current Skills
Trades Talk – January 2024
January 2024 Happy New Year from Explore The Trades! Thank you to all our generous donors who supported our mission in 2023! You help us make a difference and bridge the technical talent gap to the trades of plumbing, heating, cooling, and electrical. Learn more
College vs. Trades: Why Not Both?
Some of you may be debating about whether to go to college or embark on a trade career. In fact, it is not an either-or proposition. It’s not unheard of for college students or even graduates to find out they like working with tools better
College Gets More Thumbs Down
It skipped my attention for a while, but I recently became aware of a Gallup survey published last July that showed only a little more than a third of Americans expressed confidence in the value of a college education. As recently as 2015, 57% of
College Costs Blow My Mind
Way back close to the Stone Age, I financed my own way through college. As a military veteran, I was assisted by a monthly stipend of $170 a month from the G.I. Bill, coupled with free tuition thanks to my veteran’s status at a state
Trade Scholarships Are Waiting For You
In these blogs I’ve hammered home how expensive college is these days and cautioned about the burdens of student loan debt. Trade schools are much less expensive than college, but a good one may still set you back thousands of dollars a year. Even modest
Trades Talk – December 2023
December 2023 Thank You for Your Support on Giving Tuesday! Thank you to all our donors who supported our #TradesTuesday campaign for Giving Tuesday! A total of $4,027.80 was raised by 15 donors. Help us continue making a difference by making a donation before the
Trades Talk – November 2023
November 2023 Explore The Trades Celebrates Grant Awards Kicking off a season of thanksgiving, Explore The Trades is grateful for two recent grant awards from Bradford White Water Heaters and SandCastle Foundation. SandCastle Foundation, a private family foundation in Minnesota, awarded a $10,000 grant to
Trade Work Is Brain Work
You often hear homeowners complain about a trade worker who charged them a lot of money for a taskthat might have taken only a few minutes. What they need to realize is that they aren’t paying for the act of turning a wrench or screwdriver.