Women in the Trades: How to Start a Skilled Trades Career

A young woman poses in front of her workshop.

Women in the Trades: How to Start a Skilled Trades Career   If you’re a woman exploring career options, consider adding the skilled trades to your list of options! Jobs in the trades, like plumbing, HVAC, and electrical work, for example, offer something that many traditional career paths don’t: stability, high earning potential, and the […]

Five Reasons Plumbing, HVAC, and Electrical Companies Should Support Philanthropic Efforts

Hands holding $100 bills.

Five Reasons Plumbing, HVAC, and Electrical Companies Should Support Philanthropic Efforts   The skilled trades industry is facing a growing skilled workforce gap. With fewer young people entering plumbing, HVAC, and electrical careers to replace retiring technicians, companies across the country are feeling the pressure to find qualified workers. Explore The Trades is dedicated to […]

The Trades: Your Ticket to a Future-Proof Career

Animated trades people.

The Trades: Your Ticket to a Future-Proof Career In a rapidly changing job market, many career paths face uncertainty due to advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and automation. This is a stressful time for both current workers and high school graduates preparing to enter the job market. No matter how much the employment landscape changes, […]

20 Reasons To Explore The Trades

Man working with wires.

1. More than one in six skilled tradespeople end up owning their own business and another 20% become partners in a business. 2. 30% of small business owners have no more than a high school diploma. 3. Construction is the most popular profession for people who own their own businesses. 4. The average cost to […]

Explore The Trades Happy Hour Event

Explore the Trades staff.

Thank you to everyone who attended the Explore The Trades Happy Hour Fundraising event at Super Meeting 2022! This event was a Texas-sized success with the support of both individuals and our corporate sponsors. Our individual donors generously gave over $20,000 and our corporate sponsors gave $35,000 to bridge the technical talent gap to the […]

Cheap Is As Cheap Does

Chalkboard drawing of a scale with value on one side and price on the other.

I was at a daughter’s house recently when she talked about an HVAC service firm that a day before had fixed her balky air conditioning system amid the sweltering summer heat. It was a company I recommended to her because I knew the owner and had used their services. My daughter spoke about how pleased […]