The mission of Explore The Trades is to bridge the technical talent gap to the service trades of plumbing, heating, cooling and electric. This focus is the passion that drives the work we do to encourage the next generation to find a fulfilling career in the trades while recognizing the tradespeople who serve our communities each day.
Thank you to everyone who supported Explore The Trades in 2022 and because of your support, the organization was able to succeed in the efforts noted below.
Explore The Trades & Ferguson Partnership Open Three New Skills Labs
The “Explore The Trades Skills Lab, Built by Ferguson” grants were announced on May 4, 2022. Explore The Trades is a non-profit focused on bridging the technical talent gap to the service trades of plumbing, heating, cooling and electrical. Ferguson is committed to strengthening the communities in which their branches are located. Together, both organizations are dedicated to building the next generation of plumbers and HVAC technicians.
The “Explore The Trades Skills Lab, Built by Ferguson” pilot grant program is designed to expose students to PHCE careers that they might not otherwise know about. Grant funds will be used to create new plumbing and HVAC classrooms in high schools and post-secondary consortiums throughout North America.
The following sites include:
Armstrong Plumbing, Air, Electric and Byron Martin Advanced Technology Center – Lubbock, TX – Plumbing program
Pat Plumbing, Heating & Air and Washburn Tech – Topeka, KS – Plumbing Program
Peaden Air Conditioning, Plumbing & Electrical and Tom P. Haney Technical College – Panama City, FL – HVAC Program
See student and educator interviews at each skills lab site with our video tour!
Bridging the Technical Talent Gap
- Digital Footprint – A record number of people have accessed the resources provided on the Explore The Trades website! In total over 150,000 people have traveled to our website, which is an increase of 6% from last year.
- Quiz – Over 7,000 people have taken our quiz to find out which trade is right for them.
- Social Media – Our social media presence almost doubled over the last year! Follow @ExploreTheTrades to keep up with ETT in the new year.
Events in Education
- SkillsUSA in Atlanta, GA – Explore The Trades attended the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, GA from June 20-24, 2022. This conference brought together over 15,000 students, educators, industry vendors and trades professionals from all over the country. Through these great connections, 50 different participants requested more information for their schools and businesses!
- ASCA in Austin, TX – Explore The Trades attended the American School Counselors Association Conference in Austin, TX from July 9-12, 2022. Executive Director Kate Cinnamo and Administrative Coordinator Maddy Sorenson attended and had great conversations about the importance of the plumbing, HVAC, and electrical trades with educators and counselors from around the nation. Through these great connections, 113 different participants requested more information from Explore The Trades!
- FREE Poster Kits – Explore The Trades expanded our reach in classrooms throughout North America through our FREE poster kits. A total of over 1,200 kits have been sent to teachers and school counselors to introduce students to careers in the plumbing, HVAC and electrical industries. Check out the map below to see where our poster kits have landed!
Thank you again to all our supporters in 2022, and we invite you to join us as we grow and expand further in the new year!
Is your school on the map? If not, request your FREE poster kit today!
