ON THE ROAD: VISITING SKILLS LAB SCHOOLS IN NEW JERSEY
In May, our team had the pleasure of visiting three incredible Skills Lab schools across New Jersey:
West Orange High School
Toms River South High School
Cape May County Technical School District
All three schools have received equipment grants through our Skills Lab program. Each stop on the trip reinforced the powerful impact skilled trades education is having in K-12 settings.
West Orange High School (West Orange, NJ)
During our visits, we connected with students, educators, and administrators who are championing hands-on learning and career exploration in the trades. It was inspiring to see the enthusiasm and commitment to preparing students for in-demand careers.
A special thank you to Kimberly Keener and Dean Nastasi for joining us and representing Ferguson as the founding partner of the Skills Lab program. We’re grateful to Ferguson for their continued support in expanding opportunities for students nationwide.
Learn more about the Skills Lab program with the link below!
Your support helps make these opportunities possible. Thank you for helping us build the next generation of skilled trade professionals.
DONOR SPOTLIGHT
Donor Spotlight: Building Careers That Save Lives
Most people never think about fire sprinklers — until they save lives. The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) is a leader in life safety training and education, working to ensure these critical systems are installed and maintained by highly skilled professionals.
Fire sprinkler systems are closely connected to the plumbing and pipefitting trades, relying on many of the same core skills to design, install, and maintain the piping networks that deliver water in an emergency. Through its support of career and technical education and apprenticeships, AFSA is helping meet the growing demand for workers in fire protection while reinforcing pathways into these essential, interconnected trades.
AFSA is committed to helping students discover rewarding careers that make a real difference — protecting lives, businesses, and communities every day.
Read more about AFSA and their impact on our website.
A special thank you to those who supported Explore The Trades from
April 1 – June 30, 2026.
321 Swipe
Aiello Home Services*
American Fire Sprinker Association
Auer Steel & Heating Supply Co.
Beltz Home Service Co.*
Covington County Board of Education
Davis Heating, Cooling, Plumbing, Electric
Enterprise Mobility Goundation
Harbor Freight Tools for Schools, LLC
JAS Wireless*
John M. Cullen
Marjorie Whitman
Maven Asset Management*
Nathan Hoff*
Peggy Hildebrandt
Pink Callers*
Rainaldi Home Services
Ricky Heath Plumbing, Heating & Cooling*
Seaside Plumbing
State Energy Inc.*
Thornton & Grooms*
UpSmith
*A special thank you to our monthly donors for their ongoing support!
Interested in renewing your gift or joining our community of monthly donors?
EXPLORE THE TRADES EXPANDS IMPACT WITH GRANT SUPPORT
Explore The Trades is proud to announce new grant support from both Harbor Freight Tools for Schools and the Enterprise Mobility Foundation™, strengthening our shared commitment to building the next generation of skilled trades professionals.
Support from Harbor Freight Tools for Schools will help advance the development and expansion of our Contractor Toolkit—a practical resource designed to help contractors and trades professionals connect with local schools.
Learn more and download the kit with the link below.
Grant funding from the Enterprise Mobility Foundation™ will expand access to skilled trades resources for students, educators, and industry partners nationwide. Currently reaching more than 1.2 million students across 3,200+ school districts, Explore The Trades continues to grow its impact by delivering engaging, career-focused learning experiences in plumbing, HVAC, and electrical fields.
Together, these investments will help deepen school-industry partnerships, broaden student exposure to rewarding career pathways, and further our mission to close the technical talent gap in essential service trades.
Click the link to read more.
STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS. STRONGER PIPELINE.
Build Your Talent Pipeline with Tools from Explore The Trades
Explore The Trades is excited to introduce two new resources designed to help you connect with and inspire future skilled trades professionals. Our Career Connections Event Guide provides step-by-step support for planning and hosting impactful events that bring students, educators, and industry partners together to explore rewarding career pathways in the service trades.
We’ve also launched the Ride & Decide How to Guide, a practical resource to help you create meaningful, hands-on career exploration experiences for students. By offering ride-alongs, contractors can give students a firsthand look at what a career in the trades really entails—helping them make informed decisions about their future.
Explore these new resources and start building your workforce pipeline with the link below!
Donors of Explore The Trades support the next generation of tradespeople and the legacy of the plumbing, HVAC, and electrical trades.
To our supporters, we thank you.
To learn more about supporting Explore The Trades and its donors, click the link below.