Blog

Explore The Trades attended the American School Counselor Association Conference in Atlanta, GA from July 15-18, 2023. This conference brought together over 4,500 counselors and educators from all over the country. Executive Director Kate Cinnamo, Donor Engagement Specialist Toni Bower, and Explore...

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal caught my attention. It described laws enacted in 10 states during the past year to do away with the requirement of a college degree for government jobs. Georgia, Florida, Colorado, Maryland, New Jersey, North Caroline, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah and...

Explore The Trades attended the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, GA from June 19-22, 2023. This conference brought together over 15,000 students, educators, industry vendors and trades professionals from all over the country. These individuals showcased the best of the...

A trend that has played out for more than a decade continued last year as the college enrollment rate for U.S. high school graduates fell to 62%, down from 66.2% in 2019 and well below the all-time high of 70.1% in 2009, according to data from the U.S. Labor Department. (Data has not yet been […]

June 2023 Visit Explore The Trades at SkillsUSA! The National Leadership and Skills Conference will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA from June 19th to June 23rd. Explore The Trades will be located at booth 129 at the TECHSPO. Stop by for FREE classroom resources and learn...

Like many of you, I’m a sports fan and in my youth was a fair to middling athlete. Never a star but usually better than half of my teammates. That’s also a fair description of the physical traits needed to become a skilled trade worker. You don’t have to have a body builder’s physique or […]

May 2023 Congratulations to the “Explore The Trades Skills Lab, Built by Ferguson” Recipients! Explore The Trades is pleased to announce the winners of the “Explore The Trades Skills Lab, Built by Ferguson” equipment grants! Approximately 700 high school students and 150 middle...

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...

There are few truer sayings than “It is never too late.” It’s never too late to change, build better habits, or take on new challenges. It is never too late to launch a career that is fulfilling, stable, and allows you to provide for yourself and your family. The trades offer exactly that...