Putting the Spotlight on Skilled Trades Students

It’s time to highlight high school and college students entering the skilled trades and construction industries just like we do with athletes

Every year at the end of the school year for high school students you start hearing about high school athletes signing letters of intent for the colleges they are choosing to attend.

You know the scene: The athlete and his or her parents flanked on one side, on the other side is that athlete’s head coach. The table they are at is covered with a flag or banner with the college’s logo that they are signing with.

The newspaper and TV stations might be there if it’s a big enough name. The student takes about five seconds to sign and then there is applause and congratulations. It’s a long-standing tradition for many schools to do this.

It’s great that this is happening and those student-athletes are getting honored for the hard work they do in school and on the field, but there should be another group of students getting just as high of praise — those entering the trades and construction industries.

LET’S HIGHLIGHT THE NEXT GENERATION

A few months ago Boldt Construction out of Green Bay, Wisconsin, held a signing day for its apprentices that work with the company. The 16 students from various Northeastern Wisconsin high schools all signed letters of intent to their chosen college or union to start their careers.

According to a local TV station that covered the event, following the signing about 100 students from area schools would be getting an immersive experience in the construction industry. Here, professionals from skilled trades would give live demonstrations of a variety of architectural, engineering and construction careers.

This is a great first step in highlighting these careers. The industry is facing a worker shortage because of retirements, and the industry itself should be stepping up to draw in its next generation of workers.

Hosting events like signing days and career days will help draw attention to the industry and show that the industry is one that students should be exploring.

WHERE TO START

The easy first place to start is to talk to students that already do summer work for your company. Or students who have reached out to you for opportunities and see if they’d be willing to do a signing day with your company as the sponsor.

Reach out to area technical schools and colleges to set up a signing day for the trades students. Most high schools would welcome another opportunity to highlight the work they do with students, as well.

Being in a skilled trades job should be something you are proud of doing and so should the students who are working towards that career. Highlight them and show them that it matters what they are doing.