SMACNA’s National Careers In Trades Week sets out to educate and inform people about the many benefits of working in skilled trades. Between 2023 and 2033, skilled trades are projected to experience faster-than-average job growth. In particular, GenZ has been called the “toolbelt generation” due to their growing interest in the trades as opposed to college-degree required fields. Trades Week aims to educate people about the benefits but also the responsibilities of trade workers, such as constructing, maintaining, and repairing homes, schools, hospitals, buildings, roads, and other vital structures we use every day. With new technological advancements including AI, drones, and laser welding, which are redefining what it means to work in a skilled trade, this work provides the chance to learn vital information about skilled trades.
To bring the project to life we engaged social media platforms and our partners for awareness and education. Our plan was to provide sheet metal shop access and testimonials, deploying a survey to pull real statistics, engage followers on social media, and bring in the resources that help people take action - such as providing links to local training centers which allows people to pursue the trades. There is also information which allows people to attend the Heavy Metal Summer Experience (summer camp) and find training centers in their local areas. These resources aim to educate young people about the benefits of skilled trades.
With programs such as the summer camp, education about the skilled trades has expanded across thirteen states featuring twenty-two different sessions. We have already heard of new partnerships with a school district in Southern California who found out about Heavy Metal Summer Experience through the media coverage that this campaign ignited. And with resources available to find training centers, young people can locate options for the skilled trades near them that they might not otherwise have known about. Young people are flocking to the trades for various reasons and SMACNA has seen an increase in attendees for National Careers In Trades Week, summer camps, and utilization of training center finders. We are gearing up for our Second Annual National Careers in Trades week, and because of the success of the first year, we’ve established six other partners across the trades to create an even bigger impact. These partnerships allow us to broaden our reach for year two, tapping into trades beyond sheet metal and air. For example, we are working with NECA to showcase how a career in electrical is another viable career path.