Apprenticeships

8 articles

Young people learning skilled trades like carpentry, plumbing, and electrical work in a modern workshop, benefiting from new grants and summer training initiatives aimed at closing the skills gap.
Trades

Youth Skilled Trades Programs Get Boost from New Grants, Summer Initiatives

New grants from The Home Depot Foundation are supporting youth skilled trades programs, while a Michigan-based summer initiative offers free training. These efforts aim to address the persistent skills gap and introduce young people to in-demand careers.

Rick Donovan·April 7, 2026
Young apprentices using modern technology and tools in a state-of-the-art vocational training facility, symbolizing the future of skilled trades and economic growth.
Trades

Modernizing Vocational Training Isn't a Choice; It's an Economic Imperative

The persistent skilled trades gap is a current crisis. Modernizing vocational training and expanding apprenticeships are essential to rebuild the talent pipeline and secure our economic future.

Rick Donovan·April 6, 2026
High school students actively engaged in a modern skilled trades workshop, learning welding, carpentry, and automotive repair, symbolizing new education initiatives.
Trades

High Schools Launch New Skilled Trades Education Initiatives

High schools are launching new skilled trades education initiatives across North America, creating direct pathways to careers for students. These programs address a persistent demand for skilled labor, offering hands-on experience and industry-recognized certifications.

Rick Donovan·April 4, 2026
Young people enthusiastically engaging in hands-on demonstrations at a vibrant skilled trades career fair, exploring various tools and machinery with mentors guiding them.
Trades

Skilled Trades Career Fair Comes to Timmins Amid Global Youth Push

The Level Up! Skilled Trades Career Fair in Timmins is the latest example of a growing global movement to attract young people into vital trades careers through hands-on events, targeted apprenticeships, and educational reforms.

Rick Donovan·April 4, 2026
Diverse apprentices in a modern vocational training center, welding, working with robotics, and designing, symbolizing the innovation in skilled trades education.
Trades

The Trades Are Calling: We Must Innovate Vocational Training and Apprenticeships Now

The future of our national infrastructure hinges on a robust pipeline of skilled trades professionals. To secure it, we must commit to innovating vocational training and apprenticeships now.

Rick Donovan·April 3, 2026
Students engaged in hands-on vocational training, welding and carpentry, contrasting with traditional high school education, symbolizing the shift towards practical career readiness.
Trades

High Schools Are Failing Students By Ignoring Vocational Training and Apprenticeships

High schools are failing students by pushing only four-year degrees, ignoring the critical need for vocational training and apprenticeships. This oversight exacerbates the skilled trades gap and leaves students unprepared for lucrative careers.

Rick Donovan·April 2, 2026
Diverse students in a modern vocational training center learning skilled trades like welding, carpentry, and electrical work, symbolizing the solution to the labor shortage.
Trades

The Skilled Trades Crisis Has One Obvious Fix We Keep Ignoring

The persistent skilled trades labor shortage demands a renewed focus on vocational training and apprenticeships, the most direct and effective solution we have systematically devalued for decades.

Rick Donovan·April 1, 2026
Industry

How Evolving Skilled Trades Apprenticeships Boost Workforce Development and Wages

Apprentices earn a competitive wage from day one, a core benefit driving the latest trends in skilled trades apprenticeship programs. Federal investment and a focus on diversity are reshaping workforce development across multiple industries.

Ben Foster·April 1, 2026