Why Your Business Should Promote Careers in the Trades

The email arrived the morning after a group of middle school students visited our shop, and one line stopped us cold. Nearly every student said some version of the same thing: “I didn’t know that was a job.”

 Think about that for a second. Crane operators. Installers. Fabricators. Whole careers, good ones, hiding in plain sight on every street in Milwaukee, and a room full of sharp middle schoolers had never heard of them.

Here’s what the morning looked like. Students from St. Marcus Lutheran School spent about two hours with us. We showed them videos of our crews at work, talked through how we keep job sites safe, and walked them through the levels of certification behind careers like ours, from earning a CDL to becoming a certified mobile crane operator.

Kids can’t pursue a career they’ve never seen

Students hear a lot about a handful of career paths. They hear much less about the skilled trades: the crane operators, installers, fabricators, and project managers who build and maintain the places we all live and work.

You don’t need a big program to make a difference

The visit ran about two hours, and it came down to a few simple things:

• Show the real work. Videos of actual projects and a few minutes on the shop floor let students see what the job looks like.
• Be specific about the path. Students responded to clear steps. Start with a CDL. Earn a certification. Move up through the levels.
• Let your people tell their stories. The most powerful part of any visit is hearing how someone got started and where it took them.
• Invite questions. Students stay engaged when they’re part of the conversation. We were impressed by the quality and quantity of their questions!

This is good for the whole community

 Showing students what the trades offer helps families see good career options close to home. It helps employers who need skilled people. And it makes Milwaukee stronger.

Where to start

Reach out to a local school and ask what would be helpful. Many are eager for partners. Pick a few team members who are comfortable sharing their stories, plan a short visit, and prepare for safety. Then see what happens.

We’re grateful to St. Marcus for the invitation, and we hope more students get to say, “Now I know that’s a job.”

– Adam Brown