ServiceTrade Sponsors Immersive Trades Career Workshop
(Courtesy of ServiceTrade)
DURHAM, N.C. and AUSTIN, Texas — ServiceTrade, which offers a software platform designed to optimize commercial service business operations, is a silver-level sponsor of The Heavy Metal Summer Experience, a career workshop series for young people.
The nonprofit program, supported by trade industry associations, vendors, educators, and individuals, aims to introduce students across the U.S. and Canada to mechanical, electrical, and plumbing careers.
“The growth of the mechanical construction and service industry relies on the next generation of workers,” said Angie Simon, president and co-founder of The Heavy Metal Summer Experience, in a press release from ServiceTrade. “In 2024, the program held camps at 36 locations across the United States and Canada, a 71% increase in participation over previous years, with approximately 500 students enrolled. The 2025 program will hold sessions in 54 camp locations and reach almost 900 students in the season.”
The Heavy Metal Summer Experience attracts students from all backgrounds and ethnicities, and nearly 19% of its students are female, the press release said. The program introduces students to all aspects of working in the trades and offers opportunities for hands-on learning and working with industrial materials. Students are provided with information on apprenticeship programs, trade specialties, local opportunities for further education, and careers in the industrial trades.
Careers in the trades are gaining popularity among young people. According to the Associated General Contractors of America, enrollment in focused commercial manufacturing and repair trade programs grew by 11% between 2021 and 2023. Undergraduate college enrollment dropped by 8% during the same period, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Trade school programs are also faster and less expensive than alternatives, with students finishing programs within two years and quickly finding employment after graduation, the press release said.
“A career in the trades is a terrific path to high job satisfaction, rapid career advancement, and great pay,” said Billy Marshall, founder and special advisor at ServiceTrade. “The demand for these young skilled workers is extraordinarily high, with an estimated current labor shortfall of 14 to 20 percent in the commercial fire and mechanical service markets. The Heavy Metal Summer Experience is the right solution at the right time, and we look forward to working alongside its founders to ensure its success.”
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