How to Give High School Students a Front-Row Seat to the Skilled Trades
High school students represent a vast labor pool ready to be developed
If you’re a professional tradesperson and a business owner, you have a lot of experience and wisdom to share. You’ve gone through an apprenticeship and earned the education you needed to succeed. You likely know exactly what it takes for someone just entering this industry to have a successful and rewarding career.
That knowledge is an amazing thing! It’s also incredibly valuable. There are so many young people who don’t know what their paths will be after graduation; many of them don’t even know that plumbing, HVAC, and electrical careers exist. As you continue to grow your business by recruiting talented employees, think about those young people who don’t know what to do next. They’re everywhere, and lots of them are sitting at a local high school right now.
You might be thinking, “Why should I spend my time recruiting at a high school? I can’t hire those students immediately. I need someone today, not four years from now.”
That’s true, and you’re right. But ask yourself this: were you saying the same thing four years ago? Has anything changed, or are you still looking for that perfect, experienced, fully trained technician? Where would you be today with your recruiting if you had started talking to interested young people a few years ago?
“Hire for character, train for skill.” We’ve all heard that phrase, but it’s the key to building a pipeline of recruits for your business. Working with local high schools gives you the opportunity to expose students to the trades. You’ll meet young adults who have the right character, integrity, and work ethic for your company. And if they don’t have any technical experience (and most of them won’t), you’ll have the chance to train them correctly – no need to worry about fixing bad habits from previous jobs!
You have the perfect tools right now to help guide these students – your experiences and the wisdom of your employees. Now is the time to give young adults in your community a front-row seat to the skilled trades.
How Do I Start?
Contact the career counselor, guidance counselor, or CTE (career and technical education) instructor at a local high school. Introduce yourself and explain why you’d like to share your expertise with the students. Educators tend to be thrilled to connect their students with local businesses, as this provides the students with an opportunity to learn about potential careers from those who’ve actually done the work.
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Where Should We Meet?
There’s a big difference between hearing about skilled trade work and experiencing it. Think about hosting a career-focused event or meetup at your shop. An interactive event at your shop gives students the opportunity to see what it’s really like to work in the industry. Let them see your team – and the shop – in action.
When scheduling the event, be sure to reserve enough time for the students to take a look at the warehouse, peek inside the trucks, and talk with your team. Reserving time for questions and answers is a must. Invite your top technicians, installers, and comfort advisors to talk about their day-to-day work and share why they chose a career in the trades. If there’s time, encourage your marketing, HR, or accounting team to talk about their work, too. It’s a great reminder to the students that individuals of all talents are needed in the industry.
And if an in-person event isn’t possible in your community, virtual career field trips are a great option. A virtual event can follow the same format as an in-person function, and still allows for meaningful interaction between the students and your team.
Finish Strong
As the visit concludes, thank the students for their participation in the event. Guide the group through some final thoughts and questions:
- What did they like the best?
- What was the most surprising thing they learned during their visit?
Share your contact information in case the students have questions down the road, and consider holding regular events. The whole goal is to begin building up a group of potential candidates for your business. You may be surprised to find out how many students are interested in exploring the trades!
If you’re a professional tradesperson and a business owner, you have a lot of experience and wisdom to share. You’ve gone through an apprenticeship and earned the education you needed to succeed. You likely know exactly what it takes for someone just entering this industry to have a successful and rewarding career.
That knowledge is an amazing thing! It’s also incredibly valuable. There are so many young people who don’t know what their paths will be after graduation; many of them don’t even know that plumbing, HVAC, and electrical careers exist. As you continue to grow your business by recruiting talented employees, think about those young people who don’t know what to do next. They’re everywhere, and lots of them are sitting at a local high school right now.
You might be thinking, “Why should I spend my time recruiting at a high school? I can’t hire those students immediately. I need someone today, not four years from now.”
That’s true, and you’re right. But ask yourself this: were you saying the same thing four years ago? Has anything changed, or are you still looking for that perfect, experienced, fully trained technician? Where would you be today with your recruiting if you had started talking to interested young people a few years ago?
“Hire for character, train for skill.” We’ve all heard that phrase, but it’s the key to building a pipeline of recruits for your business. Working with local high schools gives you the opportunity to expose students to the trades. You’ll meet young adults who have the right character, integrity, and work ethic for your company. And if they don’t have any technical experience (and most of them won’t), you’ll have the chance to train them correctly – no need to worry about fixing bad habits from previous jobs!
You have the perfect tools right now to help guide these students – your experiences and the wisdom of your employees. Now is the time to give young adults in your community a front-row seat to the skilled trades.
How Do I Start?
Contact the career counselor, guidance counselor, or CTE (career and technical education) instructor at a local high school. Introduce yourself and explain why you’d like to share your expertise with the students. Educators tend to be thrilled to connect their students with local businesses, as this provides the students with an opportunity to learn about potential careers from those who’ve actually done the work.
Where Should We Meet?
There’s a big difference between hearing about skilled trade work and experiencing it. Think about hosting a career-focused event or meetup at your shop. An interactive event at your shop gives students the opportunity to see what it’s really like to work in the industry. Let them see your team – and the shop – in action.
When scheduling the event, be sure to reserve enough time for the students to take a look at the warehouse, peek inside the trucks, and talk with your team. Reserving time for questions and answers is a must. Invite your top technicians, installers, and comfort advisors to talk about their day-to-day work and share why they chose a career in the trades. If there’s time, encourage your marketing, HR, or accounting team to talk about their work, too. It’s a great reminder to the students that individuals of all talents are needed in the industry.
And if an in-person event isn’t possible in your community, virtual career field trips are a great option. A virtual event can follow the same format as an in-person function, and still allows for meaningful interaction between the students and your team.
Finish Strong
As the visit concludes, thank the students for their participation in the event. Guide the group through some final thoughts and questions:
- What did they like the best?
- What was the most surprising thing they learned during their visit?
Share your contact information in case the students have questions down the road, and consider holding regular events. The whole goal is to begin building up a group of potential candidates for your business. You may be surprised to find out how many students are interested in exploring the trades!
