Donate Your Lunch Money to Raise Funds For Trade Education Programs

By Sashco.  

Usher in a new generation of students in the building industry by using the money you would have used to go out to lunch to educate highschoolers on skilled trades.  

A lot has changed over the past decade, and we mean more than just better fashion sense, remote learning and work becoming the norm and binge-watching being added to the dictionary. In addition to the many ways our country has changed over the past ten years, the construction industry is facing an unprecedented shortage of skilled workers and is experiencing supply chain and material shortages. 

More than ever, people are needed in skilled trades. With so much opportunity and a generation of graduates reexamining traditional educational paths and corporate avenues, it begs the question, what’s keeping young people from pursuing skilled trades? 

A recent article from Tech Education Magazine describes how “Stanley Black & Decker spoke to high schoolers, their parents, and professionals to learn more about the perceptions of trade careers. The data revealed key drivers of the skilled trades gap: 

• Misunderstanding of long-term financial security. 

• Incorrect knowledge of required skills. 

• Lack of exposure to those in trade skills careers. 

• Observation of trades as a “male-dominated” industry. 

The survey results reveal a lack of education about the trades – in fact, less than half of young people have ever had a conversation about skilled trades careers with someone working in the trades. The findings uncover an important opportunity to close the perception gap and, hopefully over time, the trade skills gap as well.” 

A high school program in Taylorville, Illinois, is taking full advantage of that opportunity. The high school’s Build, Learn, Teach program aims to put trades in schools, teach high-performance building science and create hands-on experiences that give high school students the foundation for a career in skilled trades ranging from HVAC and plumbing to carpentry and building codes. While the program has existed since the 1960s, it has recently gained massive traction with the help of Building Trades Instructor Matt Blomquist. 

Students showing a commitment to character and academics enjoy an opportunity to spend three hours per day on job sites outside of the traditional classroom environment. Matt explained, “Sometimes shop classes get a fluffy reputation. It doesn’t take long for these kids to realize that the work is often hard. It’s muddy. It’s cold. It’s hot. It’s not easy. They must learn that sometimes you do uncomfortable things before you see the reward or the ‘fun’ part.”  

Despite earning a more rigorous reputation, the program is growing hand over fist. The Build, Learn, Teach program continues to gain momentum with students. It’s also caught the attention of industry leaders and organizations, like Sashco, who want to help champion the cause. “We’re so excited about this innovative and cool program not only because it gives students a hands-on opportunity to try out every aspect of a residential build, but it also propels the industry as a whole by helping to teach good, solid, building science that will benefits generations ahead of us,” said one Sashco team member.  

The #SkipLunchChallenge is one example of how Sashco and others in the building industry have partnered philanthropically with Build, Learn, Teach to help further the program’s mission. The idea behind the #SkipLunchChallenge is to simply skip lunch out for one day and instead directly donate those funds to support an organization like Build, Learn, Teach. Visit Sascho’s webpage to learn more or to contribute to the Build, Learn, Teach initiative 

Do you know of an exceptional program helping to grow the skilled trade or construction industry? Nominate them for our next #SkipLunchChallenge on our Facebook or Instagram page.  

Learn more about Sashco in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory or visit www.sashco.com. 

Original article source: Sashco