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The Collective Responsibility to Promote Skilled Trades: Why Society Needs to Highlight the Trades as a Respected Career Path

Host Greg Crumpton and guest Steve Turner, founder of Bring Back the Trades, discuss the growing shortage of skilled tradespeople and the societal undervaluation of trade careers. They explore how education systems, parental attitudes, and public outreach can shift perceptions and attract more young people and career changers into the trades. The conversation highlights skilled trades as a viable, lucrative, and economically essential career path.

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By Vince Holland · Bring Back the TradesGreg CrumptonSkilled Trades ShortageSteve Turner
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Key takeaways

01

A severe skilled trades workforce shortage is putting pressure on industries and the broader economy.

02

Educational systems and parental perspectives play a significant role in steering young people away from trade careers.

03

Organizations like Bring Back the Trades are using scholarships and public outreach to promote skilled trades as respected career options.

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Despite the common emphasis on college degrees as the primary route to success, skilled trades offer a crucial and undervalued pathway for career development. As industries report a severe skills shortage, the necessity for a robust workforce of skilled laborers becomes undeniable. The Bureau of Labor Statistics highlights this urgency in its report on fast-declining occupations. Are skilled trades the underestimated backbone of our economy? How can we shift societal perceptions and promote skilled trades as a viable career option?

Skilled trades offer a crucial and undervalued pathway for career development.

Join host Greg Crumpton on Straight Outta Crumpton as he welcomes Steve Turner, the founder of Bring Back The Trades. They dive into the essential role of trade in today’s economy and discuss innovative ways to promote and revitalize these crucial careers.

Highlights from the discussion:

  • Challenges in the Trades: Addressing the current shortage of skilled tradespeople and the societal undervaluing of these essential careers.
  • Impact of Education on Trade Careers: How educational systems and parental perspectives can promote skilled trades as respected career paths.
  • Future of the Trades: Strategies to engage more young people and career changers in skilled trades through outreach, education, and incentives.

Steve Turner is the founder of Bring Back The Trades, an organization dedicated to promoting skilled trades as a desirable career option. With a personal journey rooted in the trades, Turner has evolved from an apprentice to a successful entrepreneur in the upholstery business, now leveraging his experience to advocate for the trades through scholarships and public outreach.

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VH
Vince Holland

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About the Experts

VH
Vince Holland

Host, Straight Outta Crumpton

Greg Crumpton is the host of Straight Outta Crumpton, a MarketScale podcast focused on business services and professional networking. He is an advocate for skilled trades careers and runs the show under the banner of Straight Outta Crumpton. Crumpton operates by the mantra that relationships drive business.

ST
Steve Turner

Founder

Bring Back The Trades

Steve Turner is the founder of Bring Back the Trades, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting skilled trades as a desirable and respected career path. He began his career as a trades apprentice and built a successful upholstery business before turning his focus to advocacy. Turner supports the trades through scholarships, public outreach, and education initiatives.

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