Dive Brief:
- This summer, students across Los Angeles County will get paid while earning credentials in the skilled trades, including solar panel installation and construction.
- Nearly 400 teens have signed up for one of eight programs as part of the L.A. County Skilled Trades Summers initiative, according to a June 11 news release. Launched by Harbor Freight Tools for Schools, a flagship program of the Smidt Foundation, the program will introduce young people to skilled trades career pathways and provide “foundational skills for success well before they graduate,” per the release.
- Labor shortages in the skilled trades have accelerated since the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated by a wave of early retirements and a lack of awareness of career opportunities in the skilled trades. These summer programs aim to bridge that gap by introducing students to skills that can result in stable careers after students graduate from high school, Harbor Freight Tools for Schools said.
Dive Insight:
Skilled trades professionals are retiring faster than they can be replaced, Harbor Freight Tools for Schools said in the release, with younger individuals displaying a poor knowledge of trade work benefits and a lack of direct pipelines to these jobs making it difficult to replace individuals who have retired.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the number of workers required to fill skilled trades roles like plumbing, electrical and HVAC services, could exceed 150,000 each year through 2032. The BLS projects an average of approximately 42,600 openings for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, about 73,500 open roles for electricians and 37,700 openings for HVAC mechanics and installers each year through 2032. Many of these openings are expected to replace workers who have retired, shifted to different occupations or dropped out of the labor force, according to the BLS.
Despite these challenges and needs, there are fewer “direct pipelines to these jobs,” Harbor Freight Tools for Schools said, noting that skilled trades classes have been cut from most L.A. high school curricula. Fewer than one in five public high schools in Los Angeles are offering any type of skilled trades education, according to the release.
The 2024 summer program, based on an “earn and learn” model where students earn money while learning about the trades, began June 3 and is slated to run through August 16, per the release.
The summer programs filled up quickly, with the existence of waiting lists indicating a growing interest in skilled trades education, Harbor Freight Tools for Schools said. It added that there is support in the area to expand the skilled trades, citing research from public opinion research firm EVITARUS, which polled over 1,000 LA county voters, public school parents and students from last November through January 2024. The survey found that 94% of voters, 92% of parents and 86% of students expressed support for expanding the skilled trades.
Seven in 10 high school students across Los Angeles county would consider taking a skilled trades course, if it were offered, Harbor Freight Tools for Schools noted, citing EVITARUS’ research findings. Students want opportunities to learn about skilled trades as it could lead them to find a passion or obtain internships and other early job experiences, Harbor Freight Tools for Schools said in the release.
The L.A. County Skilled Trades Summers is operating at public schools and through community organizations. Program partners include the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor, Port of Los Angeles High School, Alliance for Community Empowerment, Artesia High School, BRIDGE Housing/Jordan Downs, California Advancing Pathways for Students, Da Vinci Schools and La Mirada High School, per the release.
