Careers in Construction officials are hoping educators in Southwest Washington will start wearing Trades Tuesday gear on Tuesday, to get students interested in the trades industry

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

When does something become a trend?

That might be hard to define.

But something cannot become trendy until it starts.

The “Trades Tuesday” campaign is starting today.

For years, teachers in area high schools have been wearing college gear to classrooms on a specific day of the week, a reminder to their students to look into colleges.

Starting this week, the trades industry would love to see educators wearing Trades Tuesday gear, to inspire students to also look into the possibility of becoming a skilled trades worker.

This is from the Careers in Construction program, created by Jon Girod, owner of Quail Homes. Careers in Construction also hosted the Grade 13 event job fair last week, bringing in more that 50 local companies to meet with more than 70 seniors from area high schools. 

As far as Trades Tuesday, Girod said it is another push to emphasize the importance of the trades. 

For a couple of decades, public education pushed college, college, college. Education in the trades was not the priority. The public has paid a price for that, Girod said.

Fortunately, in recent years, there has been a rededication from many local school districts in the area of trades. Many local districts have or are building new facilities to offer the best education for students who love working with their hands.

Girod said Careers in Construction will be working with local construction companies on branding. The hope is that there will be clothing featuring a company’s logo, plus the Trades Tuesday brand, that teachers can wear. It could start with trades teachers, but it could also spread to other teachers throughout the school.

Girod said it can lead to students asking teachers about the shirt. As a bonus, Girod said he hopes teachers would ask companies what their mission is, so the teachers would learn more about the business, too.

The goal, of course, is to ensure a strong, capable workforce in the future.

One local company that often puts up retaining walls told Girod that most of its workforce is in the 50s. That company needs skilled, young workers.

“What are we going to do?” Girod asked, thinking about the workforce aging out in the next five, 10, 15 years.

He said there is a “huge practical knowledge gap” right now, and the best and the brightest young, skilled workers will benefit in the industry in the immediate future.

As far as the Grade 13 event held last week at Hudson’s Bay High School, Girod said more than 400 job interviews were set up for the more than 70 students who attended. Those are seniors who are either looking to get a full-time job immediately after graduation, or are looking for internships, apprenticeship opportunities, or just part-time or summer work before heading off to college or trade schools. 

Careers in Construction is all about providing the next generation the training to have job-ready skills. 

Trades Tuesday is a key part of that journey.