Celebrating Growth and New Alternatives for Trades Schooling
The “Discover The Trades Abilities Lab, Constructed by Ferguson” gear grants have been introduced on Could 7, 2025, in celebration of Nationwide Expert Trades Day in an effort to develop expert training.
Ten colleges are the most recent recipients of the Abilities Lab gear grants, that are projected to achieve over 1,500 college students this upcoming college yr. This dynamic program has skilled speedy progress because it started in 2021 and has now delivered gear to 32 excessive colleges and three center colleges in 17 states throughout the nation. These grants are funded by Ferguson, a number one value-added distributor in residential and business development, which additionally gives the gear and assist to assist colleges set up or develop their expert trades labs. The initiative displays Ferguson’s long-term dedication to closing the expert labor hole by means of training and workforce improvement partnerships.
“Robust partnerships between trade and training are important to the expansion of the plumbing, HVAC,
and electrical trades,” mentioned Kate Cinnamo, Government Director of Discover The Trades. “We’re excited to see the ‘Discover The Trades Abilities Lab, Constructed by Ferguson’ program proceed to develop—now reaching a brand new milestone with the number of its first-ever electrical lab. This lab is being sponsored immediately by Discover The Trades and we’re proud to see the broader initiative develop past its authentic scope. This yr, we additionally welcomed SkillCat as an in-kind donor, whose technical content material will additional enrich college students’ training within the trades. As we have fun our twentieth anniversary in 2025, there’s no higher solution to honor 20 years of supporting expert trades training in colleges throughout the nation!”
Expert Trades
Melissa Hazelwood, Director of Social Affect at Ferugson commented: “We’re seeing a pivotal second
for the expert trades. Extra younger individuals — particularly Gen Z — are recognizing some great benefits of a careerin trades, from financial stability to long-term progress. With this momentum constructing and an pressing want to handle the trade’s labor scarcity, the time is now to put money into the following technology. By means of our partnership with Discover The Trades, we’re serving to colleges flip scholar curiosity into hands-on alternatives. These labs are extra than simply gear — they symbolize pathways to promising futures.”
Congratulations to the next recipients!
2024-2025 Recipients
- Abraham Lincoln Excessive College – Plumbing (Denver, Colorado)
- Atlantic County Institute of Expertise – HVAC (Mays Touchdown, New Jersey)
- Burlington County Institute of Expertise – Westhampton – HVAC (Westhampton, New Jersey)
- Craig Center College – Plumbing (Craig, Colorado)
- Lansing Technical Excessive College – HVAC (Lansing, Michigan)
- Lincoln County Excessive College – HVAC (Eureka, Montana)
- Newark College of Structure & Inside Design – Plumbing (Newark, New Jersey)
- Toms River Excessive College South – HVAC (Toms River, New Jersey)
- West Orange Excessive College – Plumbing (West Orange, New Jersey)
New this yr, Discover The Trades is proud to sponsor the primary electrical lab within the Abilities Lab program.
Congratulations to the next recipient:
- Cape Could County Technical College District – (Cape Could Court docket Home, New Jersey)
To see an inventory of all Abilities Lab gear grant recipients, please go to our web site.
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