https://www.hancockacademy.org https://irp.cdn-website.com/3ebbaa9c/dms3rep/multi/pexels-photo-6147419.jpeg https://www.hancockacademy.org https://www.hancockacademy.org/the-graying-of-the-skilled-trade-workforce <h3> According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The Industry's Average Age of Retirement is 61 and more than 1 in 5 Construction Workers are 55 years old and older.  </h3> <div data-rss-type="text"> Those statistics along with the fact that the younger generation is not entering into the workforce as steadily as in previous generation is creating a massive staffing shortage in the skilled trades.  <div> <br/> </div> <div> Hancock Academy is laser focused on closing this staffing gap and keeping the Trades alive.  </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> Well if we had the fountain of youth this would be easy- we could keep those amazing skilled tradespeople working longer but since that isn't a thing- we have to encourage the next generation to get involved.  </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> How do we do it ?  </div> <div> Support  </div> <div> financial, mentorships, equipment and training  </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> How can you help?  </div> <div> Money, we need money. ***  </div> </div> Mon, 21 Jul 2025 19:31:00 GMT https://www.hancockacademy.org/the-graying-of-the-skilled-trade-workforce thumbnail main image https://www.hancockacademy.org/from-cell-phone-to-toolbelt-not-an-easy-transition From Cell Phone and Smart Phones to Tool belts and Hammers. This is not an easy transition for the younger generation entering into the Trades. Companies and hiring managers need to think about this new worker entering their field as they train them. Things aren't quite how they used to be but that does not mean the Trades are doomed. Change is needed for sure but let's make it a positive change. <h3> This is a subtitle for your new post </h3> <div data-rss-type="text"> We are all guilty of it- you are likely reading this post on your cell phone right now. We are all plugged in all the time- cell phone, smart watches, laptops- they go with us wherever we go and we are accessible and 'online' 24/7. As much as this new way of living has many benefits, there are some major drawbacks.  <div> <br/> </div> <div> There is a whole generation of people who are used to do everything online. Many of them spent formative years of their education online without that in-person, hands on experience that is often invaluable and irreplaceable. Ok, so we all know that this happening but how has it affected the trades? Why am I am writing about cell phones and smart watches on a blog that we typically talk about building the trades?  </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> I am writing about this because this new way of being and living has taken so many people out of the realm of in person interaction, learning and doing. The trades are hands-on and this is the opposite of what we are seeing with the cell phone generation who lives 24/7 on their phones.  </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> Our smart devices have given us instant access to any information we need. This has become our way of living, our way of doing things.  </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> Learning the trades is the opposite. There is nothing instant about becoming a master electrician or plumber. This require hands-on instruction and hours and hours of apprenticeship. This requires putting down the phone and putting on a toolbelt to get it done. I believe that this correlation between the constant access to screens and information has created people who just do not want to the go through the training needed for the trades.  </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> The irony that I am sitting on a laptop with my cell phone right next to me while I write this article that you will likely read on your smart device is not lost on me. There is a time and a place for our beloved devices but the take home here is that they will never replace the power of hands-on work &amp; training. The trades are not without sacrifice of time, sweat and patience but as we all know- nothing worth anything is ever easy. And the Trades and those who enter into them are truly the heroes among us keeping this great country thriving.  </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> Thank you for reading.  </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> ~Tiffany Learned </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> Executive Director of Hancock Academy  </div> <div> Hopeful for our Future </div> </div> Mon, 21 Jul 2025 19:30:58 GMT https://www.hancockacademy.org/from-cell-phone-to-toolbelt-not-an-easy-transition thumbnail main image