From Cell Phone to Toolbelt- Not An Easy Transition
Tiffany Learned • July 21, 2025
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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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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 & 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.
Thank you for reading.
~Tiffany Learned
Executive Director of Hancock Academy
Hopeful for our Future
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. Hancock Academy is laser focused on closing this staffing gap and keeping the Trades alive. 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. How do we do it ? Support financial, mentorships, equipment and training How can you help? Money, we need money. ***