Melvin and BAG call the trades skills “… a natural
answer to both the tragedy and the crisis.” Unfortunately, the trades “… have become a ‘bad word,’” Melvin said. “As a result, it’s become common in the U.S. for people to enroll in four-year colleges or universities rather than applying for skilled trade positions. Ten they leave a short while later with a lot of debt and, in many cases, no clear sense of what they want to do.” As a non-profit organization, BAG works to align all sides of a given industry to a shared vision, and then lead them in the development of a solution to their skills gap challenge. Te effort involves collaboration with students, educators, and businesses, and the end goal is to bring the next generation to the skilled trades industries in the necessary numbers. Tis is approached through a number of initiatives, and
Melvin likens the process to coaxing two shy people into talking to each other. One of the primary BAG initiatives is the Career Skills Event, in which students from local schools and community colleges spend a half-day at a member business’ facility, moving quickly through a series of education stations and hearing direct testimony from industry professionals. Participants learn about career opportunities while getting hands-on experience. Te hope is that with a clear window into what the
various trades entail within their respective day-to-day activities, and the professional elements (good salaries, robust benefits packages, and opportunities for growth and advancement) that place these jobs in a desirable position, students may come to find them much more attractive—and maybe even a better fit than a four-year- college education path.
POSITIVE SIGNS Because BAG is working to alleviate the skills gap in a number of industries, the organization has to work hard to ensure that its approach is as dynamic and varied as the industries it serves. Melvin noted that while the Career Skills Events are among BAG’s initiatives, there are no two events that are exactly alike. “Depending on the event and the partner we’re
working with, we focus more heavily on either building business participation or attracting student attendees,” he said. “Tere is no one way, but a multitude of logical attempts each time until we find a way that works best. Te exact same way rarely works twice in a row. Educators and students and businesses know they need each other, but aren’t sure how to get the conversation started.”
“WE WORK DILIGENTLY TO BRING TOGETHER YOUNG PEOPLE AND EDUCATORS WITH EMPLOYERS TO HELP BUILD A LONG-TERM ENTRY- LEVEL EMPLOYEE PIPELINE.” - BRETT MELVIN
36
SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2019
WIRE ROPE EXCHANGE
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