Learn why trades may become obsolete in our future and how we can change this.
Learn why trades may become obsolete in our future and how we can change this.
1 (8s):
Welcome to connected with Lori. I am your host, Lori Caruso. I have a great guest in the studio today. Steve Turner from Turner upholstery and bring back the trades. Hi, Steve. How are you? Thank you for having me. Thanks for joining today. I know I spent a while. I had you on the show last year, it was on Laurie and bean. And then I think we also had a call in for you to write. We have a lot to talk about, but we haven't had a conversation in a while and I'm super curious. So bring back the trades, a big passion for you when you started having that be part of Turner upholstery and what you're doing.
1 (48s):
Talk to us a little bit about bring back the trades. So the audience understands what you do when your passions behind you.
0 (54s):
So bring back. The trades is a five Oh one C three scholarship program. We're trying to bring awareness to the lack of the younger youth going into the trades. So we, I started a scholarship fund. We raised money and we give out a scholarship once a month for nine months throughout the school year. So that's what we're all about. We're just trying to bring awareness to the parents that there's more out there than just college. We're not against college. My son just graduated in very successful and very, we're all proud of him, but there's a lot of kids that are left behind because they don't want to call it a college. And we want them to know that the trades are a great option.
1 (1m 34s):
Yeah, I'm in an industry too. And I see the trades being a challenge. It's very challenging for sure, to be able to have people come in from an education standpoint and also to continue to fill those positions so to speak. And you know, with that, I see a ton of use here. I know that you also said in some of our conversations, electrical, you had stats on, it was really intriguing to me and why I'm so passionate about this. Tell us a little bit about that. Some of the stats you see from the electrician side. Yeah.
0 (2m 8s):
As far as electrical and plumber in the United States in Hampshire, the average age of a plumber electrician is like 55 to 65 years old. So if we don't get kids into the trades within the next 10 years, or next five years, all those guys are going to be retiring. But the biggest problem that I try and explain to them in the parents is if they don't find somebody to take on their business, that business closes. So even if it has 10 employees and those employees don't want to be the owner, they no longer have a job and there's nobody to fill those businesses. So that's our biggest problem. Like me, I've been in business for 32 years. I have one guy has been with me 17 years. He is 42.
0 (2m 49s):
He's already told me when, you know, we're, we're pretty close in age. So when I close, unless I find somebody to take over my business, it closes. And the hardest part of that, I'm talking to these people. It's more what their business is worth to them too. When they go to retire, there's nobody to take it over. So, you know, I try and explain to the parents that, you know, that not only is it a great job, but it's not just a job. If they work long enough, they can take over the business. And now they're a business owner. So there's a lot of,
1 (3m 25s):
There is a lot to it. For sure. So with that as well, I mean, you're looking at these businesses that you want to see thrive. I mean, that's obviously the challenge. You don't want that business to go out. So how do you bridge the gap? So to speak from, you know, the process of what you deliver from a scholarship program and the trade school itself, do you work with the trade schools? Do you actually align to be able to do that, to produce that educational experience for everyone? Wow.
0 (3m 53s):
Right now we don't, we've got, well, we're working with the North Hampton trade school right now, but we're such a small organization right now that we're trying what's what's going on in the world right now. We can't really get out to the schools. We, as of last year, we would actually go to the schools, the high schools, middle schools, and we would set up a trade fair in the auditorium with five or six different. We have Pella, we have Palmer God, they're a plumbing outfit. And Pella does windows. And we have me as a pollster. We have a whole bunch of guys or women doing their trade and the kids would come in and learn that trade for half day. So we would actually go to the schools. But as far as get back to the, the answer about the trade schools, we're trying to get out there to align ourselves with them, to show, you know, advertise more of the schools out there.
0 (4m 43s):
Cause there's a lot of them in Hampshire and there's a lot of them in mass, but we're just, we're too small and we need more help getting out there to tell the kids, okay,
1 (4m 51s):
That's it? I mean, I'm sure resource wise. Yeah. You know, I'm having these conversations in my industry and every partner that I work with when I talk about bring back the trades, every single person has said, Oh my goodness, that is so important to us. We, you know, need to support that. And we need to really push that effort because it's so critical and so important for us. So Steve, we're going to take a short break and we'll be right back after these messages, tenants complaining about their steep internet bill or no alternative for service audit and provides the ultimate solution for your commercial or residential tenants who demand better connections with bandwidth hungry services increasing rapidly added him can deliver up to 10 gig speeds through their cloud managed technology.
1 (5m 41s):
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1 (6m 24s):
So Steve, we were talking a little bit about, you know, what you're doing out there. Let's talk about also the process. How do people apply for the scholarship? What happens for those students that need a little help and support? And what's the push behind it? How do you do that?
0 (6m 41s):
So we have a Facebook, we have Instagram and B basically have word of mouth, but we talk a lot and talk to businesses. So, but you do to apply for it is you have to be on the Northeast. There's nine different States that we're putting it in right now. And hopefully moving it all the way across the country at some point. But you go to the essay part on the, on the website and you fill out reason why you're eligible or willing to be eligible for the scholarship. And then you have to write a little essay of what, you know, what, why you want to win. And I always tell people, considering the trades are not a lot of the kids. Aren't really good at penmanship and all that. So I tell them, it's not about how you write, just tell your story,
1 (7m 25s):
Tell your story. So I'm assuming you probably have one award or so that was recent. Talk to me a little bit about the awards. Maybe one that comes to mind. I mean,
0 (7m 36s):
It really comes to mind is Connor Fleming. He's a, he won, I think it was September. He is an underwater diver. He does welding and stuff like that under the water, which I didn't even really know they had. So he was going, he actually went, I don't quote me, but I think it was in Seattle that he went to school and he just graduated. I think it was in may. And he's got a full time job working on the Seacoast doing under what diving and stuff like he does maintenance and welding and stuff like that. So it's a success story. Wow. Yeah.
1 (8m 6s):
What are some of the other awards that you've given in certain unique areas?
0 (8m 11s):
Yeah. We've given them a one, two. I can't remember her name, but she was in a Mason school. They restore antique buildings in Mainz masonary school in Maine. We gave it to her. She goes in and learns masonary. They go to the historical sites, houses, stuff like that. And they restore all the Mason Mason. So that was another one.
1 (8m 30s):
Countless countless industries, countless jobs. I can only imagine. Right. Right. The list just continues to go on. I mean, we talk about the electricians, the plumbers, the normal things that we would think from a career standpoint, but there's so many other I would have imagined. So talk to us also, I know that you try to get your message out and you have social media. Clearly you have a website that they can go visit. How else do you do it?
0 (8m 56s):
That's about it. It's Instagram and Facebook. We were going to all the schools. And like I said, we were going to schools. We were doing a lot of trade fairs. We do cars and coffee every Sunday for the first Sunday of the month. I think it's may through October. We go there and we, we have set up, we have a tent and we set up that we sell our apparel, we get donations and everybody's walking around. We sell stickers and we have all kinds of stuff that we can a little trick it's we give away. But that's right now, that's what we're doing, going out and doing it. But what our biggest problem right now is trying to get the kids to know about us. Our Facebook page is pretty much all adults. So our main focus right now is letting the kids know that there's money available.
0 (9m 41s):
And that's our hardest thing, which you wouldn't think it would be that hard to give away money. But right now it's reaching the kids that are eligible for these programs.
1 (9m 48s):
There is money available. That's a big, big message. Yeah. Give it away. You need to have people come in and apply. Exactly. Yeah. So, I mean, again, really, really important. What's your website. I know that we were talking about, you know, the social media piece. How do people reach you on the website? How do they reach us? What's your website?
0 (10m 10s):
Bring the tray, bring back the trace.com. Then bring back the tr bringing up the trays on Instagram.
1 (10m 15s):
Okay, good. Yeah. So that's the message. Clearly you've got money. We need to have some support out there. How do you also, I mean, this is a big challenge. You're one person, right? Well, I have a board and you have a board, right? Okay. But you're very influential and very,
0 (10m 30s):
They do great work with me. Yes. We've got a tile guy. We've got a machinist. We've got electrician. We got an it guy. My wife is very, very proud of her. She's done really great job. She's a teacher. My son's involved. He does a lot of the Instagram and Facebook Riley. And then we've got, well, I think that's five. So we get, we got a board that is all made up of a small business people. So it's great.
1 (10m 59s):
So it's great to have their influence in their, obviously their opinions on you know, how to make this happen, but still you are the forefront. It sounds like you definitely have a great team behind you. But from an expansion perspective, let's say this is a national effort. This is a global effort. I mean, they're really, this is a pain point that we see everywhere. As far as your future. How do you see the growth for bring back the trades?
0 (11m 24s):
Like I said early, I wish I'm hoping that it's not just the East coast. It's the whole United States and bring back the trades is a national name. That's what I hoping down the road. You know, a lot of people will make fun of me or not make fun of me, but it will ask me this question, bring back the trays. I don't get it. Well, the trades never went anywhere. I get that all the time. I'm like, that's not what we're about. We're getting, we're about getting the younger kids back into the trade. So they're like, where did the trades ever go? I'm like, it's not the trades went anywhere. It's the shortage of the younger kids being educated. That it's a great job.
1 (11m 59s):
If you don't have the backfill though, I can see that trade actually disappearing. And then we'll be saying, gosh, what happened too? And why isn't that? There that's an important piece. So what a huge message. Steve Turner bring back the trades. Let's get the message out. Let's get those scholarships filled. Let's get those students back in and fill those positions. I think it's a great effort and I really appreciate you being on the show. Thank you for having me. Thank you so much. We'll see you soon. Interested in being part of our show or advertising on our podcast. Contact us@infoatfifthgenmedia.com for more information, we'd love to be a part of your success.