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May 2024 Recipients of the “Explore The Trades Skills Lab, Built by Ferguson” Grants Announced12 Schools to Receive Support to Create and Update Plumbing & HVAC Labs The “Explore The Trades Skills Lab, Built by Ferguson” equipment grants were announced on May 1, 2024, in celebration of National...

Congratulations. You convinced someone to hire you as a trainee. It’s your first day on the job and you know little about what you will be doing. But you want to make a good impression. Here’s how, in 10 simple steps. Be prepared. Learn as much about the company and co-workers as you possibly can....

While starting fresh with a trades career may sound challenging, the payoff can be immense. Jessica Bannister, an HVAC professional, spent over 10 years behind a desk before beginning her apprenticeship in 2018. Jessica grew up thinking the trades weren’t an option for women like her, and is much more...

“Explore The Trades Skills Lab, Built by Ferguson” Applications Due This Month! Bring the plumbing or HVAC trade to YOUR school! Explore The Trades and Ferguson have partnered to bring the plumbing and HVAC trades back into classrooms across the country. Funding is available for both middle...

In today’s rapidly evolving world, technology plays a pivotal role in reshaping trade education, making it more accessible, engaging, and effective than ever before. You can also get yourself EPA Certified online whenever you want. How crazy is that? Here’s a concise overview of how technological...

February 2024 “Explore The Trades Skills Lab, Built by Ferguson” Webinar Join Explore The Trades for a Skills Lab webinar on Wednesday, February 28th from 3-4 PM CST. Participants will have the chance to ask questions, learn about the initiative, and hear from current Skills Lab instructors....

January 2024 Happy New Year from Explore The Trades! Thank you to all our generous donors who supported our mission in 2023! You help us make a difference and bridge the technical talent gap to the trades of plumbing, heating, cooling, and electrical. Learn more about the impact that Explore The Trades...

In these blogs I’ve hammered home how expensive college is these days and cautioned about the burdens of student loan debt. Trade schools are much less expensive than college, but a good one may still set you back thousands of dollars a year. Even modest tuition payments may be a struggle for some...

December 2023 Thank You for Your Support on Giving Tuesday! Thank you to all our donors who supported our #TradesTuesday campaign for Giving Tuesday! A total of $4,027.80 was raised by 15 donors. Help us continue making a difference by making a donation before the end of the year and be a part of creating...