Thinking back, at least 15 years ago, I remember having conversations with my dad about how long it took to evolve a technician from an apprentice to a senior tech. This was back when it was common to post help-wanted ads in the local paper. I thought that offering more money and better benefits could attract higher-skilled technicians and drastically reduce the training period. To say I was naïve would be an understatement.
The Dirty Truth
A few weeks ago, after teaching an airflow class in Green Bay, Wisconsin, I loaded up my tools, jumped into a rental car, and opened Spotify (my preferred music and podcast platform) before starting the several-hour drive back to Illinois. I settled on Theo Von’s “This Past Weekend” podcast, episode #577, featuring Mike Rowe.
Mike Rowe hosted the hit television show “Dirty Jobs,” which showed him working alongside tradespeople nationwide. Since the show, Mike has become a spokesperson for skilled trades and a champion for promoting the alternative to a four-year college degree.
In the podcast, Mike told a story about how a gentleman from Blue Forge Alliance called him and asked for help hiring skilled workers. Blue Forge Alliance represents 15,000 companies and is looking to hire 140,000 people over the next nine years. Mike told him, “If you want to find your new employees, you need to look at students in the eighth grade; those are your future employees.”
Focusing on the Future
There was a time when our country took pride in the trades, and the education system encouraged children to explore working with their hands as a viable career option. Since then, many schools have eliminated shop classes and promoted college as the only clear option for their students.
Bryan Orr, founder of the HVAC School podcast and YouTube channel, his wife Leilani, Ruchir Shah, founder of the SkillCat app, and Ty Branaman have recognized these issues and started the GRIT Foundation. The GRIT Foundation focuses on bridging the skills gap and empowering the next generation with the tools, knowledge, and opportunities to thrive in the skilled trades. They aim to introduce youth to the trades and demonstrate how it can be a rewarding option that offers financial stability.
GRIT Camps
The GRIT foundation hosts camps for children between the ages of 12 and 15, which are discovery-based and designed to be engaging. The camp begins with a treasure map and escape room-style challenges, introducing the concept of “lost skills.” Safety is emphasized during the camp, with the experience emulating a real-life jobsite with the children wearing vests, safety glasses, gloves, and name badges.
Each camp has volunteer mentors who teach the children different hands-on activities. These activities include:
- Using a tape measure – With a focus on adding and subtracting fractions;
- Carpentry Projects – Cutting and assembling boards with screws and a drill;
- Pipefitting – Working with PVC and copper, even learning how to braze; and
- Basic Electricity – Using a multimeter to test circuits and components.
The children can take home a tangible project they create with their hands as a reminder of their experience. The camp is currently a free one-day event for the participants. The positive feedback from the parents has been extraordinary. When the kids come home from the camp, they remember every detail about the learning experience.
The camps are promoted through grassroots efforts, like local churches, Facebook groups, and word of mouth. This approach seems to work by maintaining a community-centric atmosphere.
Mentors Matter
GRIT not only offers learning experiences for the children but is also highly beneficial to the mentors who help host the events. The mentor's job is to motivate and guide the children throughout the experience, but many volunteers have found renewed pride and excitement in their skills when teaching others.
GRIT emphasizes the importance of the camp host recruiting experienced tradespeople for mentor positions to ensure the hands-on activities are performed safely and responsibly.
The mentors are encouraged to reflect on how they acquired their skills and consider the best ways to pass those skills on to the younger generation. This keeps both the mentors and the children engaged throughout the camp.
The Right Reasons
It isn’t common to find an organization that isn’t looking for an angle to line their pockets. GRIT is not looking to profit from its camps; in contrast, they offer these events at no cost to anyone involved. They are currently working towards creating a formal non-profit organization.
The camps are hosted by local contractors who donate their time and materials such as lumber, pipe fittings, and safety gear. GRIT creates the name badges and helps organize the contractor's event.
The Future: In the Eyes of GRIT
GRIT hopes to expand across multiple trades and form partnerships with plumbing, HVAC, and electrical contractors. The camps will continue to improve if companies can unite and co-host different trades in each camp. This will emphasize the diversity and importance of all the skilled trades.
The broader mission and goal are to elevate the general perception of the trades as a respectable and essential career, encouraging youth and adults to consider them a viable option for lifelong learning and success.
Hosting a GRIT camp is not a quick and easy career day. It takes great planning and upfront work to ensure the camp is a success for everyone involved.
The following quote holds true in more areas than just the trades. Maintaining focus will ensure a better world for future generations.
“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit.” — Greek Proverb
If you’re an HVAC contractor or technician interested in learning more about hosting a GRIT camp, visit www.thegritfoundation.com. If you’re an HVAC contractor or technician interested in learning more about the skilled trades shortage, contact Adam at ncilink.com/ContactMe. NCI’s website www.nationalcomfortinstitute.com is full of free information to help you improve your professionalism and strengthen your company.
About the Author
Adam Mufich
content developer and instructor
Adam Mufich serves the HVAC industry as content developer and instructor for National Comfort Institute, Inc. (NCI). NCI specializes in training that focuses on improving, measuring, and verifying HVAC and Building Performance. Find them at www.nationalcomfortinstitute.com.