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Vocational students see opportunities in eyesores: 'I could fix that up'
Voc-tech students in Baltimore are rebuilding vacant homes -- and their community.

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 122 min read


Plumber or programmer? Trades workers close the job gap
Boilermakers, pipe fitters, electricians and plumbers are more likely to be employed than four-year college graduates.

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 12 min read


Is it time for trade school?
Worried about AI and college costs, young workers are pursuing jobs in the skilled trades.

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 31, 20252 min read


Ford can't find mechanics for $120K: It takes math to learn a trade
Ford can't find auto mechanics -- for $120,000 a year. Most high school graduates don't know enough math (or read well enough) to succeed in job training.

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 17, 20252 min read


Don't wait for college: High schools can put students on track for high-demand jobs
Redesign high schools to prepare students for skilled careers in growth industries.

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 26, 20252 min read


Blue-collar jobs are unfilled, but young Americans don't have skills
Demand is high for skilled technicians and manufacturing workers, but few high school or college graduates are qualified.

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 26, 20251 min read


Demand is high for skilled trades classes
Seventy percent of Los Angeles County students said they'd consider taking a skilled trades class, if their high school offered the...

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 10, 20241 min read


Joe the Plumber is retiring: Will Gen Z train for trades jobs?
Plumbers are retiring faster than apprentices are joining the trade, reports Salena Zito in the Washington Examiner. Builders report...

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 3, 20242 min read


Black history in Florida: 'Strong, valuable people'
Alex Haley's Roots, which traced his ancestors back to Africa, was a very big deal when it was shown on TV in 1977. I was surprised to...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 24, 20232 min read


Grandin: Educate the visual thinkers too
Our society and our schools aren't designed for "visual thinkers, which so many of us neurodivergent folks are," writes Temple Grandin, a...

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 14, 20231 min read
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