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By submitting this form, I consent to be contacted by the School of Skilled Trades representatives and agents via email, text messages, and/or phone calls (including through automated systems or pre-recorded messages) at any phone numbers I have provided. This contact may include marketing messages and other school-related communications. I affirm that I have read and agree to the School’s Privacy Policy. I understand that providing this consent is not required to request information or enroll at the School of Skilled Trades and I can request information by calling 919.892.8989 instead. I understand that I may revoke my consent at any time. Standard text message and data rates may apply.

Person in a blue uniform and cap writing on a clipboard in an industrial setting with machinery in the background.

Blog Page

What’s it really like to train for and practice a trade?

A person in a hard hat repairs an HVAC unit. The headline discusses choosing a career in HVAC over attending college, with a focus on mortgages versus student loans.

Get a behind-the-scenes look from Cole Kelley, a man who chose trade school over engineering school and is now a qualified HVAC technician. He enjoys his work and is planning to become a homeowner before age 25.
A career in plumbing could offer you the same opportunities.
Prefer to study HVAC? Stay tuned because we’re building a training program for you, too. Continue Reading What’s it really like to train for and practice a trade?

How Gen Z Is Becoming the Toolbelt Generation

A young worker in a workshop wears a hard hat and safety glasses with a welding mask lifted, embodying the 'toolbelt generation.' Text headline: "How Gen Z Is Embracing Skilled Trades.

More young workers are going into trades as disenchantment with the college track continues, and rising pay and new technologies shine up plumbing and electrical jobs
America needs more plumbers, and Gen Z is answering the call. Long beset by a labor crunch, the skilled trades are newly appealing to the youngest cohort of American workers, many of whom are choosing to leave the college path... Continue Reading How Gen Z Is Becoming the Toolbelt Generation

The Public Is Giving Up on Higher Ed

Our current system isn’t working for society. Digital alternatives can change that.
Last month The Chronicle released the results of a national survey in which fewer than a third of respondents reported believing that “colleges are doing an excellent or very good job of leveling the playing field for success in society.” An astounding 86 percent of respondents reported believing that trade school is “about the same” as or “better” than college. Continue Reading The Public Is Giving Up on Higher Ed

Private Equity Pours Millions Into HVAC, 
Plumbing Trades

Front page of The Wall Street Journal dated October 14, 2024, featuring headlines on private equity in HVAC, union contract disputes, and mystery drones at the Pentagon.

PE firms across the country have been scooping up home services like HVAC—that is, heating, ventilation and air conditioning—as well as plumbing and electrical companies.
The wave of investment is minting a new class of millionaires across the country, one that small-business owners said is helping add more shine to working with a tool belt. Continue Reading Private Equity Pours Millions Into HVAC, 
Plumbing Trades

Contact us to learn more about your options

Start Your Career Today

By submitting this form, I consent to be contacted by the School of Skilled Trades representatives and agents via email, text messages, and/or phone calls (including through automated systems or pre-recorded messages) at any phone numbers I have provided. This contact may include marketing messages and other school-related communications. I affirm that I have read and agree to the School’s Privacy Policy. I understand that providing this consent is not required to request information or enroll at the School of Skilled Trades and I can request information by calling 919.892.8989 instead. I understand that I may revoke my consent at any time. Standard text message and data rates may apply.