From Stigma to Skills: Equipping Students to See the Trades as a First-Class Future

This session introduces an innovative and deeply personal approach to career development in the skilled trades—designed specifically for middle and high school educators, counselors, and curriculum leaders. Attendees will hear from a former white-collar worker turned blue-collar CEO and author of Skill Stigma, a groundbreaking book and curriculum reshaping how young people discover trades. This session offers practical tools, honest reflection, and a blueprint to help schools fill the “vision gap” before students ever enroll in a trade school program.