PeopleReady Joins Movement to Rebuild the Skilled Trade Workforce

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Generation T inspires the next wave of skilled trades professionals to pick up the tools for a successful, rewarding career

TACOMA, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- More high school students pinning career aspirations on a college degree could leave three million good-paying skilled trades jobs with no one to fill them by 2028. To help push skilled trades back into the career spotlight, PeopleReady, a TrueBlue company (NYSE: TBI), joins Generation T, a movement reigniting interest in blue-collar careers.

One-third of today’s skilled trades professionals will retire by 2028. As they retire, only 4 percent of high school seniors will consider a career in the skilled trades. This shift away from blue-collar is fueled by myths that a career in the trades is not rewarding or doesn’t have the earning potential of a college degree. Generation T is about busting those myths:

  • 30 million U.S. jobs pay an average $55,000/year and don't require bachelor's degrees.
  • A master electrician’s median salary is nearly $10,000/year higher than a humanities major with a BA.
  • The #1 factor in job satisfaction is being able use one’s skills and abilities

Generation T was launched by Lowe’s Home Improvement to expand America’s view of what we consider a successful career. PeopleReady is one of 60 like-minded organizations joining Generation T to champion the essential role the skilled trades play in our lives today and our future.

“It is easy to overlook the contributions these pros make in our lives,” said PeopleReady President Sean Ebner. “Consider the hot water for your shower, your front porch steps, the roads and bridges you took to work, or the wall of glass separating you from the elements at work. It takes talent and experienced hands to make it all happen. We take it for granted until we flip the switch and the lights don’t come on.”

For its part in Generation T, PeopleReady brings a path to the trades. The blue-collar staffing agency has 30 years’ experience connecting people with work in the trades. Every day, thousands of PeopleReady employees head to job sites across North America where they gain on-the-job experience working alongside pros who have mastered their craft. For those who want to learn more, PeopleReady provides free online skill development training – from basic electrical skills to welding – through its WorkUp program. The program is currently offered in two regions with plans to introduce it across the country soon.

About PeopleReady:

PeopleReady, a TrueBlue company (NYSE:TBI), specializes in quick and reliable on-demand labor, as well as highly-skilled workers. We serve a wide range of blue-collar industries, including construction, manufacturing and logistics, waste and recycling, and hospitality. With our JobStack mobile app, PeopleReady serves more than 130,000 businesses and puts more than 600,000 people to work each year, operating more than 600 branch offices across all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. Learn more at www.peopleready.com.

About Generation T

Generation T is a movement of organizations, launched by Lowe’s, committed to rebuilding and changing public perceptions of the skilled trades in America. Generation T seeks to drive enrollment in skilled trades education and build a pipeline of skilled trade workers to offset the anticipated gap of 3 million jobs by 2028 through a first-of-its-kind national marketplace for connecting people to prospective apprentices and jobs. For more information on Generation T, visit www.WeAreGenerationT.com.

Devin Smith
PeopleReady Communications Director
206-265-9264
dsmith1@peopleready.com

Source: PeopleReady

Released April 25, 2019