We keep saying there’s a skilled labor shortage. We say nobody wants to work. We throw money at recruitment. We build outreach campaigns. We sponsor tool giveaways. We write checks for community college programs.
But this is whats actually being seen in the field and online...
It’s not that we don’t have enough people. It’s that we’re training them to think like employees and not like builders. There's no path, or visual representation of what the trades fully has to offer & no one with enough credibility to speak to every aspect of the trade.
We hand them tools, but no blueprint.
We flood them with curriculum, code books, and torque specs. We teach them to follow instructions, not think independently. We push “job readiness,” but we never teach them how to run the job.
I’ve watched apprentices become journeymen and then drop out. Why?
Because we never taught them to see the full picture. We never taught them to lead, to problem-solve, or to own their outcomes.
We gave them a career but no roadmap. We gave them a pension path but no independence. And now we wonder why many switch careers before they even hit their 30s.
Let’s look at the timeline.
Start at 18. Become a journeyman by 22. Master license by 26. And if you're crazy enough open your own company all by 30.
That still leaves you with 35 to 40 years to build something. That’s an empire's worth of time.
But what happens instead?
Too many settle. Too many stall. Too many get stuck. The boomer era teaches you to find a good job and stay.
Not because they lack skill but because no one ever showed them what's beyond the next raise or the next promotion.
The truth is: tradespeople don’t just need training, they need vision.
If you’re in workforce development… If you’re in construction education… If you’re running an apprenticeship program…
Ask yourself this: Are you preparing them for the field or for the future? (There is a DIFFERENCE)
Because hands on skills are just one layer. Getting paid and being in a high demand industry is just one layer.
You also need to build character. Teach leadership. Develop their mindset. Expose them to ownership. Show them how to build builders.
Otherwise, we’re just putting band-aids on a broken pipeline.
Here’s what we’re doing differently.
At Energize Us EDU, we’re not just prepping for the jobsite—we’re designing full-career roadmaps. We teach tradespeople how to:
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Understand pricing, overhead, and business strategy
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Think like leaders, not just labor
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Take responsibility for their future
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Grow from apprentice → journeyman → master → contractor → educator
We’ve built it because we’re living it. And we’re opening the door for others to see what’s possible.
Let’s Build Together
If you’re serious about the future of this workforce, let's connect, if you feel strongly about this, let's connect, if you think i'm wrong, let's connect.
Sit with us on the podcast. Bring your team to see how we’re doing things differently.
We just opened enrollment for 2026 speaking opportunities and nationwide events.
✅ Workforce leaders ✅ High school CTE programs ✅ Union/non-union apprenticeship programs ✅ Trade associations ✅ Educators and administrators ✅ Renewable energy trainers ✅ Contractors building their teams
🔗 Learn more and schedule a call with me
https://info.energizeus-edu.today/meetings/wilson-matthew
Your Move
If you work in the trades, education, or workforce development: What are you seeing? What’s working? What’s broken? Where do we go from here?
If you find any value in this - Tag a leader who needs to read this. Let’s stop hiding behind your desk and Ai or what's trending and start building builders.
Speak up or you are part of the problem, not the solution.
