This Old House is accepting applications to join the team as an apprentice in its Generation NEXT program. By Dianne M. Pogoda
What aspiring young carpenter, electrician or plumber wouldn’t want a chance to work beside and learn from the masters of the home-building universe? It’s like getting passing lessons from Tom Brady!
This Old House’s Generation NEXT program works to alleviate the shortage in skilled labor by encouraging young people to consider construction professions and master the vocational trades.
Most importantly, securing a highly-skilled workforce that’s educated in the latest techniques and technologies shaping home building today and into the future ensures there will be enough skilled pros to bring kitchen and bath remodeling jobs in on time and within budget.
If you are (or if you know) someone who aspires to a career in home building and remodeling, apply for one of TOH’s two paid apprenticeships to work on two TOHTV project houses — a full season of TOHTV. One is in Westerly, R.I., in the spring, and the other is in the greater Boston area this summer.
Applicants must be 18 years of age or older to apply, and career changers and veterans are welcome. Deadline for submitting an application is March 1, 2019, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Click here for full Contest Rules.
Applicants will be asked to submit some basic information, including a trade field of choice and prior trade experience. Also required is a video, which can be an example of working in the field, or simply telling the team why the applicant wants to be a part of the crew and a career in the trades.
Only one video link is permitted, but potential apprentices should be sure to include information about any online presence (like social media, a blog, or a YouTube channel) on their résumés. TOHalso accepts optional letters of recommendation from former colleagues, supervisors, or anyone who can speak about their knowledge or interest in the trades. One year’s experience or technical school training is a plus.
Learn more about the Generation NEXT program at thisoldhouse.com/gennext and watch TOH Generation NEXT apprentices in action in Season 39 at thisoldhouse.com/watch.
See full contest rules, then click the “Upload Your Submission” button below to start your application! Good luck!
Be sure to stop by the Generation NEXT and Skilled Labor Fund programs at KBIS, too. Starting on the first day of the show — Tuesday, Feb. 19 — on the KBISNeXT Stage at 3 p.m., TOH heating and plumbing expert Richard Trethewey will moderate the Skilled Labor Trades panel. A diverse group of panelists will share their experiences and the challenges they face surrounding the shortage, and ways the industry is uniting to attract new, young talent to the construction and remodeling fields.
Panelists include Norm Abram, This Old House master carpenter; Jeff Sweenor, This Old House contractor, Rhode Island Builder of the Year, and NAHB Custom Builder of the Year nominee; Kate Campbell, contractor and host of HGTV’s Custom Builder and founder of Build Women Up, and Nathan Gilbert, former This Old House apprentice and newest member of the Ask This Old House crew.
Cheers for Trade Careers, a reception with co-hosts Bill Darcy, NIBA CEO; Suzie Williford, EVP of NKBA Industry Relations and Chief Strategy Officer; the This Old House crew, and Eric Thorkilsen, CEO of This Old House Ventures, follows the panel from 4 to 5 p.m. Industry peers will network and discuss how to bridge the gap between young professionals and skilled labor careers.
Then, on Wednesday, Feb. 20, from 2:30 to 4 p.m., join Abram, TOH general contractor Tom Silva, other TOH crew members and apprentices for a special fundraiser benefitting the Skilled Labor Fund. This fun event, with beer, music and prizes, will take place in the Show Village Silver Lot.
