NKBA surveyed high schoolers to determine the best approaches for steering them toward careers in skilled trades. By Robert Isler

 

It’s been one of the biggest challenges in the home remodeling industry for quite some time: How can projects be scheduled and completed in a timely manner when there is a shortage of skilled trade professionals to get the jobs done?

As part of the NKBA NextUp Initiative to attract more talent to the kitchen and bath industry, NKBA surveyed U.S. high school students to learn as much as possible about career likes, dislikes, perceptions, and motivations among the rising generation. The result was the “Skilled Trade Candidate Attitudinal Assessment” survey, released in June.

The good news is that the long-time stigma associated with the skilled trades is lessening. About half of the students NKBA surveyed said they were receptive to at least one of the skilled trades, while fewer than a quarter expressed concern that parents or peers would view such careers negatively.

A significant information gap exists, however. Only about one-quarter of the high school students NKBA surveyed said they feel “very informed” about job availability and preparation for a skilled trade career.

Key Findings

More than 550 male and female students in grades 9 through 12 participated in the online survey in March 2020. Although trades ranked below such popular fields as healthcare, business, and education, more than half the respondents said they would “definitely” or “probably” consider one of the skilled trades as a career.

  • The top perceived benefits of skilled trade careers are the opportunity to be the boss (cited by 76% of respondents), the chance to build a business, to help clients, and to create plans and designs.
  • “Learning a skill” and “good pay” were each cited by 22% of students. Of note were the differences in pay perceptions between sexes, with 25% of males and just 18% of females mentioning it as a benefit.
  • The next most popular response reflected that these positions are “Always needed/in-demand,” a keen observation cited by 14% of the sample. Just below 10% stated that it allowed for independence and was a stable career.
  • On the negative side, “Hard/physical work” was mentioned most often, cited by 22%, and far ahead of the second-highest response. Interestingly, a reference to pay not being strong was listed next, although further back at 12%. So, salary was considered both a pro and a con, which clearly means recruiters need to do a better job communicating on this subject. “Dangerous,” “Long hours” and “May not be skilled enough at job” rounded out the negatives, each mentioned by 8%.
  • Interest is nearly equal between male and female students. Females demonstrated a higher interest in careers where greater design work is involved. Males are slightly more interested in the potential for business entrepreneurship.
  • Smart home and AV/security specialty trades rank near the top in appeal among all the skilled trades.

Sparking Their Interest

To be successful in recruiting the next generation, NKBA found that it’s never too early to begin planting seeds. Nearly half of the respondents initially showed interest in learning about these fields before they even entered high school. For those not exposed prior, more than 50% said they wish they had been introduced earlier.

The most common ways to learn about skilled trade careers are high school training programs, social media, working on home improvement projects, and knowing someone in the trades.

Closing the Information Gap

The information kids want to know about skilled trade careers covered a wide range of areas, from career paths to training opportunities, to application processes, work conditions and salary ranges. The more info that is shared and the earlier that it’s provided, the better.

When asked for their preferred methods of learning about the field, respondents ranked personal interaction the highest, including trips to local businesses and one-on-ones with people skilled in a trade. Career days and technical college field trips were not far behind. Social media, particularly YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat, are additional avenues for providing an early introduction to skilled trades where there is considerable positive messaging from young people already in the trades. Training programs, online-training courses, four year colleges and trade schools also scored well.

Preferred ways of receiving training include hands-on paid experiences/apprenticeships, conversing with those in the field, high school classes, and hands-on volunteer experiences.

What We’ve Learned

Based on this NKBA research, we know the K&B industry needs to provide more hands-on opportunities to kids and to connect them with professionals and information. NKBA NextUp initiatives such as the BridgeYear/NKBA Career Tours, opening KBIS tours and panel discussions to local high school students , and an upcoming philanthropic Community Restoration Project with NKBA’s Rocky Mountain Chapter accomplish both. But much more is needed. With this research providing a roadmap, NKBA and its chapters will continue to lead the way to finally start closing the gap that has long plagued skilled trades.

NKBA research reports are available in the NKBA store under “Market Research Reports” at store.nkba.org.