Scholarships Strengthen the Current and Future Trade Workforce

It’s never been a better time for high school graduates to pursue a career in the skilled trades. As Forbes reported recently, a unique combination of factors means a booming career outlook for roles such as electricians, plumbers, welders and renewable energy technicians:

“Federal initiatives like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are driving job creation, with an estimated 345,000 new trade jobs expected to peak around 2027–28. Meanwhile, the green energy revolution and technological advancements are reshaping the industry, creating new opportunities for those with the right skills.

“Yet, the industry faces a paradox: high demand meets low supply. Over a million trade jobs remain unfilled, including 500,000 in manufacturing alone. An aging workforce, with five tradespersons retiring for every two replacements, combined with a cultural bias toward college degrees over vocational training, has created a persistent skills gap.”

Making training and education programs more accessible is a vital way to address this skills gap, and to allow more young people to access the rising wages and job security of trade jobs. And scholarship programs for vocational and trade schools, certifications and apprenticeships are a crucial tool for making that happen.

Working Together to Make an Impact

The Engineering and Construction Contracting (ECC) Association works with Scholarship America to award $60,000 in scholarships each year, with $2,000 awards going to 30 students pursuing engineering, construction management, and skilled trades.

The program supports students in 23 areas of trade—from welding to project management. ECC leverages Scholarship America’s targeted marketing services to reach all eligible students, broadening their applicant pool and strengthening their role in building a skilled workforce for the industry’s future.

At Hoerbiger, a multinational component supplier, scholarships for trade education supplement the company’s workforce training and upskilling program. Maria Iragorri, Head of People & Culture, told Scholarship America, “The scholarship program is a natural extension of our broader educational and talent development initiatives. While our internal programs focus on upskilling employees and preparing them for future roles, the scholarship broadens our support by investing in the next generation—our employees’ children. It reinforces our belief in continuous learning, whether for current team members or their families, fostering a culture of growth, opportunity, and development.”

All told, Scholarship America’s sponsors provided nearly $19 million in scholarship awards to 10,000 trade and vocational students last year, and 85% of our managed programs are open to applicants from trade and vo-tech schools.

Identifying and Addressing the Need

With 74% of global employers reporting difficulty finding the skilled workers they need, trade scholarships are a crucial part of the school-to-career pipeline. Those scholarships provide the support that high school graduates need as they weigh their career options.

As McKinsey reports, many Gen Z students simply don’t see trade school as an option:

“Despite a recent 3 percent rebound in vocational enrollment (up from 2018 levels), a survey of 1,000 US-based 18- to 20-year-olds found that 74 percent perceive a stigma associated with choosing vocational school over a traditional four-year university. An overwhelming 79 percent of respondents said their parents wanted them to pursue a college education after high school, while only 5 percent said the same about vocational school.”

By sponsoring scholarship programs focused on the trades, your company is telling students that vocational education is not just an option, but a great opportunity to get an affordable certification or degree that will lead to a secure and well-paying job.

Benefits of Workforce Development Scholarships

Scholarship America administers workforce scholarships that enable employers to attract and retain top talent and maximize workforce development.

Whether you’re looking to support your team and their families today, or to help close the skills gap and build your future workforce, Scholarship America can help you create a program that will help you:

• Recruit and foster a skilled and credentialed talent pipeline by supporting education and entry to the trades
• Invest in industry retention, performance, and innovation by creating and promoting workforce development opportunities
• Strengthen employee and community loyalty and engagement via publicly marketed initiatives that reinforce shared values and goals
• Demonstrate industry leadership by actively investing in workforce development and preservation of the trades
• Encourage career pride among future and current team members by highlighting trades as respected, rewarding career paths

American and global industry are facing immense pressure to recruit and retain a new generation of skilled trade workers. By sponsoring scholarship programs, companies can provide students with the encouragement and support they need to pursue trade careers or upskill to advance in their current jobs.

If your company is feeling the skills crunch, get in touch with Scholarship America and find out how we can work together to start building a future workforce that works for you.