We’ve talked for well over a decade about the shortage of workers in the skilled trades, and there have been a number of solid efforts to help fill the gap. One of the most promising is the Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades. Now, Milwaukee Tool has announced it’s coming on board, adding one of the most recognized names in professional power tools to the roster.
What is the Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades?
The Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades has what may seem like an unusual founding member: the tech giant Google. This past July, Google, BlackRock, Carhartt, and Ford announced the initiative as the initial members with a mission to help meet the growing demand for skilled workers.
Its core focus is on three key areas:
- Strengthen the pipeline of workers entering the trades
- Scale training approaches that have proven, evidence-based success
- Expand the opportunities by inviting new partners
According to Google’s announcement, the company’s commitment was to train more than 300,000 American workers through an investment of $50 million. That’s an ambitious goal that could put a significant dent in the gap, considering the shortage is expected to grow to 2.1 million by 2030.
To add more perspective, the Alliance’s study, The State of America’s Skilled Trades: A National Report, notes that training programs are producing only 55 workers for every 100 needed, and that only about half the people who enroll in them finish.
From the outset, the group committed to supporting workforce initiatives in 30 states. That’s a good start, and Milwaukee’s entry into the group is a notable step in expanding opportunities further, as the Alliance now boasts more than a dozen members.
To learn more about how the Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades hopes to build America’s future, check out this op-ed by the founding members.
What’s the Significance of Milwaukee Joining the Alliance?
Whether you read its press releases or talk to the people behind the brand, you’ll hear Milwaukee talk about its commitment to the trades. Joining the Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades is one more example of how it’s backing up that claim.
Here are a few stats regarding Milwaukee’s current efforts:
- Supports more than 16,000 apprentices annually
- Works with more than 1,300 training centers
- Works with 25 national union and non-union partners
- Expects its total investment in skilled trades workforce development from 2010 to 2030 to exceed $200 million
- Invested more than $2 billion in its U.S. operations over the last decade
- Created more than 4,000 American jobs in the past five years
- Employs more than 11,000 people in the U.S. across 34 facilities
Milwaukee Tool Group President Shane Moll had this to say regarding Milwaukee’s partnership:
“Milwaukee Tool has built our business around the skilled trades, and we believe America grows when the trades grow. Joining the Alliance gives us another opportunity to build on the work we’ve been doing alongside the organizations that train and support the next generation of skilled tradespeople. We’re proud to bring those relationships, our experience, and our continued investment to this effort.”
Google’s initial commitment should be applauded. However, Google doesn’t have the skilled trades expertise that a company like Milwaukee does. In addition to the financial support that’s sure to be a part of joining the Alliance, consider what else Milwaukee brings to the table:
- 100+ years of serving the professional trades
- Countless hours of product research and development
- A commitment to learning what solutions Pros need through field research on real jobsites
- A strong history of disruptive innovation in the tool industry
- Field-proven credibility with Pros around the world
These are characteristics a tech company can’t AI its way into (yes, I’m using AI as a verb). With the expansion of the group to include brands like Milwaukee, there’s good reason to believe this initiative can make a real difference.
While I focused on Milwaukee’s contribution in this article, note that DeWalt has also joined the Alliance. That’s two of the heaviest hitters in the professional tool industry joining the same team to solve a real problem.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!
