Bring Back the Trades (BBTT), a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to bridging the skilled trades gap, today announced the Manchester School of Technology (MST) in Manchester, New Hampshire, as the first recipient of the Bring Back the Trades Tool Grant Program. The award, made possible through the support of Milwaukee Tool, delivers a professional-grade Electrical Tool Kit valued at $1,500 to MST’s vocational program — giving students hands-on access to the same tools used on modern jobsites.

The award was granted in person at the Manchester School of Technology, where Shana Brunye, COO of Bring Back the Trades, and Jeff Conway, vice chair of the BBTT Board of Directors, surprised students in the winning class. Vasiliki “Vaso” Partinoudi, assistant principal and CTE director at MST, and instructor Phillippe LeClaire — who submitted the winning application — were also on hand for the surprise reveal.

“Walking into that classroom and seeing the students’ faces when they realized what was happening — that’s exactly why we built this program,” said Shana Brunye, chief operating officer of Bring Back the Trades. “The Manchester School of Technology is exactly the kind of program we created this grant for: dedicated instructors, eager students, and a real need for equipment that matches the ambition in that room. This is just the beginning.”

The Manchester School of Technology is a regional career and technical education center serving students from Manchester and surrounding communities. MST’s electrical program prepares students for careers in the trades through rigorous, hands-on training — and the new Milwaukee Tool kit will directly upgrade the equipment available to those students.

The Bring Back the Trades Tool Grant Program launched in April 2026, and awards monthly grants valued at $1,500 in tool kits to eligible public schools and registered non-profits across the United States. Grant recipients select from specialized kits tailored to their curriculum, including tracks in Plumbing, Electrical, Automotive, and Carpentry. Milwaukee Tool is providing professional-grade equipment for all 2026 winners, replacing outdated or consumer-grade tools with industry-standard technology.

“Careers in the skilled trades start with hands-on experience,” said Scott Teson, senior vice president of Skilled Trades at Milwaukee Tool. “By helping students train with the same professional-grade tools used on jobsites today, we’re helping them build confidence, develop real-world skills, and see what’s possible for their future. We’re proud to support Bring Back the Trades as they invest in the next generation of this country’s tradespeople."

Milwaukee Tool invests more than $10 million annually in hands-on education to support the next generation of skilled tradespeople. In 2025 alone, the company supported over 600 apprentice graduations and donated more than $4.5 million in equipment to trade schools nationwide. This work is part of a broader commitment by Milwaukee Tool to invest $200 million in the trades by 2030, expanding access to training, strengthening workforce pipelines, and supporting the long-term growth of the industry.

The grant program is open to public schools and registered non-profit organizations in the United States on a rolling basis. Organizations may reapply every six months and are eligible to win once every three years. Additional trade categories are expected to be added over time.