Smith shares why her plumbing company decided to build both its own price book and apprenticeship program, as well as how her family business made it through the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic!

Trade school has long struggled to gain recognition as a worthy alternative to four-year college, but the pandemic is changing perceptions, with one-third of Americans now viewing trade school as a more favorable option than college.

The Ride and Decide program from the Tennessee PHCC helps high schoolers gain real trade experience.

We discuss the importance of workforce development initiatives with Carl Pinto Jr., senior director of marketing communications, Bradford White Corp., as well as the state of industry trade shows and what the company is doing to strengthen customer relationships now that we're more than six months into the COVID-19 pandemic. 

An instructor for the PHCC of Iowa’s apprentice program since 2009, Schmidt has proven himself to be a dedicated educator committed to the process of recruiting high school students into the trades.

Sell teams up with local high schools to encourage students to consider a career in plumbing.

Thirty students were awarded a total of $55,500 in scholarships funded by the foundation, Gerry Kennedy, Steve and Isabella Schaeffer, Anne Williams, the McGlame-Wordell Scholarship Committee, the PHCC Auxiliary of Texas, the PHCC Auxiliary of Massachusetts and PHCC's Past National Officers; an additional 25 students have received 2020 scholarships thanks to $56,500 in funding provided by several PHCP companies.

This year, the organizations proudly recognized Cory Hoopes of Focus Plumbing in Nevada as the PHCC Plumbing Contractor of the Year, and Ed Zalko, a third-year apprentice with PHCC’s Greater Sacramento Area Plumbing Apprentice Program, as the PHCC Plumbing Apprentice of the Year.

PHCC presented its HVAC Contractor of the Year award to Howard Arata of Nevada’s HTA Plumbing and Mechanical. HVAC Apprentice of the Year was awarded to Nolan Pridgen, a second-year apprentice in the online HVAC apprentice program through PHCC of North Carolina.

Many vocational trade programs require their students to use trade specific calculators on a daily basis.