Originally Published in the Williamson Herald
For years, many students have been told that success after high school follows one narrow path: earning a traditional college degree before entering the workforce. But as Tennessee’s economy evolves, so do the opportunities available. A technical education, an apprenticeship, or a career in the skilled trades can lead to strong wages, a career path with long-term stability, and meaningful work without the burden of crushing student debt.
When I left high school, I pursued a technical education that taught me something I still believe today: education is most valuable when it equips students with skills employers in our economy need. That’s exactly what technical education and the skilled trades provide.
Across the country, America is facing a critical shortage of skilled workers. For every five experienced tradespeople who retire, only two are entering the workforce to replace them. That gap affects all of us. It slows construction, delays infrastructure projects, raises costs, and makes it harder for businesses to grow.
Here in Tennessee, the need is especially urgent. Our state continues to grow rapidly. Major urban areas like Nashville and Knoxville continue to expand, Memphis is seeing renewed investment, and communities — both urban and more rural — across Tennessee need additional houses, roads, schools, hospitals, and manufacturing facilities.
None of that happens without skilled workers.
Electricians, welders, carpenters, plumbers, HVAC technicians, equipment operators, pipe fitters, and other trained professionals are literally building Tennessee. These careers require technical knowledge, discipline, problem-solving, and technical expertise. They are careers of skill, intelligence, and most importantly, purpose.
One of the strongest advantages to pursuing an education in a skilled trade is that students do not have to wait years to begin building a future. Through apprenticeships and technical training programs, young people can earn while they learn, gain hands-on experience, and enter careers with high demand and strong salaries.
Thankfully, our Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development and Apprenticeship Tennessee are prioritizing promoting the trades and apprenticeships to students all across the Volunteer State. We have the employers and the economic momentum. As leaders in this industry, our job is to ensure students know these opportunities exist and to train them to carry on the mantle.
That is why Go Build Tennessee’s work matters.
Go Build Tennessee promotes pathways to success in the trades while connecting students and career changers with training programs and job opportunities across the state. We work to illuminate the value of technical education, challenge outdated perceptions of the skilled trades, and connect students and career changers with the training and career opportunities available across our state.
We also work with industry partners to close the labor gap by connecting them with the expert workforce our businesses need. By serving as the bridge between Tennessee’s skilled labor and industry leaders, we not only help individuals build better futures, but strengthen Tennessee’s economy and support sustainable growth across the state and the country.
The skilled trades offer some of the most rewarding career opportunities available anywhere. They are a first-choice pathway for students who want to learn, work, earn, and enjoy the fruits of their labor.
To every Tennessean wondering what comes next, know this: the future of our state won’t be built from behind a desk alone. It will be built by skilled hands, sharp minds, and hardworking people who choose to master a craft. Consider a technical education. Consider an apprenticeship. Consider the trades. Tennessee is counting on you.
Justin Wilson is the volunteer President of the Board of Directors at Go Build Tennessee and the Executive Vice President & CCO of Wilson & Associates P.C., and a Franklin resident.