The Nexstar Legacy Foundation launched its Explore the Trades website geared toward inspiring young people to pursue a career in the plumbing, heating, cooling or electrical (PHCE) service industry. 

www.ExploreTheTrades.org was designed to help individuals, ages 16 – 25, who are interested in learning about a career in the PHCE service industry by providing information on certification processes, training opportunities, job opportunities and work conditions. In addition, Nexstar will be disseminating tools and information to many high schools and technical schools nationwide that promote careers in the trades.

The PHCE industry is vital to the health and well-being of families across the country, providing quality air, clean water and safe homes, and this industry is currently facing a shortage of qualified technicians. This shortage is underlined by the increasing average age of technicians currently working in the field. As a result, PHCE careers are recognized as “bright” by the U.S. Department of Labor, indicating they are “…expected to grow rapidly in the next several years, [and] will have large numbers of job openings…”

Since its inception in 2005, Nexstar Legacy Foundation’s purpose is to promote viable careers in the trades in order to address the labor shortage. It grants scholarships to students entering the industry and manages the Troops to Trades program designed to help military veterans find careers in the industry. With Explore the Trades, the foundation hopes to vastly increase its reach.

HELPFUL LINKS:

• Nexstar Legacy Foundation
• Explore the Trades
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