06/05/2026
🧱 What if we’ve been filtering out some of the best future tradespeople before they ever even get a chance?
For years, we standardized tested an entire generation and convinced people that if they weren’t good at sitting still, memorizing information, and regurgitating it on command… they just weren’t “smart enough.”
Then we turn around and ask:
“Why is there a labor shortage?”
“Why can’t we find good people?”
“Why are fewer young people entering the trades?”
Maybe because the front door was designed for a different era.
We’ve been making it significantly more difficult for people to simply even get started.
Was that on purpose or was that ignorance? Who knows?
Some of the greatest mechanics, welders, roofers, operators, builders, technicians, and entrepreneurs we know would NEVER shine in a standardized testing environment.
But give them responsibility.
Give them a problem to solve.
Give them tools.
Give them pressure.
Give them a real-world environment…
And they come alive.
To be clear:
Standards matter.
Training matters.
Safety matters.
Competency matters.
But maybe we need to rethink HOW we measure potential.
Because the current system often rewards one specific type of intelligence while overlooking adaptability, grit, leadership, creativity, communication, emotional intelligence, and real-world problem solving.
The old game said:
“Prove yourself on paper first.”
The new game asks:
“Can you learn? Can you adapt? Can you solve problems? Can you work with people? Can you grow?”
There is a massive need for trade-based employment moving forward, and we cannot keep doing the exact same things expecting different results.
We don’t want to just criticize the system.
We want to collaborate.
Be part of the conversation.
Be part of the solution.
Because there are thousands of capable people slipping through the cracks simply because they do not fit an outdated mold.
Different paths.
Different minds.
Different backgrounds.
Same value.
WE ARE… N🚫 ALUMNI.
