ROCKFORD, Mich., Jan. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- At a time when
high school students across the country are making decisions about
their future, Wolverine, the boot and clothing brand, is focused on
driving awareness around the untapped opportunity of skilled trade
careers, and inspiring young people to learn more about the skilled
trades as a path.
In partnership with unCommon Construction—a nonprofit
organization that works with high school apprentices to build
houses and gain technical, professional and personal
skills—Wolverine is launching a special-edition collaboration
collection to benefit high school students interested in pursuing
careers in the skilled trades. The initiative is part of
Wolverine's Project Bootstrap program, which has celebrated and
supported those choosing to pursue a path in the skilled trades
through a variety of efforts including scholarships and educational
awareness initiatives since 2014.
As the skills gap continues to grow, the demand for trades
workers has never been greater. According to the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics 1, marketplace demand for
skilled trades will continue growing through 2030, resulting in
nearly 400,000 new jobs. However, according to a new Wolverine
survey ², the pipeline of new trades professionals doesn't
align with the demand.
- While almost three-quarters (72%) of current high school
students believe it's important to consider alternative options to
a traditional 4-year college, just 30% of students have considered
vocational/trade schools.
- More than half (51%) say "I don't know enough about it" as
their reason for not considering enrolling.
- At the same time, four in five (79%) of students said they
believe vocational skills should be taught in high schools,
indicating interest in learning more about the skills needed to
fulfill careers in the trades.
"It's imperative we reach students in more relevant ways so they
can learn more about the skilled trades and consider them as a
potential future path," said Tom
Kennedy, global brand president for Wolverine.
"Organizations like unCommon Construction introduce kids to the
rich opportunities to be found in the trades that they aren't
learning about in school."
As part of this initiative, the unCommon Construction
apprentices collaborated with the bootmaker to develop a new
unCommon Construction boot, designed after months spent wearing
boots on the job, learning practical trade skills and building
houses in New Orleans.
"At unCommon Construction, we see first-hand the interest and
excitement young people experience learning about the opportunities
they have in the skilled trades," said Aaron Frumin, founder and executive director of
unCommon Construction. "It's rewarding to continue to partner with
a brand like Wolverine that also recognizes the value of raising
awareness of the trades while giving students the tools and access
they need to be successful."
The expanded Project Bootstrap initiative is targeted directly
to high school students who are still trying to decide on post-high
school plans, knowing that the only way to close the skills gap is
by connecting with future members of the skilled workforce. The
program includes:
- unCommon Collection & Funding Scholarships: The
Wolverine x unCommon Construction boot and apparel collection is
available starting today on Wolverine.com, and a portion of
proceeds from each pair of boots or full collection kits will go
toward funding new apprenticeships for the unCommon Construction
program to further trades education for young people.
- unCommon Educational Speaker Series: Aaron Frumin will speak to high schools to
highlight the value of the skilled trades and how organizations
like unCommon Construction are paving the way for high school
students to be inspired by the opportunities available in the
trades. Students and educators can request additional information
on having Aaron speak at their high school by visiting
Wolverine.com/ProjectBootstrap.
- Digital Awareness Campaign: Wolverine will launch an
awareness campaign targeted toward high schoolers featuring
opportunities within the skilled trades. Social influencers across
key platforms (TikTok, Instagram) will post their experiences and
the brand will share content featuring unCommon Construction
Apprentices further amplified with paid media directly to the high
school audience.
- Trades Education Resources: Students, parents and
educators can access a virtual toolbox of resources about pursuing
a rewarding career path within the skilled trades at
Wolverine.com/ProjectBootstrap.
Step up to help build the next generation of trades workers, by
visiting Wolverine.com/ProjectBootstrap to find more resources
to help young people explore the trades and purchase the Wolverine
x unCommon Construction Collection.
ABOUT WOLVERINE
Wolverine, the 138-year-old boot and
clothing company, is on a mission to honor the spirit and tenacity
of the American worker and build the next generation of skilled
trades people. Wolverine has contributed more than $1.3 million over the last 5 years to
organizations in support of the skilled trades. For more
information, visit www.wolverine.com. Wolverine is a division of
Wolverine World Wide, Inc. (NYSE: WWW)
ABOUT UNCOMMON CONSTRUCTION
unCommon Construction is a
nonprofit that uses the build process to empower youth to lead the
workforce after high school or college. Through unCommon's high
school apprenticeship program, students from different schools
apply to join a diverse team to earn hourly pay and school credit
for building a house together. Revenue from each project is used to
match apprentice earnings with an "Equity Award" scholarship for
further education, training, or the tools they need for a full-time
job. With more than 100 hours of work-based learning experience per
semester, unCommon Apprentices graduate with the skills, network,
resources, and experience to build a successful career and life. To
learn more, follow @uCCNOLA on Facebook and Instagram and visit
www.unCommonConstruction.org.
1 Source:
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/home.htm
²Data from a survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of
Wolverine from December 16 to December 21,
2021, with a panel of 2,000 American high school
students.
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SOURCE Wolverine