Industry News

Skilled Careers Coalition Study Reveals Closing the Knowledge Gap is Key to Inspire Young People to Pursue a Skilled Career

With skilled trades in high demand, Skilled Careers Coalition commissioned the Skilled Trade Insight Research Study to better understand why skilled careers are not being pursued by more young people.

“Our study found the leading obstacle preventing more young people from pursuing a skilled career is not a lack of interest, but a lack of information,” said Mark Hedstrom, Co-Executive Director, Skilled Careers Coalition. “Students have a clear idea of where a four-year college degree or military education can take them, however, they have little to no understanding about vocational schools and apprenticeships, and the dozens of high-paying, skills-based careers that exist across hundreds of industry sectors.”

Students, counselors and parents surveyed shared their perceptions on skilled trades vs. college and military career paths as part of the SCC study which found financial security is the top motivator for youth when choosing a career path, with 76% agreeing that a career in the skilled trades can lead to owning a business and entrepreneurial success. Students surveyed were also drawn to other key aspects of a skilled trade career including job stability, less debt, high quality of life, and high-income potential.

And yet, the SCC study found that only 15% of students surveyed were considering a technical or vocational school or apprenticeship post high school. A lack of information – cited by students, parents and counselors surveyed – emerged as the barrier keeping more youth from considering a skilled career path.

According to the SCC study, a majority of parents (80.3%), counselors (91.3%) and students (92%) surveyed agree that skilled trade workers are as important as first responders and service members. Additionally, when asked if society views those with a traditional college degree as more successful than those who pursue another option, 27% of counselors, 21.3% of parents, and 25.2% of students disagreed. Additional findings from the Skilled Careers Coalition study include:

• Students: 69% said it is outdated to assume a four-year degree is the best pathway to success; while more than 43% said they need more information on technical or vocational schools as an option.

• Parents: While 80% said they have the most influence on their child’s decision-making; less than half (48.8%) admit they do not have enough information about starting the technical or vocational school process for their child. Meanwhile, 84% believe skilled trades provide a stable career path, less time in school, less debt and an overall better quality of life.

• Counselors: Despite their positive perceptions about the skilled trades, more than half (53.9%) of counselors surveyed cite a lack of resources to help guide students who are interested in pursuing skilled trades or vocational programs; while 57% cite workload challenges preventing them from being able to properly understand what future path is best for a student. The majority of counselors surveyed (90%) agree they need to share more information with students and parents about a skilled career option.

Click here to download the complete nine-page Skilled Careers Coalition Skilled Trade Insight Research Study report.

According to SCC, colleges, universities and the military spend as much as $2.3 billion combined marketing to young adults with the goal of recruiting high school students post-graduation. However, for millions of high schoolers, these two options either lack appeal, or just don’t work.

Added Hedstrom, “Millions have built meaningful lives and careers in the skilled trades sector, which is experiencing the greatest demand as the skilled labor gap continues to widen. Skilled Careers Coalition is committed to working with our partners and stakeholders to address the knowledge gap that exists and advance a reimagining of skilled careers as a meaningful and fulfilling career path for younger generations.”

About the Study In June 2022, Skilled Careers Coalition conducted an online survey and series of focus groups in partnership with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). SCC’s Skilled Trade Insight Research Study methodology included students, counselors and parents and a total of 665 respondents with a margin of error of +/- 3.9%.

About Skilled Careers Coalition The Skilled Careers Coalition is on a mission to close the skilled trades gap in America with a three-pronged strategy to 1) INSPIRE the next generation of youth to see skilled careers as a pathway to lifelong happiness, financial success and career fulfillment; 2) CONNECT the disaggregated ecosystem of skilled trades across America by convening stakeholders across the workforce development landscape of private industry, educators, government, youth, and other interested career seekers; and 3) CONVERT interested Americans into the workforce of tomorrow through available and nascent job training platforms. For more information or to get involved visit https://skilledcareers.org.

Malco Tools, one of the nation’s top manufacturers of high-quality tools for the HVAC and building construction industries, today announced that its new 7-in-1 C-RHEX® Flip Bit has earned a 2024 Pro Tool Innovation Award (PTIA) in the “Specialty Driver Bits” category.

Now in its 12th year, the Pro Tool Innovation Awards evaluate hundreds of cutting-edge tools from across a wide variety of industries and manufacturers. This year, over 100 different manufacturers and brands submitted nearly 400 products in dozens of categories for a chance to take home a 2024 Pro Tool Innovation Award.

The awarded products were evaluated by a distinguished panel of judges, including contractors, construction business owners, tradespeople and media professionals. Winners stood out for their innovative features, superior power delivery, revolutionary ergonomics, technological advancements, improvements in jobsite safety or exceptional value.

Malco’s 7-in-1 C-RHEX® Flip Bit Series, which come in three integrated driver head options — #2 Phillips (MTP2), #2 Robertson (MTS2) and T25 Star (MTT25), was recognized for its combination of quality and performance. Each model comes with six easy-to-clean C-RHEX® reversible and stackable hex driver sizes (¼” & 5/16”, 11/32” & 3/8”, 7/16” & 1/2”) that stay tight on the shaft during work and while moving around the job site. The driver heads are impact-rated and compatible with any driver.

With seven essential functions all built right into its compact size, the 7-in-1 Flip Bit is a whole toolkit built for on-the-go trade professionals. Its cleanable, reversible and stackable features ensure hassle-free maintenance, compact size and long-lasting performance.

“It’s an honor to earn the Pro Tool Innovation Award for our new 7-in-1 C-RHEX® Flip Bit,” said Rebecca Talbot, vice president of marketing at Malco. “We designed this tool with precision and durability in mind, making Malco the top choice for superior quality and fastening performance on the job site.”

“This marks our 12th year of hosting the PTIA Awards, and each year we witness an increasing level of innovation from both large and small companies,” said PTIA executive director Clint DeBoer. “Every Pro Tool Innovation Award celebrates a product developed by passionate people who, like us, believe the standard we’re used to is no longer good enough.”

For more information about Malco Tools and the 7-in-1 C-RHEX® Flip Bit, visit www.malcotools.com/malco-7-in-1-c-rhex-flip-bit-series.

Contractors and Technicians Embrace AI to Advance Skill Sets and Grow Businesses with Solutions Announced at ServiceTitan’s Annual User Conference

ServiceTitan, a leading software platform built to power the trades, today announced additions to its AI-powered technology for residential and commercial contractors. The latest solutions unveiled at Pantheon 2024 include a transformative AI assistant that will work across ServiceTitan’s suite of products, along with new applications for sales and call centers. Powered by Titan Intelligence, the company’s own purpose-built AI solution for the trades, these innovations empower contractors to automate, predict, and optimize their entire business.

“At ServiceTitan, we’re empowering our customers to do more than just unlock efficiency – we’re giving them the comprehensive tools they need to thrive in a rapidly-changing world, where AI is transforming nearly every industry,” said Vahe Kuzoyan, president and co-founder at ServiceTitan. “I’m thrilled to be expanding our suite of technology to equip our customers with the tools they need to work smarter, communicate efficiently, sell more effectively, and grow faster.”

The new features and solutions introduced at Pantheon 2024, ServiceTitan’s annual user conference, include:

• Contact Center Pro is an always-on, AI-driven contact center for the trades that simplifies multiple communications channels to increase revenue, lower costs, and improve customer service. Powered by Titan Intelligence virtual agents, it’s a multi-channel solution that brings phone, email, web, and social into a Universal Inbox, with guidance from a virtual assistant.

• SalesPro is an AI-powered solution to help technicians excel at sales. As AI-powered sales tools become more common, SalesPro is the first to focus on the trades. Most technicians are not sales experts but do much of a firm’s selling by necessity due to their regular customer interactions. Powered by Siro, SalesPro helps technicians gain confidence by analyzing their interactions through AI and suggestions, utilizing expert training content. It also connects technicians with peer-to-peer coaching to unlock their inner sales pro.

• TI Assist revolutionizes customer decision-making across ServiceTitan by bringing AI, predictive insights, risk analysis, personalized recommendations, and deep automation to ServiceTitan with intuitive, easy-to-use TI personal assistants. Across roles and responsibilities, all users can use TI Assist to do their jobs more efficiently.

“At ServiceTitan, we are obsessed with making our customers as successful as possible,” said Ara Mahdessian, co-founder and CEO of ServiceTitan. “To do this, we continually strive to build innovative software, powered by AI, to help them run and grow their businesses. By delivering actionable insights and automated technology, we help contractors stay focused on what they do best—serving their customers and providing top-tier service, all while unlocking new opportunities for revenue growth and sustained profitability.”

To learn more about all of the new features and announcements at Pantheon 2024 visit the Pantheon Live Blog.

Scorpion’s AI-powered solutions drive local business growth through first-party data and insights, ensuring higher ROI

Scorpion, the leading provider of digital marketing technology and services, today announced the launch of RevenueMAX, a complete collection of digital marketing solutions created to drive maximum revenue for home services
businesses. Powered by Scorpion AI and Scorpion’s team of service industry marketing experts, RevenueMAX helps home services businesses get found online, chosen by those prospects, and know exactly what’s driving revenue growth from their marketing investments.

“For the first time, service businesses can go beyond traditional lead generation. They can now use high-quality lead and customer data to fully optimize their marketing strategy for the best return on investment”, stated Rustin Kretz, CEO and Founder of Scorpion. “RevenueMAX drives every part of a business’s digital marketing strategy, and uses first-party lead and customer data to optimize digital advertising campaigns across Google, Bing, Meta, Thumbtack, and other lead generation partners integrated with Scorpion. The result is more valuable revenue and better customer growth.”

RevenueMAX isn’t just about optimizing ads—it’s about creating a comprehensive digital marketing strategy for long-term growth. By leveraging first-party data and Scorpion’s advanced AI, home services businesses can now take control of every aspect of their marketing. From managing digital ads to understanding what drives customer decisions, businesses using RevenueMAX have seen a 12x return on their investment since its initial beta launch.

“RevenueMAX is focused on driving the growth that matters most—revenue,” said Kretz. “We’ve created a solution that delivers transparency, efficiency, and a direct connection between marketing investments and revenue outcomes. It’s a game-changer for service businesses looking to optimize every part of their marketing strategy to drive more profitable revenue.”

Scorpion’s two decades of expertise in digital marketing, combined with significant investments in AI, allows RevenueMAX to bring businesses:

• Greater conversions with AI-enhanced websites, landing pages, chat, and scheduling tools; including integration with ServiceTitan Scheduling Pro.
• Better marketing ROI, with a data-driven approach to channel, geography, and service-type performance.
• Real-time insights into lead quality and revenue attribution by marketing channel through seamless customer relationship management (CRM) and field service management (FSM) integrations.

For franchise, consolidators, manufacturers, and private-equity backed businesses, RevenueMAX includes multi-location insights, which provides those groups with roll-up reporting and benchmark data across their portfolio of companies.

“Over the past 18 months, consumer demand has tightened and advertising has gotten more expensive for home services businesses,” said Jamie Adams, Chief Revenue Officer at Scorpion. “We partner with some of the largest and fastest growing franchise and multi-location businesses nationwide. Now more than ever, they must have access to the most critical KPIs driving revenue growth so they can quickly identify how each location is performing relative to others in their brand or portfolio. Our multi-location insights gives them the visibility they need.“

RevenueMAX provides business owners with a clear understanding of what’s driving their success, eliminating guesswork and inefficiencies so they can focus on operating and growing their business. To learn more about RevenueMAX and how local businesses can transform their digital marketing strategies and drive growth visit scorpion.co/revenuemax.