Inside The Trades – Details, episodes & analysis

This episode ran originally on March 22, 2023:

In this week's episode we talk with the Kevin Dobson, the Executive Director and Founder of Capital College and Career Academy. CCCA is a brand new charter school, based in Sacramento, with a focus exclusively on the construction trades.

Borne out of frustration, over the lack of opportunities and preparedness for real life in this Title 1 neighborhood, Kevin and a core team of industry partners devised CCCA to help build pathways for kids to escape of poverty and develop the hard and soft skills to succeed in life.

Learn how he devised the idea for CCCA, created the strategic partnerships that helped navigate political waters and fund it.   We hope you can take away a few ideas to implement in your own communities and if you like what you hear, please follow the show and share it with a friend!

Resource Links for More Information:

• Kevin Dobson LinkedIn Profile
• CCCA Website
• CCCA Linktree for Social Channels
• Angela Duckworth TEDtalk 
• Greg McClelland Episode

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• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• YouTube

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This week's guest is Dan Kitchen, the founder of Make Stuff Move. Make Stuff Move is a social enterprise that aims to bridge the gap between STEM education and the skilled trades by providing hands-on kits that teach children about engineering, electronics, and problem-solving.

Dan shares the inspiration behind Make Stuff Move and discusses how he wants to empower kids to explore their creativity and learn practical skills through building and tinkering. He emphasizes the importance of integrating STEM and trades education, as well as fostering confidence and a love for learning in children.

Throughout the conversation, Dan highlights the accessibility and affordability of the Make Stuff Move kits, which utilize everyday materials and tools found at hardware stores. He also talks about the positive reception he has received from educators and school boards, despite the challenges of budget constraints.

Key Takeaways:

• Hands-on learning experiences, such as building and tinkering, can foster creativity, problem-solving, and confidence in students.
• Make Stuff Move kits provide an accessible and affordable way to engage students in engineering and electronics using everyday materials and tools.
• Educators can use Make Stuff Move kits to teach students about the practical applications of STEM concepts and introduce them to the world of trades.
• Connecting with like-minded individuals and organizations in the skilled trades community can provide support and opportunities for collaboration in education.
• The goal is to make STEM and trades education scalable and accessible to all students, regardless of their background or resources.
• Make Stuff Move is actively working on expanding its reach to the United States and welcomes partnerships and collaborations with educators and institutions.

To Learn More about Dan:

• Make Stuff Move
• Dan Kitchen on LinkedIn
•  Facebook
• Make Stuff Move Youtube
• Make Stuff Move Instagram

Connect with us:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• YouTube

Head to Apple Podcast for more episodes.

In this week's episode we talk with the Kevin Dobson, the Executive Director and Founder of Capital College and Career Academy. CCCA is a brand new charter school, based in Sacramento, with a focus exclusively on the construction trades.

Borne out of frustration, over the lack of opportunities and preparedness for real life in this Title 1 neighborhood, Kevin and a core team of industry partners devised CCCA to help build pathways for kids to escape of poverty and develop the hard and soft skills to succeed in life.

Learn how he devised the idea for CCCA, created the strategic partnerships that helped navigate political waters and fund it.   We hope you can take away a few ideas to implement in your own communities and if you like what you hear, please follow the show and share it with a friend!

Resource Links for More Information:

• Kevin Dobson LinkedIn Profile
• CCCA Website
• CCCA Linktree for Social Channels
• Angela Duckworth TEDtalk 
• Greg McClelland Episode

Connect with us:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• YouTube

Head to Apple Podcast for more episodes.

Ryan vanDyk brings 20 years as a HVAC technician, manufacturing rep and business owner into the show this week to talk about business ownership and how his podcast is helping other HVAC owners navigate running their operations.  

When it comes to ownership there are a lot of skills that contribute to success and it's not just from being a technician.  

If you'd like like to learn more about his work and show click on the links below:

• Ryan's LinkedIn Profile
• Contractor Growth Hub
• Contractor Growth Hub Podcast

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• Instagram
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• YouTube

Head to Apple Podcast for more episodes.

When it comes to creative thinking and big ideas the name Brandon Eckenrode should be near the top of the list.  Dubbing himself The Facilitator of Generosity on his LinkedIn account, Brandon has helped to generate and distribute millions of dollars and various resources to collision repair programs across the country.  His passion for the trades and providing opportunities for kids to succeed in the collision repair industry are on full display in this episode and we think you'll learn a lot from him and how his work could help your community.

Also, if anyone is friendly with Mookie Betts please tell him to reach out because we've got some great ideas to share with him!

Referenced Links:

• CREF Website 
• CREF Instagram 
• CREF LinkedIn
• CREF YouTube 
• Operative Talent fundraising campaign with KTL Restorations and BASF 

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• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• YouTube

Head to Apple Podcast for more episodes.

We got a two-fer on this show - Talking the House That She Built AND heading back to our adopted city of Philadelphia!  We've loved this book and the movement it's been able to grow that we had to have the author on and hear all about the origins and how it's changed the course of her life.

If you'd like to learn more about the book and how you can get involved here are some helpful resources: 

• The House That She Built
• Group Two Advertising 
• Mollie's LinkedIn bio 

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One of the things we’ve noticed in the course of hosting this show is how much further ahead Canada’s been in creating programs and incentivizing groups to get more people thinking about a life in the trades.  To shed some light on this we invited in sheet metal worker, YouTube host, advocate, parent to a son in the trades, and of all things a Red Sox fan, Nick Tountas.  We would consider Nick one of the more innovative and creative voices in this field and his cooking show, Nickflix and Skills, has even caught the attention of members of the Canadian government, with some coming  on to talk skilled trades over a home cooked meal. 

 There are some great takeaways in this episode and a few ideas we could implement in our own back yard, to get more people interested in thinking about the trades. If you'd like to learn more about Nick and the groups he's part of check out:

LinkedIn
Instagram
Kickass Careers
Optimists Club
The Dad Club

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Meredith Balmforth's story isn't unique - high academic achiever and setting her sights on continuing that in college, earning a scholarship to her top school choice.  Unfortunately, she was gone by the end of her first year, questioning what direction her life was going to go.  Mix together some ingenuity, willingness to take a bold step and some divine intervention and she built an incredibly fulfilling life as an electrician and electrical instructor for IEC Utah.

Though her story isn't unique, it shows that academic excellence isn't necessarily a predictor of career success.  The time and dedication to working in the trades, especially as an electrician, requires as much, if not more academic diligence to be successful.  Meredith's path led her to a happier and more fulfilling place and has also helped her inspire a new generation of girls to explore a future in the trades, through The House That She Built initiative.   

We love her energy, passion and dedication to imparting her knowledge to others and think you will too!

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One of the groups we want to talk with this season are those with active platforms to advocate for the skilled trades. Their voices are critical to amplify the messages we need to get out to kids and young adults thinking about their futures. Saying Andrew Brown is equipped for success in this arena is a major understatement.

In just a few short months the founder of Toolfetch, one of the largest online providers of tools on the internet, has garnered millions of views through his video series on boosting careers in the trades. He's passionate about this work and it makes sense when you hear where it came from.

You can find Andrew pretty much all over the internets, including:
LinkedIn
YouTube
Instagram
TikTok
Toolfetch

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Season 2 kicks off with Matt and Derek recapping their first year of podcasting and exploring the skilled trades as outsiders.  We appreciate how much the blue collar community has embraced us and helped us learn so much in such a short time and it's invigorated us to keep looking for answers!

This season we are diving deeper and narrowing the focus to five groups we think hold answers on closing the talent gap in the trades:

•  Influential voices already in position to advocate for the Trades
• Entrepreneurs
• Business Leadership
• Technology
• Educators

These groups have come up repeatedly in conversations and our own explorations and match what other voices have echoed. We're always looking for information to test these theories and if you're in one of those communities, please reach out. We'd love to hear your thoughts and may just ask you to be on the show!

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Head to Apple Podcast for more episodes.