
Labor Shortage in the Trades
Clip: Season 2024 Episode 5 | 4m 42sVideo has Closed Captions
Mary Lahammer highlights incentives for young people to join the trades.
Mary Lahammer highlights incentives for young people to join the trades.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Almanac is a local public television program presented by TPT

Labor Shortage in the Trades
Clip: Season 2024 Episode 5 | 4m 42sVideo has Closed Captions
Mary Lahammer highlights incentives for young people to join the trades.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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A Minnesota Institution
"Almanac" is a Minnesota institution that has occupied the 7:00 p.m. timeslot on Friday nights for more than 30 years. It is the longest-running primetime TV program ever in the region.Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship>> ERIC: THIS LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION EARMARKED INFUSIONS OF CASH FOR ADDRESSING MANY ISSUES, INCLUDING EDUCATION.
WITH COLLEGE DEBT SOARING AND SERIOUS WORKFORCE SHORTAGES ACROSS THE STATE, REPORTER MARY LAHAMMER SHOWS US HOW BUSINESSES, TRADE SCHOOLS AND LAWMAKERS ARE CREATING NEW INCENTIVES TO HELP TRAIN AND HIRE MUCH NEEDED MANUFACTURERS FOR THE FUTURE.
>> Mary: WITH RECORD EMPLOYMENT AND WORKFORCE SHORTAGES IN THE STATE, MINNESOTA NEEDS STUDENTS IN THESE CLASSROOMS READY TO FILL JOB OPENINGS IN THE TRADES.
>> St. PAUL COLLEGE WE ENROLL ABOUT 8,000 STUDENTS PER YEAR.
WE ARE AN URBAN INSTITUTION, WE OFFER BOTH LIBERAL ARTS CLASSES AS WELL AS TRADE AND TECHNICAL CLASSES.
ABOUT 65% OF OUR STUDENTS ARE STUDENTS OF COLOR SO WE REALLY ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR COMMUNITY.
>> Mary: THERE'S GROWING DIVERSITY ACROSS THE STATE SO IT'S MANY KIDS OF COLOR WHO ARE PART OF THE NATIONAL PUSH BEHIND MANUFACTURERS' RECENT CREATORS WANTED TOUR THAT EXPOSED URBAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO TECHNICAL CAREERS.
>> IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TO US REALLY TALK TO OUR COMMUNITY AND HELP VERYBODY UNDERSTAND THE BEAUTY OF THESE KIND OF CAREERS, AND WHEN I SEE "THESE KIND OF CAREERS," THESE CAREER AND TECHNICAL AREAS, RIGHT, WE'RE STANDING IN A C & C MACHINING LAB AND OFTENTIMES PEOPLE THINK THAT MANUFACTURING IS A DIRTY JOB OR A LOW-LEVEL JOB AND THAT CANNOT BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTHS.
THESE ARE HIGH-DEMAND, HIGH-WAGE JOKES.
>> STUDENTS CAN EARN $70 TO $100,000 QUICKLY AFTER A YEAR OR TWO OF TRAINING AND MAIN HAVE A JOB BEFORE EVEN GRADUATING.
>> WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, I DID FOUR YEARS OF HIGH SCHOOL ROBOTICS.
>> Mary: WITH A JOB?
>> I WORK AT AEROSPACE AT NELSON NEW MERE RECOLLECTION AND MAKE REALLY SMALL PLANE PARTS.
IT DEFINITELY HENS GOING TO SCHOOL BECAUSE IT GIVES YOU A PLACE TO START OFF, A LOT OF COMPANIES IF YOU DON'T EVER A DEGREE BUT YOU HAVE SKILLS, THEY'RE GOING TO STARTS YOU AT A LOWER PAY GRADE BUT HAVING THAT MACHINIST DEGREE REALLY HELPS YOU START AT THE STARTING WAGE OF $25 AN HOUR, USUALLY.
>> OUR EMPLOYERS IN OUR COMMUNITY RE LOOKING OR WORKERS ALL THE TIME SO THIS IS THAT SWEET SPOT BETWEEN GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND GOING TO A FOUR-YEAR DEGREE, YOU DON'T NEEDS THAT.
YOU COME IN AND YOU GET SOME TRAINING AND IT'S A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AND YOU CAN GET OUT AND START EARNING VERY QUICKLY.
THESE COMPANIES ARE HIRING OUR GRADUATES RIGHT OUT OF THE PROGRAM.
HONESTLY, IF WE LET THEM AND DIDN'T DISCOURAGE IT, THEY WOULD HIRE THEM BEFORE THEY EACH FINISHED THE PROGRAM.
>> Mary: NOT ONLY DID THE LEGISLATURE PASSÉ BILL FOR FREE COLLEGE FOR FAMILIES MAKING DECEMBER THANK $803,000 BUT THEY ALSO INCENTIVIZED EDUCATION FOR THE TRADES.
>> THE PART THAT WE STILL STRUG HE WOULD WITH AS AN INSTITUTION IS THAT OUR STUDENTS STILL HAVE BASIC NEEDS THAT ARE BEING UNMET AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE STRUGGLING WHERE HOUSING INSECURITY AND FOOD INSECURITY, YOU KNOW, THE TUITION TUITION AND FEES S A PIECE OF THAT BUT WE STILL HAVE THIS OTHER PIECE THAT WE HAVE TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS WITH IN OTHER WORDS TO BE ABLE TO GET THEM TO FINISH.
>> Mary: KIDS AREN'T USED TO WORKING WITH THEIR HANDS.
DO YOU HAVE TO DO HIS FOR THEM?
>> WE HAVE TO BRING THEM IN AND HAVE THEM EXPERIENCE IT.
A PROBLEM THAT STUDENTS CAN'T SEE THEMSELVES IN SOMETHING THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT SO THEY DON'T EVER FAMILY MEMBERS THAT HAVE WORKED IN THIS FIELDS, THEY DON'T HAVE FRIENDS THAT EVER WORKED IN THIS FIELDS SO WE NEED TO GIVE THEM EXPERIENCES WHERE THEY CAN SEE THEMSELVES IN THESE PROFESSIONS.
>> Mary: BUSINESS POWERHOUSES FROM THE MINNESOTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, UNION PACIFIC AND HUGE MANUFACTURERS BRIDE THOSE HIGH-TOUCH EXPERIENCES FOR St. AUL STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY WITH DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES COMING, WITH RETIREMENTS AND INCREASED COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
>> WE HAVE A VISION AT St. PAUL COLLEGE THAT BY 2028, THAT WE WILL HAVE 1500 STUDENTS OF COLOR GRADUATING FROM HIGH DEMAND, HIGH-WAGE JOBS.
AND I THINK THAT'S A PIECE OF IT, RIGHT?
LIKE OUR DEMOGRAPHICS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND IN MINNESOTA IN PARTICULAR IS CHANGING DRAMATICALLY.
THEY'RE GETTING SIGN-ON BONUSES, BEING HEAVILY RECRUITED, THEY GET TO MAKE SOME LIFESTYLE CHOICES, OU KNOW, LIKE WHAT KIND OF LIFE DO YOU MEAN TO LIVE, WHAT KIND OF SHIFT DO YOU WANT TO WORK IN?
HOW DOES THAT FIT WITH YOUR FAMILY SO IT'S A VERY GOOD CAREER.
AFTER A COUPLE YEARS OUT, IT'S NOT UNHEARD OF TO BE MAKING OVER SIX FIGURES IN THIS FIELDS.
>> Mary: ULTIMATELY, SURVEYS SHOW YOUNG WORKERS AND STUDENTS ARE STRIVING FOR MORE MEANINGFUL WORK, NOT JUST A GOOD PAYCHECK.
>> GETTING A TRADE DEGREE IS A GOOD PLACE FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T FLOW WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
YOU WANT TO GO TO A FEW-YEAR SCHOOL BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN TOLD TO DO IT, I WOULD SAY A TRADES SCHOOL IS A GOOD PLACE TO GO.
>> Mary: HOW DOES ITS FEEL TO MAKE STUR?
>> FEELINGS REALLY GOOD TO MAKE STUFF.
THAT'S PART OF IT.
GETTING OUT OF THE MACHINE, AND BEING LIKE, I PROGRAMMED THIS AND NOW I HAVE IT IN MY HAND.
GOING TO WORK AND MAKING SOMETHING THAT YOU'LL LEAVE
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Almanac is a local public television program presented by TPT