San Joaquin Valley College (SJVC) in Visalia, CA, has formed a partnership with Generation T, a national movement launched by Lowe’s Home Improvement to address the widening skilled trades gap. Gen T, as it’s known, seeks to drive enrollment in skilled trade training and build a pipeline of skilled trade workers to offset the anticipated gap of three million jobs by 2028.
One key component of the movement is a first-of-its-kind national skilled jobs marketplace, available on the Gen T website at , which connects people to prospective apprentices and educational resources. SJVC provides a career-focused curriculum for several technical and industrial programs including:
• Aviation Maintenance Technology
• Construction Management
• Electrical Technology
• Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
• Industrial Maintenance Technology
• Information Technology
“We are honored to be a part of Generation T and the movement supporting the skilled trades,” said SJVC President Nick Gomez. “We understand the value of education and how it can offer a path to financial stability, yet we still face a growing need for electricians, HVAC installers, industrial machinery mechanics, construction managers, and other skilled trade professionals,” added Gomez. “We are committed to helping build a pipeline of skilled trade workers to help offset the anticipated employment gap and are happy to be part of initiatives such as this that seek to educate parents, teachers, students and the general public on the economic and societal benefits of the trades.”
San Joaquin Valley College joins more than 60 Gen T organizations across the country who are facilitating the education and training needed to populate the skilled trades industry, close the job skills gap and shape a new perception of the skilled trades.
“The success of Generation T begins with collaboration among our many partners who are using their voices to bring the professional trades back: back to education, back to the American economy and back to a place of admiration and respect in our society,” said Jennifer Weber, executive vice president of human resources at Lowe’s. “We believe the professional trades are an essential part of America’s future, and we’re committed to opening the path to those who relish the challenge of creating something out of raw materials and take pride and satisfaction in mastering the skills required to do it.”
