Students build bunk beds at Rose Bowl Stadium to help wildfire victims
What if you could make an average of nearly $60,000 per year without a college degree? That’s the current median salary of an electrician in the United States. Those who have been working in the field for years can earn even more, ranging up to six figures. With the current workforce nearing retirement age, it’s predicted three million skilled trade jobs will be open by 2028.
Currently, only five percent of parents in the U.S. expect their high school-aged students to pursue a career in the skilled trades. For those not interested in attending a four-year college, skilled trades are an alternative worth considering.
“Working in the skilled trades allows young people to be more creative, to play an important role in solving challenging problems with their own hands and using their talents to make our societies stronger and more vibrant,” said Jennifer Weber, Lowe’s Executive Vice President of Human Resources. “After gaining enough experience, skilled trades are the ultimate path to entrepreneurship and to creating opportunities to own your own business and become your own boss.”
Lowe’s and more than 60 national organizations partnered to launch Generation T, a movement that is designed to connect high school students and those seeking a career change with opportunities in the skilled trades. Part of Generation T also includes immersion events, allowing students to gain additional exposure to skilled trades through hands-on experiences.
Rose Bowl Skilled Trades Event
Lowe’s and its partners hosted the latest immersion event at the iconic Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, encouraging more than 300 students to use their carpentry skills for good. Three hundred SkillsUSA student members on a carpentry track worked alongside volunteer instructors from Lowe’s, People Ready, Samsung and Timberland PRO to build 100 bunk beds in front of the stadium, creating a unique visual for an industry suffering a major shortage.
Why Bunk Beds?
Generation T partners Timberland Pro, Samsung, SkillsUSA and the Rose Bowl Foundation worked together to host the event. Lowe’s provided tools and materials to build the bunk beds which were donated to Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit that works to address child bedlessness.
Some bunk beds were distributed to Pasadena families immediately following the event. Others were loaded on trucks and traveled 10 hours north, designated for families impacted by the Camp wildfire last year. Tuft & Needle and Serta donated the mattresses and bedding to accompany the 100 bunk beds.
“We feel very passionate about our mission and have found that others do as well, so we are providing a way for communities to be involved and directly help those children in need,” shared Luke Mickelson, executive director of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. “We discovered that after tragic events, like the Camp Fire, families are forced to start all over and when all the relief efforts and funding has dried up, beds for their children are sacrificed for food and clothing. We started the disaster relief program to help families with beds for their children months and even years after these disasters occur.”
Lowe’s has hosted previous immersion events in Boston and Charlotte, North Carolina, the company’s hometown. To learn more about Generation T and how you can get involved, visit wearegenerationT.com.