What if we told you there’s a simple map to find trade schools and apprenticeship programs tailored to your schedule, your life, and your future?
That’s exactly what Go Build Tennessee is doing. In this episode of Titans of the Trades, Clay Crownover, President and CEO of ABC Greater Tennessee, explains how his team is reshaping the future of construction by meeting students and employers where they are.
The Hard Truth: Soft Skills Are the Bottleneck
Getting young people excited about the trades is one thing. Getting them to show up on time, pass a drug test, and stick with it when things get hard… That’s the real challenge.
Crownover doesn’t sugarcoat it. And honestly? He’s right. With the largest fatherless generation in U.S. history, soft skills like accountability and resilience are missing. But they’re not unteachable.
ABC’s apprenticeship model isn’t just technical. It’s relational. Mentorship, flexibility, and personal guidance are key ingredients.
We’re Marketing the Trades All Wrong
Let’s be honest: How many five-year-olds dream of being plumbers or operators?
Exactly.
Crownover argues that while we’ve glamorized sports and college, we’ve done little to show the pride, purpose, and power of building real-world infrastructure. Changing this narrative starts young: with toys, shows, and even playgrounds like Dig’N Zone Theme Park in Tennessee, where kids get hands-on with real construction equipment.
But it also involves parents. The same way sports parents invest in their kid’s dream, we need to make construction careers feel like something to be proud of. Not a fallback.
Future-Proofing Construction Starts Now
With data centers rising and AI scaling fast, the need for electricians, HVAC techs, and skilled tradespeople is only going to grow. But here’s the problem: current training programs aren’t keeping up with the complexity of this new demand.
That’s why ABC is exploring new curricula for emerging fields. Clay’s big wish? Treat trade school like college in terms of funding, support, and legitimacy.
Because this isn’t about competing with college. It’s about giving students real options and opportunities.
If we want the next generation to build America, we’ve got to build the path for them. Start with this episode.
Connect With Clay
ABC Tennessee Website: https://abctn.org/
Go Build Tennessee Website: https://www.gobuildtennessee.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claycrownover/
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