Skilled Trades Exploring

Learn more about ... Skilled Trades Exploring

Like tools? Enjoy creating and building? Then discover a future career through Skilled Trades Exploring! High school-age youth learn from experts in the field. Each post is organized around one occupational specialty that could lead to a challenging career!

There are opportunities for awards and scholarships, fun and friendship, and leadership and service while trying a potential career!

Skilled Trades Exploring is a resource as well as a "how to" guide for youth and adult leaders of Skilled Trades Explorer posts. Local community organizations, churches, and civic groups match the interests of young adults with the resources of participating organizations to develop a program.

Posts can be organized for high school-age youth around one of many in-demand vocational and technical areas. Posts can specialize in the following careers:

• Auto repair and mechanics
• Farming/ranching
• Drafting
• Hairstyling
• Heavy-Equipment Operation
• Railroad operations
• Carpentry and woodworking
• Forestry
• Culinary arts
• Building contracting and construction
• Landscape Architecture
• Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning
• Electricity
• Printing and Lithography

What Is Exploring?

Exploring is Learning for Life's career education program for young men and women who are 14 (and have completed the eighth grade) or 15 to 20 years old. Adults are selected by the participating organization for involvement in the program. Color, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic background, economic status, or citizenship is not criteria for participation.

Online Resource Catalog

Exploring's purpose is to provide experiences to help young people mature and to prepare them to become responsible and caring adults. Explorers are ready to investigate the meaning of interdependence in their personal relationships and communities.

Exploring is based on a unique and dynamic relationship between youth and the organizations in their communities. Local community organizations initiate an Explorer post by matching their people and program resources to the interests of young people in the community. The result is a program of activities that helps youth pursue their special interests, grow, and develop.

Everyone Wins With Exploring

Exploring will be one of the best opportunities you offer your company, your employees, and the youth of your community.

	"The partnership with Learning for Life is the perfect way to teach students the soft skills they need to work in corporate America." —Mark Rutledge, senior projects manager, special projects, TDIndustries
	"Young women and men can learn about the construction industry by joining an Explorer post." —DeDe Hughes, executive vice president National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC)

Company Benefits

• Impact on the education process of youth
• Team-building attitude within the company
• Opportunity to interpret adult occupational roles for youth
• Preparing young adults for transition from school to work
• Offering a secure place for the healthy development of adolescents
• Developing future responsible and caring adults
• Ensuring that young people see how your business relates to the free-enterprise system
• Helping young adults gain insight into the ethics and ideals of business
• Visible commitment to the welfare of your community

Employee Benefits

• Greater job awareness
• Developing leadership and problem-solving skills
• Re-evaluating ethical and moral values
• Opportunity for greater community involvement
• Respect from youth and community
• Identification as appropriate adult role models
• Enhancing communication, planning, and program development skills
• Greater commitment to service
• Developing interpersonal skills used in the workplace and elsewhere

Youth Benefits

• Stimulated interest in continual education
• Career information; insight into future vocation
• Positive alternative to negative youth activities, such as drug abuse and involvement with gangs
• Sense of acceptance and belonging to the "right" group
• Safe environment for adultlike activities
• Opportunities to participate in practical, real, and meaningful hands-on experiences
• New career and personal skills
• Opportunities to try leadership roles and develop skills
• Cooperative relationship between adults and youth
• Service to others

Exploring's Five Areas of Emphasis

Career Opportunities

• Developing potential contacts that may broaden employment options
• Boosting self-confidence and experiencing success at school and work

Citizenship

• Encouraging the skill and desire to help others
• Gaining a keen respect for the basic rights of others

Leadership Experience

• Developing leadership skills to fulfill our responsibilities in society
• Providing exposure to different leadership traits

Life Skills

• Developing physical and mental fitness
• Experiencing positive social interaction

Character Education

• Helping make ethical choices
• Fulfilling one's responsibility to society as a whole

Resources

• Skilled Trades Exploring News
• Suggested Program Ideas for Skilled Trades Explorer posts
• Career Achievement Award for Skilled Trades Explorers
• Safety First Learning for Life Guidelines
• Exploring Adult Leader Guide [PDF]
• Exploring Youth Leader Guide [PDF]

AFL-CIO Skill Trades Scholarship (Skill Trades, $1,000)

The AFL-CIO presents two $1,000 scholarships annually to Explorers to help them support their education toward a career in skilled trades.

For More Information

For more information about Exploring programs, contact the Learning for Life office in your area:

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