Today, May 3, is National Skilled Trades Day! We’re celebrating by giving an enormous “Thank You” to all the dedicated, talented folks that make up the Custom Rubber Corp. family.
We also wanted to take the opportunity to shed some light on what is an important, but often overlooked holiday. Read on to learn more about the importance of skilled trades and why you should always support the tradespeople who keep our society moving.
What is National Skilled Trades Day?
Since 2019, National Skilled Trades Day has taken place every year on the first Wednesday of May. It aims to raise awareness of the importance of jobs in skilled trades and the ever-increasing demand for workers in these fields. It is especially aimed at youth in America who are making decisions about their career paths at a young age.
The holiday originally started close to home for Custom Rubber Corp., just southeast of us in Youngstown, Ohio at City Machine Technologies, Inc. In May 2019, City Machine Technologies, like many other manufacturers, was facing a labor shortage. They started National Skilled Trades Day as a way to promote the importance of skilled craftspeople and raise awareness about the need for their talents and labor across multiple industries.
Why is National Skilled Trades Day important?
More and more, we see well-meaning educators and parents repeating the message that college is the only true career path, but this is simply not true.
Skilled workers keep the gears of our everyday lives turning by repairing our cars, creating our consumer products, constructing our homes, collecting life-saving donations for our blood banks and more. National Skilled Trades Day helps prove that there is significant value in a skilled trades-based career.
Even better, many jobs of this nature require only a certificate to get started, so young people can skip the student debt and head straight into the workforce while receiving benefits and healthcare.
There is also a serious labor gap between demand and available skilled workers, a trend expected to continue into the next few decades. Members of the Baby Boomer generation are retiring fast, leaving plenty of jobs behind that need filled. From big cities to small towns, everyone needs skilled workers.
How are we celebrating?
First and foremost, we’re celebrating by thanking the skilled workers that make up the Custom Rubber Corp. workforce. Every day, our employees put their skills to work creating high-quality rubber products for consumers and businesses alike. Without their knowledge, we wouldn’t be the company we are today.
We’re also taking the opportunity to raise awareness about the high demand for qualified tradespeople in manufacturing. We hope to inspire a sense of pride in individuals who work in our industry and those who hope to join us as rubber molding technicians one day. Opportunities for outstanding work in skilled trades are growing, and we hope to see more people get involved.
Thank you to our current and future team members. You have our utmost respect, recognition and admiration today and every day. Happy National Skilled Trades Day!
Click here to visit our Careers Page for more information on Custom Rubber Corp.’s current job openings in skilled trades and beyond.