About Us
People Need Careers. The Trades Need People. We Build the Bridge.
Trades Forward Foundation is a workforce-development organization focused on connecting people — especially young people — to skilled-trade careers.
Why We Exist
Two problems, one bridge.
Trades Forward Foundation was created because America needs skilled workers and too many young people are graduating without understanding the opportunities available in the trades. Employers cannot find enough electricians, welders, plumbers, HVAC technicians, mechanics, equipment operators, and industrial workers. Meanwhile, students leave high school having heard about one path far more than any other.
Our biggest goal is reaching young people before they enter the workforce and showing them that skilled trades can provide meaningful, respected careers — with paid training, real advancement, and work that communities depend on.
At the same time, we believe opportunity should have no age limit. Adults and career changers are welcome to use our resources and programs as well. Veterans, unemployed workers, and anyone ready to build something new will find the same support.
Our Mission
We connect people with real trade opportunities.
Our mission
To help more people see the skilled trades as a real path to a successful future. Our primary focus is helping young people discover opportunities in the trades early, while also supporting adults, career changers, veterans, and anyone looking for a new direction.
We want to make it easier for people to understand their options, prepare for entrance and certification exams, find apprenticeship and training opportunities, connect with trade schools and employers, and get guidance when they do not know where to start.
Our goal is simple: remove confusion, connect people with legitimate resources, and help the next generation of skilled workers move forward.
How We Work
What We Believe
Show, don't tell
Students believe what they can see and touch. We bring real tools, real tradespeople, and real jobsites into the conversation.
Every path respected
We are pro-college and pro-trades. Our job is information, not pressure.
Opportunity has no age limit
Youth are our biggest focus, and adults and career changers are genuinely welcome.
Honest about what we can do
We won't overpromise. Assistance depends on programs and funding, and we say so plainly.
Why We Started Trades Forward
Closing the information gap.
The skilled trades offer careers that can provide strong wages, valuable skills, advancement opportunities, and long-term stability, yet many people never receive clear information about how to enter them.
Trades Forward Foundation exists to help close that information gap. We want a student wondering what to do after high school, an adult changing careers, a veteran transitioning into civilian work, or someone simply looking for a better opportunity to have one place where they can start learning what options are available.
Who We Are
Our Leadership
Click a card to read more about each member of our leadership team.
President
Blain Nicholson
Blain Nicholson has approximately 15 years of professional experience in the safety and construction industries. His career has included working with contractors, large construction projects, skilled trades, and workers across multiple industries.
Through that experience, he has seen firsthand how many people—especially young people—do not realize how many career opportunities exist outside of a traditional four-year college path.
Blain is also continuing his own education in business and is working toward the long-term goal of earning a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA). His goal with Trades Forward Foundation is to combine real-world industry experience with education, career guidance, and practical resources that help people build successful careers.
Director
Jessica Nicholson
Jessica Nicholson serves as Director of Trades Forward Foundation and helps support the organization’s operations, outreach, administration, and long-term development.
Jessica shares the organization’s goal of helping young people and adults discover realistic career paths, access useful resources, and connect with opportunities that can help them build a stronger future.
Contact Us
Get in touch with Trades Forward Foundation.
Organizational Status
A new organization, building carefully.
Trades Forward Foundation is in its early stages. We are not currently a registered 501(c)(3) organization, and contributions are not tax deductible at this time. We will update this page if that status changes.