Trades Forward Foundation logoTrades ForwardFoundation

Community Stories

Real People. Real Trades. Real Stories.

Every path into the skilled trades is different. Some people start right out of high school. Others change careers at 30, 40, 50, or later. Some find apprenticeships, earn certifications, overcome setbacks, or simply discover a career they never knew existed. We want to hear those stories.

SHARE YOUR STORY

From Across the Country

Stories From Every Skilled Trade

Electrical, welding, plumbing, HVAC, construction, carpentry, heavy equipment, automotive, diesel, masonry, roofing, ironwork, machining, manufacturing, linework, utilities, pipefitting — and every other skilled career.

Our first stories are on their way.

We only publish real stories from real people, reviewed and approved before they appear here. If you work in a trade, are training for one, or are just getting started, yours could be the first.

SHARE YOUR STORY

Share Your Story

Tell Us About Your Path Into the Trades

Students, apprentices, journeymen, career changers, veterans, employers, and instructors are all welcome. Every submission is reviewed by our team before anything is published.

Only used to contact you about your story — never published.

Any skilled trade — welding, HVAC, linework, diesel, machining, and more.

Questions to help you write

  • How did you get interested in your trade?
  • What challenges did you face?
  • What helped you move forward?
  • Did Trades Forward help you with training, testing, certification, career information, or connections?
  • What would you tell someone thinking about entering the trades?

Training, testing, certification, career information, or connections.

JPG, PNG, or WEBP up to 4 MB.

Submitting a story does not guarantee publication. Trades Forward may edit submissions for spelling, grammar, length, and clarity while preserving the meaning of the person's story.