Pearson has partnered with The Home Depot’s Path to Pro program to introduce high school students to careers in the trade industry through its online public school program, Connections Academy.
The partnership will connect students, their families, and recent graduates to The Home Depot’s Path to Pro program, which includes on-demand courses designed to prepare participants for six trade-based careers.
The Path to Pro Skills Program offers courses in electrical, drywall, paint, plumbing, HVAC, and general construction, providing students with the skills needed to pursue a career in the trade industry.
According to Casey Welch, Pearson Virtual Schools VP for Careers, the initiative is designed to meet students where they are, whether they want to attend college or enter the labor market directly.
Welch said: “At Pearson’s Connections Academy, we want to meet our students where they are, whether they want to attend college or go immediately into the labour market, as a growing number have told us that they would like to pursue alternative pathways and more direct routes to employment after high school.”
Interested students can explore free programs developed by experts in the construction profession and build a free profile in the Path to Pro Network to showcase their skills, upload a resume, and apply for over 2,500 jobs.
They can also connect with millions of Home Depot Pro customers looking for skilled workers, providing them with opportunities to launch their careers in the trade industry.
The U.S. construction industry must fill nearly three-quarters of a million jobs annually due to retirements, job changes, and other forms of turnover, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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In less than a decade, the sector is projected to grow by another 250,000 jobs that typically pay family-sustaining salaries.
The partnership between Connections Academy and The Home Depot’s Path to Pro program aims to introduce students to rewarding careers in the trades, deliver valuable training and education, and connect them to trade professionals looking to hire early talent.
By doing so, the partnership hopes to help build the next generation of trade professionals and fill the gap in the industry with qualified talent.
The initiative is part of Connections Academy’s expanded slate of college and career readiness offerings for middle and high school students, which includes an innovative new tri-credit approach.
This approach allows courses to deliver high school credit, industry-recognized micro-credentials, and eligibility for college credit toward over 150 U.S. bachelor’s degree programs.
Welch added: “The Home Depot’s Path to Pro program is a great fit because it is all about providing high school students early pathways to training and education in rewarding fields.”
The partnership is the first of its kind with a learning company for The Home Depot and the first corporate employer partnership in Connections Academy’s recently announced expanded slate of college and career readiness offerings.
To date, The Home Depot has enrolled nearly 9,000 people in the Path to Pro Skills program and more than 13,800 in the Path to Pro Network, with Connections Academy planning to share Path to Pro with 4,000 students and families this school year, as part of its digital training initiatives.
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