Bridging the next generation to the skilled trades.
A free bridge between young adults who want to see what a real trade looks like and the trades willing to show them.
TradesBridge is for everyone. We welcome every young person and every business regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic.
See what a real trade looks like.
Pick trades you're curious about. We connect you with a local shop for a day of shadowing. No cost. No commitment. If it clicks, mentorship and a paid apprenticeship can follow.
Meet the next generation of workers.
List the trades you'd host a shadow for and how many at once. We match you with vetted young adults who are actually interested. No fee. No middleman.
TradesBridge helps high school seniors and young adults find a place in the skilled trades. We connect them with local businesses for a day of shadowing, then help them go further if the trade is a fit. Mentorship. A paid apprenticeship. A real career.
We're a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. It's free for the young person, and free for the trade business. Our aim is to help the next generation find work they can build a life on, and to give the trades a clear pipeline to the workers they need.
Four steps from curious to career.
Sign up
Free account for young adults or businesses. No cost, no fine print.
We match
You pick the trades that interest you; we route the request to a local shop with capacity.
Shadow
Spend a day on-site watching a working professional. Ask questions. See the real job.
Go further
If it fits, we help with mentorship and a paid apprenticeship. A real career pipeline.
Help with tools, in the works.
For a lot of young people, the biggest barrier to starting a trade is affording that first set of tools. We're applying for grants to help our participants cover that cost, so a shop can take them on and they show up ready to work. A few applications are already in, with more on the way.
The trades don't have a shortage of opportunity.
They have a shortage of young people who've ever set foot in a real shop. Employers are trying to hire. Kids are trying to figure out what they want to do. Nobody's making the introduction.
That's the whole reason TradesBridge exists. One day of shadowing. No fee. No commitment. See if a trade fits.
