At the recent NAED National Meeting, Trade Hounds CEO David Bauders sat down with Demi Knight Clark, Chief Spark Igniter at Spark Building Group, to discuss one of the most pressing challenges facing the trades today: preparing the workforce for tomorrow. From bridging the knowledge gap as experienced workers retire to leveraging technology and social media to attract the next generation, Demi shares actionable insights on how companies can make skilled trades relevant, exciting, and future-ready.
I'm speaking on workforce development, and really what's next for the trades. The next generation we should be focusing on now is our employee of 2030. I mean, that's just a few years down the road. And then also technology and what makes it attractive for them to choose us, because they really got away from choosing us.
I hear this a lot. I speak at many different trade association events, and it's agnostic—everyone's saying the same thing. If we've got maybe a five- to seven-year window, what are we doing?
A lot of family-run businesses are involved, so it's not all publicly traded or large private companies. There’s a myriad of different sizes. And you really have to think about how attractive it is as a choice.
We've been so focused for the last 30 years of saying that Google, Python technology are STEM. We got out of saying that all of our trades are STEM for the most part. Electrical, MEP, welding—which is my background—we've got to put STEM back in the narrative.
We also have to make it sexy for them. It's not college or no college. We've got to stop acting like that's the drum we always have to beat. Is college really necessary with a lot of what AI and technology is doing for this next generation? You have to tap into that now. And that doesn’t mean 12-year-olds; that means the 18- to 22-year-olds who are in the market right now.
Anyone in recruiting in any industry knows it is such a life cycle. Our biggest challenge is getting the actual humans right now. Then you get into the second and third stages of the cycle, the journey of not only knowledge transfer but also the career trajectory for those people.
I've talked to a lot of different unions about whether people know enough about them or whether there are people out in the field promoting it. Not just a career day—really, new ways and places to show that you're going to be devoting four years of your life.
Kids spend a year and a half researching colleges. They don’t spend a year and a half researching plumbing, electrical, or journeyman apprenticeships, which are fully paid. Most are pushed into it from a guidance counselor or parent. We have to devote the same time to that. Knowledge transfer starts there.
Once they're on staff, it’s really pairing the right mentors so that you honor that knowledge and don’t push them out the door. They want to retire but also want a legacy. It’s a hand-in-hand process. It starts at the beginning but also includes career trajectory support.
I think it’s a given. Companies have got to figure out how to make themselves relevant based on where they're consuming their media. It used to be about whether the platform was right for the company, and now that’s irrelevant. It's about where they are going to get their data.
Somebody turned it on its ear for me last week when we were talking about AI. We’re so focused on ChatGPT as a thing. But he said, “You need to look at this generationally.” Gen Xers, like myself, use it as an alternative to Google—doing a search. Millennials are using it as more of a life coach: “What do I need to do next? Put together this plan for me.” Gen Z uses it as an operating system.
Before, we were saying it’s not going to come into the trades. Now I’m thinking, “How are you creating videos, production work, all the creative things to be, not only sexier in terms of what they’re used to consuming on social media, but how can you do it quickly and assimilate it [for AI]?”
You can do all kinds of things with AI now. Companies that shift to reframe their thinking this way can figure out how to make it more attractive.
Technology — not just social media platforms and digital-native status—it’s also automation. I’m in welding, and that’s happening quickly between laser technology, Cobots, and robots. We’re starting to see that with driverless cars with Waymo. I was just getting ads on my phone, and I guess it’s here. We’re really here.
How is this going to change things? How could it change the electrical industry?
These digital natives are going to ask, “How is automation part of my life?” And how is it going to be attractive to them to learn that upskill and be more efficient? How many of those roles will be technology-driven jobs they can be trained into?
Getting out of the hourly wage mindset is key. That’s another pitfall, but Gen Z does not care about hourly wage. You have to start talking about the bigger picture of what they’re solving for.
Preparing the trades workforce for the future isn’t just about filling positions—it’s about rethinking how we attract, train, and empower the next generation. From bridging the knowledge gap as experienced workers retire, to leveraging technology, social media, and AI, companies that innovate now will be the ones that thrive in 2030 and beyond.
Watch the full conversation below to hear more insights on developing talent, embracing technology, and making the trades the career of choice for the next generation.
About Trade Hounds
Trade Hounds is America’s largest and most engaged community built exclusively for skilled tradespeople. With hundreds of thousands of users across construction, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, welding, and more, the platform helps workers showcase their skills, share jobsite insights, connect with employers, and access critical resources that support their careers. Trade Hounds is committed to elevating and empowering the trades workforce through technology, community, and opportunity.