American School Counselors Association

Partnership is Committed to Closing the Skilled Labor Gap and Continues SCC’s Alliance-Building Effort to Create a Skilled Career Recruitment Machine

Harbor Freight, America’s leading tool store for professionals and DIYers is the latest to join Skilled Careers Coalition’s growing list of partners as it continues to unify cross-sector stakeholders to close the skilled labor gap.

Launched in 2023, Skilled Careers Coalition (SCC) is quickly building an alliance of like-minded partners across business, industry, government, and education sectors with partners that include SkillsUSA, American School Counselors Association, and Warner Bros. Discovery. SCC recently added Harbor Freight Tools to the coalition starting with cross-promotional efforts to engage and inspire the next generation of skilled professionals.

SCC is aligning with Harbor Freight, which is joining SCC’s youth-directed entertainment brand and YouTube series SKILLS JAM during the SkillsUSA 2024 National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta, June 24-28. During the conference, the tools provider will be a presenting partner of SKILLS JAM’s game show, Double Down, providing remarkable prizes for student contestants.

“We’re excited to partner with the Skilled Careers Coalition (SCC). At Harbor Freight, we’re invested in helping the next generation of skilled professionals achieve their career goals,” said Brooke Niemiec, Vice President, Marketing, for Harbor Freight Tools.

“One of SCC’s priorities is to connect the disaggregated ecosystem of skilled careers across America by convening stakeholders to create a unified skilled careers sector,” said Mark Hedstrom, Co-Executive Director, Skilled Careers Coalition. “We look forward to continuing our relationship with Harbor Freight as we further SCC’s mission to close the growing skilled careers gap at scale to help America maintain her strong position in the global economy while enabling young people to find greater career fulfillment.”

In addition to its coalition-building efforts with businesses and industry, the organization also launched a mentorship initiative to connect trade masters with the next generation. Television personality and master carpenter Ty Pennington is the first to join what SCC is calling The Great Skills Transfer – a movement that is critical to preserving and passing on the knowledge and experience of skilled professionals from one generation to the next.

The skilled labor gap is impacting dozens of industries that rely on the skills and talents of workers across hundreds of disciplines. In manufacturing alone, unfilled jobs are expected to balloon to 3.8MM by 20331. Through strategic partnerships with Harbor Freight, SkillsUSA and others, Skilled Careers Coalition is building a skilled trade recruitment engine while helping to raise awareness among young people of the endless possibilities, financial success, entrepreneurial control, and career satisfaction that a skilled career offers.