April 21, 2020
MEADVILLE, PA – Across the nation, 45 states have closed their schools to help stem the spread of coronavirus, affecting more than 52 million students. As schools turn to distance learning, students in trade programs without access to their school workshops now have a new tool at their fingertips. CHANNELLOCK® is sponsoring two new online platforms for trade school students to help them continue learning during this new normal—a weekly “how-to” video series, along with a suite of digital leadership programs.
The nine-week “Trading Knowledge” video series launched April 14 and will feature a new “how-to” video each week. Students will get first-hand knowledge from welding, HVAC and plumbing pros who will be performing practical demonstrations and offering tips and tricks. Master welder Josh Welton, HVAC specialist Rocky Hyatt and master plumber Ryan Gomiela will also share their experience on what it’s like to be on the job and their passion for their career. The videos will be available to stream on Channellock’s Facebook, Instagram and YouTube pages.
“With much of the country on lockdown due to the global pandemic, one thing has become clear to every American: skilled tradespeople are essential to keep our country moving forward,” said Welton, who hosts the first video in the series about setting up and maintaining a MIG welder, along with how to use welding pliers. “As most schools have moved to online training, it’s important that shop class and vocational students stay ahead of the curve. We want to give them the tools to stay sharp.”
"Trade students may fall behind in their studies during these unprecedented times,” said Ryan DeArment, Vice-President of Sales and Marketing for Channellock, Inc. “We want to help students stay on track with their education, and the goal of our Trading Knowledge series is to contribute to furthering their learning as they take classes online.”
CHANNELLOCK® is also partnering with SkillsUSA to help provide teachers and students free access to SkillsUSA’s Career Essentials curricula. Career Essentials provides online educational resources to help students develop leadership, communication, teamwork, and many more career-ready skills. Through its partnership with SkillsUSA, CHANNELLOCK® is able to offer 1,416 free enrollment keys to teachers who inquire on behalf of their students through Channellock and SkillsUSA. The program is open to current and future trades students at middle and high schools across the U.S.
“We want to help narrow the skills gap in our country and providing students additional opportunities during this time is critical as they find new ways to study their chosen trade,” DeArment added. “We want students to know that CHANNELLOCK® has their back."
About SkillsUSA
SkillsUSA is a nonprofit partnership of education and industry founded in 1965 to strengthen our nation’s skilled workforce. Driven by employer demand, SkillsUSA helps students develop necessary personal and workplace skills along with technical skills grounded in academics. This SkillsUSA Framework empowers every student to succeed at work and in life, while helping to close the skills gap in which millions of positions go unfilled. Through SkillsUSA’s championships program and curricula, employers have long ensured schools are teaching relevant technical skills, and with SkillsUSA’s new credentialing process, they can now assess how ready potential employees are for the job. SkillsUSA has more than 372,000 annual paid members nationwide in high schools, colleges and middle schools, covering over 130 trade, technical and skilled service occupations, and is recognized by the U.S. departments of Education and Labor as integral to career and technical education. We have served nearly 14 million members since 1965. For more information: www.skillsusa.org