Pearson and its online public school program, Connections Academy, have announced a partnership with The Home Depot’s Path to Pro program to introduce high school students to careers in the trade industry. The partnership aims to connect students, their families, and recent graduates to The Home Depot’s program, which offers on-demand courses and training in trade-based careers.
The initiative includes the Path to Pro Skills Program, which provides courses designed to prepare participants for six trade-based careers, including electrical, drywall, paint, plumbing, HVAC, and general construction. This program is expected to benefit students who are interested in pursuing alternative pathways to employment after high school.
Introduction to Trade Careers
Casey Welch, Pearson Virtual Schools VP for Careers, said: “At Pearson’s Connections Academy, they want to meet their students where they are, whether they want to attend college or go immediately into the labour market, as a growing number have told them that they would like to pursue alternative pathways and more direct routes to employment after high school.”
Through this partnership, interested students can explore free programs developed by experts in the construction profession. Once eligible, they can build a free profile in the Path to Pro Network to showcase their skills, upload a resume, apply for more than 2,500 jobs, and connect to millions of Home Depot Pro customers looking for skilled workers.
Industry Demand and Growth
The U.S. construction industry, which includes these professional contractors, 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. In less than a decade, this sector is projected to grow by another 250,000 jobs that typically pay family-sustaining salaries.
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. Connections Academy will share Path to Pro with 4,000 students and families this school year, with plans to expand to Connections Academy schools nationwide in the future.
Partnership Goals and Initiatives
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. This 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.
The initiatives offer an innovative new tri-credit approach, where courses can 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.”
Connections Academy will share Path to Pro with 4,000 students and families this school year.
Featured image: Pearson and Home Depot Path to Pro. If you found this article interesting, check out Microlearning: Bite-Sized Lessons for On-Demand Knowledge.
