The skilled trades are facing a quandary: Demand for workers is up, but employers say that the candidates who walk through their doors aren’t ready for even entry-level jobs.

Why does this “leaky pipeline” persist, and what can educators, employers, and workforce professionals do to fix it? Drawing on insights from a recent conversation between career coach Michele Helfgott-Waters and Interplay Learning’s Dan Clapper, here’s an actionable look into what causes the disconnect, which qualities employers want, and what workforce development leaders can do to bridge the gap.

The Skills Disconnect in the Trades

With such a tight labor market, many employers in the trades are willing to overlook a lack of experience and formal training and train on the job instead.

Even trade school graduates can sometimes struggle to translate their knowledge into real-world scenarios. Many new hires lack essential professional skills like follow-through and effective communication. This disconnect often stems from traditional curricula that prioritize theoretical knowledge over practical application and the development of crucial soft skills. Given the hands-on nature of the trades, classroom instruction must also emphasize real-world application.

Four Qualities Trades Employers Really Want

So, what do trades employers want that trades programs can prepare them for?

1. Professionalism

“When I talk to trades business owners, professionalism comes up time and time again,” says Dan Clapper, Head of Business and Learner Outcomes at Interplay Learning.

“What professionalism means in these roles is just showing up on time, doing what you say you’re going to do, and being responsive. This is really what the employers are looking for, but surprisingly enough, this is sometimes missed. So in our roles in workforce development and talent development, we have to remind our candidates that this is an important thing.”

2. A Focus on Safety

Trades employers take on a lot of risk and liability in their businesses. Employees drive company vehicles and handle live electricity, heavy equipment, and hazardous chemicals in customers’ homes or businesses. The average cost of a workers’ compensation claim is $44,179, and that doesn’t include indirect costs like property damage or lost or delayed contracts.

“It’s a risk for an employer to hire someone new if they’ve never done the task before,” explains Clapper. “So, employers look at, have these candidates gone through safety training? Do they understand how to use a multimeter to see if the power is live? Do they understand OSHA?”

An employee who knows basic safety protocols, and takes them seriously, will stand out.

3. Foundational Technical Skills

There’s only so much a person can learn in a short time at trade school. While these candidates can’t be expected to know everything in their field, there are foundational technical concepts they should know. For example, basics like reading a tape measure, using a multimeter, and understanding airflow and electricity.

“If they can demonstrate these basic skills, an employer can take that foundation and build on top of it,” says Clapper.

4. A Willingness to Learn

“Another thing I hear from employers is that on job applications, people say that they can do a lot of things, but then when employers put them out into the field, they discover that they don’t know how to do it,” shares Clapper.

Instead, it’s better to be honest about any skill gaps and demonstrate a willingness to learn. Teach job-seekers to ask questions like, “What are the common mistakes that new technicians make and how can I avoid them?” to show their interest, curiosity, and growth mindset.

Plugging the Leaks: How Educators and Workforce Development Professionals Can Bridge the Gap

So, why don’t all trade school graduates possess these skills? Trades training programs come in many formats, but not all are equal. Here’s what the high-performing programs do best to prepare job-ready candidates.

1. Equip Learners with Hands-On Learning

Due to resource constraints or gaps in program design, some programs don’t place learners in active, hands-on learning as often as they should. Hands-on learning helps learners build essential skills through repeated practice and allows them to demonstrate those skills to instructors and employers.

A blended approach with 3D simulations and lab work can build confidence and teach safety precautions and technical foundations. Simulations also help expose learners to a wider variety of scenarios and equipment types than what is available in the lab, giving them unlimited practice in a safe, virtual environment.

“Put learners through simulated projects or simulated tasks that they would be doing in real life,” suggests Clapper. “The more that these candidates can get practice before the real world, the more they build their confidence, and the more they feel like they’re ready to do the work.”

2. Offer On-the-Job Exposure

Beyond technical knowledge, many job-seekers don’t have an accurate understanding of what a trades job will be like before starting. “For entry-level technicians, one gap is not having an understanding of what the job is really like,” explains Michele Helfgott-Waters, Founder and CEO of Holistic Career Development and Coaching. “An 18- or 19-year-old may not understand what the workday looks like and the variety of environments you’ll encounter. Maybe they can go and they can shadow a job for a couple of days to understand and see what it’s really like.”

Job shadowing, internships, or apprenticeships can expose candidates to the variety of dynamic environments and physical demands they’ll face on the job and lower the chance that they’ll seem unprepared or drop out quickly due to a poor fit.

3. Teach Troubleshooting and Critical Thinking

Job candidates won’t know all the answers right away, and even seasoned professionals don’t know every answer. Teaching adaptability and how to approach a problem is more important than memorizing every answer.

“In many skilled trades, you have to be adaptable. The work you’re doing one day could be different the next day. So, teach learners to be open and curious about what’s coming next and what they can learn. Don’t prepare these candidates to go into a role thinking they’re going to do the same thing over and over again. There’s a lot of change that can happen, especially with the market forces,” says Clapper.

A constructivist pedagogy with active learning elements and simulations can prepare students for unpredictable environments and challenges.

4. Build Transformational Partnerships

“Employers in the trades have really been isolated in the past from partnering with workforce development,” notes Helfgott-Waters. “In some cases, they’ve been overlooked for other career paths. So, build partnerships and make an effort to understand your business community and their needs. Make yourself available to employers, and you’ll reap benefits.”

Notably, workforce development professionals can bridge the gap by vetting and actively showcasing candidates to employers, as much of trades hiring still happens through word-of-mouth. Host meet-and-greets or job fairs to match candidates with employers.

“You can put people in the same room, and stand there as a connector for everybody. I used to run an employer-candidate expo in Washington state, and we consistently had a 90% placement offer for candidates attending,” says Helfgott-Waters.

5. Build a Lifelong Habit of Learning

Finally, create learners for life by making learning engaging, accessible, and enjoyable.

“Every candidate needs to build the habit of learning, and it doesn’t take much,” advises Clapper. “We have a term we use at Interplay a lot called micro-learning. There are new technologies, regulations, and equipment coming out all the time, and if we try to consume it all at once, it feels overwhelming. So, instill a small habit of learning, even if it’s just for five, 10, or 15 minutes three times a week.

“If candidates get into their head that they can go into a new role and learn a little bit every day, it builds a scaffolding of learning and confidence over time.”

Prepare Learners for Day One and Beyond with Interplay Learning

Closing the trades readiness gap isn’t just about what’s on a candidate’s resume. It’s about giving learners the right mix of technical knowledge, problem-solving, soft skills, and confidence to walk onto a job site and contribute from day one.
That’s where Interplay Learning comes in. With expert-led 3D simulations, hands-on training modules, and built-in soft skills development, Interplay prepares learners for working in the field while helping workforce programs and educators deliver measurable outcomes.

Don’t let your program contribute to the leaky pipeline. Explore Interplay Learning today and see how you can better prepare your learners for long-term success in the trades.