This episode of America’s Work Force Union Podcast featured Jared Ross, Executive Secretary of the South Sound Building and Construction Trades Council — a regional council under the Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council — and Dr. Lorie Thompson, regional network director for the Capital STEM Alliance. The conversation focused on the growing opportunities in construction and trades, the evolving role of education and career pathways and their collaborative success in organizing the second annual “Try a Trade” event in Tacoma, Wash.
The first topic of discussion centered on the value of careers in the building trades and the powerful impact that unions can have on individual lives. Ross recounted his transition from military service to working non-union jobs in the concrete industry. Ultimately, he made the life-changing move into the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA). He emphasized that union jobs offer tangible benefits, including higher wages and reliable benefits. He then discussed the current state of the industry in Washington. Across 18 trades, union pay rates range as high as $100 an hour, including benefits, providing a clear financial incentive and security for workers entering these fields.
Thompson detailed her background as an educator who came to realize that a college degree does not guarantee job security or a high-paying career. She observed a slow but emerging reversal of the narrative that “everyone should go to college,” noting the resurgence and vital importance of career and technical education (CTE) in schools. These modern CTE programs, developed in alignment with local industry needs, are helping students discover realistic and rewarding college alternatives after graduation.
Finally, Ross and Thompson spotlighted the “Try a Trade” event, which introduced more than 1,400 students from 33 regional schools to hands-on experiences in various trades. The pair described the logistics and rapid growth of the event, where students and even parents showed growing curiosity about career options in construction, electrical work, carpentry and other trades. The enthusiasm of both young people and their families underscored the demand for practical pathways that offer both job satisfaction and economic stability. Both Thompson and Ross emphasized the importance of ongoing outreach, hands-on exposure and parental involvement in building the workforce of tomorrow.
For more from Ross and Thompson, listen to the full episode of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast above.
America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.
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