NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Richard Petty and motorcycle builder Billy Lane have teamed up with Northern Tool to launch the “Tools for the Trades” program. This initiative aims to empower high school students with essential trade skills, offering them a promising alternative to traditional college education.
As the manufacturing industry grapples with a shortage of skilled workers, the “Tools for the Trades” program is positioning itself as a catalyst for change by training the next generation of skilled professionals. It also attempts to teach high school students trade skills in a fun and exciting way.
According to a recent Fox News report, two Minnesota high schools have embraced the “Tools for the Trades” program and their students will have the opportunity to be mentored directly by both Petty and Lane. Northern Tools has generously agreed to donate professional-grade tools for the program as well.
The program will teach students the necessary skills needed to enter a career in the manufacturing industry. One part of the program, for example, will involve students building a go-kart in their automotive classes.
“They have to step outside themselves, tackle something they had never done before, challenge themselves and succeed at it,” Lane said. “I think that’s one of the lessons we’ll teach them along with the skill, is the fact that this is the path to success.”
Petty, a NASCAR icon holding the record for the most NASCAR Cup Series wins, shared his perspective on the program’s mission.
“A lot of kids don’t want to go to college,” Petty noted. “This is a vocation that you can make a decent living out of it and you’ll always have a job.”
Wade Kotula, co-owner of Northern Tool, emphasized the critical role the program plays in addressing the current skills gap within the manufacturing workforce. Kotula explained that by partnering with this program, Northern Tool is doing its part to “take a step in the right direction to reverse this trend.”
In an era where traditional career paths are undergoing transformation, the “Tools for the Trades” program may provide a promising opportunity to the younger generation that is different than the traditional college experience.
