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Financial Literacy Is a Skill

This entry is part 3 of 4 in the series Building Trades That Last.

When we talk about skills in the trades, we usually mean things you do with your hands: installing wiring, fixing HVAC systems, laying tile, tuning engines. But there’s another skill—just as essential, just as practical—that rarely gets taught in trade school: Financial literacy. From cash flow to credit cards, from budgeting to business pricing, understanding money isn’t optional for tradespeople. It’s critical. Because in the real world, you’re not just managing tools—you’re managing your livelihood….

DigitalNinja August 3, 2025

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Why Do So Many Trades Businesses Fail?

This entry is part 2 of 4 in the series Building Trades That Last.

They start with promise. A skilled plumber opens their own shop. An HVAC tech builds a client base. A contractor takes on bigger and bigger jobs. And then—almost suddenly—it’s gone. Despite booming demand for skilled labor, many trades businesses don’t survive beyond their first few years. These aren’t businesses that fail because the work isn’t needed. They fail because knowing your craft isn’t the same as running a company. If we want to grow and…

DigitalNinja August 1, 2025

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The Hidden Risk in the Trades: Why We Need Stable Skilled Trades Businesses

This entry is part 1 of 4 in the series Building Trades That Last.

We often talk about the skilled labor shortage—but there’s a quieter, equally urgent issue hiding in plain sight: the instability of trades businesses themselves. Electricians, HVAC technicians, plumbers, contractors, and other skilled professionals are in high demand. But too many of their businesses fail within the first few years. When they do, the fallout extends far beyond the owner. It impacts job security, local economies, and the public’s trust in trades. If we want to…

DigitalNinja July 27, 2025

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Make Trade Skills Cool Again

This entry is part 6 of 6 in the series How Trades Lost the Spotlight.

In a recent episode of the Level Up Podcast, co-host Addison Wiggin put it simply—and powerfully: “We need to make skills and trades cool again.” It’s more than a catchphrase. It’s a cultural rally cry. For too long, the trades have been quietly essential, but socially invisible. While skilled labor powers the backbone of our economy, it rarely shows up in career day presentations, glossy brochures, or aspirational TikToks. But it could—and it should. If…

DigitalNinja July 21, 2025

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Can Trade Schools Feel More Like College?

This entry is part 5 of 6 in the series How Trades Lost the Spotlight.

Reimagining the Career School Experience When we talk about college, we don’t just talk about classes and credits—we talk about the experience. The late-night study sessions, campus life, dorm room memories, and student clubs. For many, it’s about personal growth, independence, and connection just as much as academics. But what if you choose a different path—like trade school? For students who want to learn a skill and have a meaningful, connected student life, trade schools…

DigitalNinja July 15, 2025

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The Fallout of Losing the Narrative

This entry is part 4 of 6 in the series How Trades Lost the Spotlight.

What happens when a generation is told there’s only one path to success—and then that path doesn’t pan out? We’re living the answer. Across the country, nearly 40 million Americans have what researchers call “Some College, No Credential.” They started their higher education journey with high hopes but never finished—and now carry the burden of student debt, lost time, and stalled career momentum. This isn’t just a personal challenge. It’s a national problem—one fueled by…

DigitalNinja July 10, 2025

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How the Trades Lost the Marketing Battle to Traditional Colleges

This entry is part 3 of 6 in the series How Trades Lost the Spotlight.

Think back to your high school experience. Odds are, the loudest voices—teachers, counselors, media, even family—urged one path above all others: college. Meanwhile, the trades sat quietly in the background, often framed as a “Plan B” for students who didn’t “fit” the academic mold. This didn’t happen by accident. Over the past several decades, traditional four-year colleges won the marketing war. They captured the narrative, redefined what success looks like, and in the process, pushed…

DigitalNinja July 7, 2025

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Changing Perceptions of Career Schools

This entry is part 2 of 6 in the series How Trades Lost the Spotlight.

From Back-Up Plan to First Choice Ask a high school student what they want to do after graduation, and you’ll likely hear the word “college.” Ask them if they’ve considered a career school—a program focused on trades, technical skills, or certifications—and many will look puzzled or unsure. That reaction isn’t accidental. For decades, vocational education has lived under the shadow of the four-year degree, seen by many as the back-up option for students who “couldn’t”…

DigitalNinja July 6, 2025

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Rethinking the College ROI

This entry is part 1 of 6 in the series How Trades Lost the Spotlight.

Why Career Education Deserves a Fresh Look Remember when graduating high school and learning a trade was a perfectly respectable, often celebrated, life path? Wanting to become a mechanic, an electrician, a dental tech, or a machinist were suggested paths to building a stable, prosperous future. These roles were seen as skilled, essential, and worthy. But somewhere along the way, that narrative changed. Suddenly, “success” was redefined. A four-year college degree wasn’t just one option—it…

DigitalNinja July 2, 2025

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College or Something Else?

This entry is part 2 of 3 in the series Career Minded.

A Father’s Dilemma in a World That Demands Both I’m a Black man with a 17-year-old son. He’s a rising senior in high school—bright, kind, curious, figuring out who he is and where he wants to go. And right now, like a lot of parents, I’m trying to guide him through one of the most complex choices he’ll ever face: College… or something else? For decades, the answer was simple. College was the path. If…

DigitalNinja June 18, 2025

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