top of page
WE LIGHT FIRES
Connecting Students to Careers in the Skilled Trades
The Trade Collective is an Evanston, Illinois nonprofit formed in 2024 to connect Evanston Township High School students to the skilled trades.
Our organization responds to a problem of supply and demand:
young people entering the workforce, and a critical shortage of skilled workers in the trades.
A pool of talent.
A workforce in need.
We bridge the gap.
600K
skilled trade jobs remain unfilled nationwide
Source: The Manufacturing Institute
30
industries in our community, eager to hire
Source: Trade Collective Data/Analytics
1 IN 4
ETHS students does not go to college
Source: Illinois Report Card
We are building a program that will connect young people in
our community to local businesses eager to engage, train, and hire tomorrow’s workforce.
We are beginning at a moment when there is growing awareness
that college is not the only path to success, and increased
focus on the promising career opportunities available in the trades.
Our vision is inclusive and we seek to broaden the scope
of what is possible beyond high school, exposing all students to
the rich career opportunities in the skilled trades.
OUR MISSION
The mission of the Trade Collective is to light a fire within young people and connect them to local businesses that provide learning opportunities that lead to careers in the trades.
Through local partnerships with education and industry, we empower young people to prosper, and remain vital contributors
to our community.
We connect students
to opportunity.
bottom of page