Expose
- Career Clusters
- Field Trips
- Guest Speakers
Build Skills
Connecting students, families, and employers to high-demand careers in construction, electrical, HVAC, and more.
tradesnky.orgNorthern Kentucky
From Exposure to Opportunity
The TradesNKY Student Pathway — Grades Pre-K–12.
- 1
- 2
Explore
- Essential Skills Curricula
- skill UP (Career Expo)
- Employability Skills Training
- 3
Engage
- NCCER Core
- Micro-Credentials
- Employability Skills Training
- 4
Equip
- NCCER Elective(s)
- Industry Credentials
- Dual-Credit Opportunities
- 5
Experience
- Co-ops/Internships
- Apprenticeships
- Mentorships
The Five Pillars
Every skilled trade in Northern Kentucky connects to one of five career pillars. Explore the paths, discover the careers, and find where you belong.
NKY trades by the numbers
$63K
median journey-level salary in NKY
1M+
unfilled skilled-trade jobs nationwide
43%
earnings jump for apprentices within 2.5 years
40%+
of the workforce retiring this decade
Real Stories
Virtual welding at Campbell County Middle School
TradesNKY event at Campbell County High School
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Latest Insights
News, stories, and resources from the TradesNKY community
Featured Story
Opinion: Preparing tomorrow’s skilled trades workforce begins long before graduation
TradesNKY founders Phil Griffin, Brandon Bray, and Sara Bray argue that solving Northern Kentucky’s workforce shortage starts long before a job posting — originally published as an opinion column in the NKyTribune.
Preparing educators to bring skilled trades education to life
Ahead of the 2026–2027 school year, TradesNKY hosted two days of professional development for Northern Kentucky teachers and administrators — lifting educators’ confidence in teaching the curriculum from 4.2 to 4.8 out of 5.
TradesNKY expands middle school curriculum to Kenton Co. Schools
TradesNKY is expanding its hands-on middle school BUILD curriculum to Holmes Middle School and four Kenton County middle schools through a new ARPA-funded partnership.
Skill UP career fair connects over 1,000 students with in-demand careers at Gateway
More than 1,000 Northern Kentucky middle school students explored the skilled trades through hands-on demonstrations and industry professionals at the skill UP Regional Career Fair, hosted at Gateway Community & Technical College.
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