Episode Overview
Scott Caron relishes the chance he had to launch from owning an electrical trade company to becoming a technical advisor and an analyst on the nationally televised 7th Annual Elite Trades Championship Series.
The TV job is a fantastic personal opportunity. It’s also a chance for Caron to shine a spotlight and help attract younger workers into the trades.
Bolstering the ranks of the next generation of technicians, plumbers and other vital services is a common topic of conversation.
That’s a big reason why Caron pays so much attention to detail on the TV show, which is sponsored by ServiceTitan and will air on CBS Sports starting on Dec. 8.
“The important part about designing these competitions is to make sure that they're all equal,” he says. “So when the competition is actually done, everyone is competing on the same platform, and fair, and we're able to judge it.”
It’s not lost on Caron that even though this is “edu-tainment” TV, it’s one of the only national representations of an industry that's a way of life to people.
“This is what we do every day, and to all of a sudden have it be shown on television is really cool, right?” he says. “It's bringing some attention. Well, we need that attention as much as possible. Without it, there's going to be serious problems: skills in the trade. We're not getting the skills taught. The jobs are there, but there's no one to fill the jobs.”
The hope is that a TV showcase of trade skills will lead to interest in joining the labor force.
The bigger picture, according to Caron, is for companies to be able to provide wages for employees based on honing the skills.
“We're not doing this because we just love it,” he says. “We want to make money. This is the trades. And to earn less than 25% to do something, it's not worth it. And to earn greater than 25%, it's a badge of honor.” Scott Caron recently joined ServiceTitan’s Jackie Aubel on the “Toolbox for the Trades” podcast, which included Caron’s thoughts on:
(2:46) Designing balanced competitions with impartial outcomes
(17:34) Why “edu-tainment” is vital to attracting new talent to the trades
(35:25) Educating people about niche trade opportunities
(40:04) Trade schools and continuous learning
(51:22) Setting the table for Round One of the ETCS
To hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, our website, or anywhere you get podcasts.
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