Fired Up Podcast: A Trade Collective Production

A Path to More Than Cutting Grass | Fired Up Podcast Ep. 11

Commercial landscaping has both a staffing and a perception problem.  - 600 positions are open right now within a 10 mile radius of Evanston, and most people still think the job is just cutting grass. Episode 11 goes inside that gap. We find out what commercial landscaping actually looks like from the inside, why the industry is struggling to find people, and what a five-week course at Oakton College could mean for someone ready to get started. Welcome to Episode 11 of the Fired Up Podcast, a production of The Trade Collective. Hosts Dr. Pete Bavis and Patrick Hughes sit down with Jamie Wallace from BrightView and Leah Kittner from Oakton College to talk commercial landscaping, workforce development, and a new Landscape Technician program where participants leave equipped for entry-level technician roles in landscape maintenance. Meet The Guests: 🎙️ Jamie Wallace: Jamie started as an operator and spent the next 40 years working through estimating, project management, branch management, and sales in the construction and landscape industry. He now leads business development and recruiting at BrightView, the world's largest commercial landscape company, with crews working on projects across the country including SoFi Stadium and the Pentagon Memorial. He came to The Trade Collective about two years ago because the industry has a staffing problem, and he wanted to be part of solving it. 🎙️ Leah Kintner: Leah is the Senior Program Developer for Workforce and Community Education at Oakton College. She's an ETHS grad and spends her time building fast, nimble non-credit programs that connect people to industries that are actively hiring. The Landscape Technician course is one of the newest, developed in direct collaboration with BrightView after Leah and Jamie first connected at The Trade Collective. In this episode, we discuss: 🔥 Why commercial landscaping is one of the most misunderstood fields in the skilled trades, and what the work actually looks like beyond the lawn mower 🔥 What a $468 certificate opens up, from field labor to estimating to running your own business entirely 🔥 How Oakton and BrightView built this course from scratch, and what the 10 available seats could mean for someone in the Chicagoland area right now The Landscape Technician course starts July 8th. Space is currently available and scholarship and stipends exist.  Active recruitment is included in the course. Register here: https://ce.oakton.edu/search/publicCourseSearchDetails.do?method=load&courseId=10990448 Join the Movement: New episodes drop every other Thursday. Stay tuned and make sure you are following so you never miss an episode. Follow our journey on social media! Contact & Support: General Inquiries: info@thetradecollective.org Igniting the future of the skilled trades. Let's get fired up! 🔥

Fired Up Podcast Ep.10 | Building From the Ground Up: Two Young Carpenters take on Ryan Field

We have talked a lot about getting the next generation into the skilled trades. This episode, you hear it straight from two young people who are doing it, on one of the biggest construction sites in the area. Welcome to Episode 10 of the Fired Up Podcast, a production of The Trade Collective. Hosts Dr. Pete Bavis and Patrick Hughes sit down with Quintin Hamilton Jr. and Anthony Medina, two carpenter apprentices from Evanston who found their way into Local 58 through The Trade Collective. Quintin tells his story from a scattered start after high school to writing his name on a stud inside Ryan Field. He talks about the years he spent figuring things out, the connection that finally opened the door, and what it feels like to wake up ready to go to work. Meet The Guests: 🎙️ Quintin Hamilton Jr.: Quintin grew up in Evanston and graduated in 2020, the year of remote learning and COVID shut downs. His dad was a plumber in Local 130 and his coach growing up. After a few years of false starts, a connection through his girlfriend's mom brought him to The Trade Collective. Now he is a carpenter apprentice with Local 58, framing the hydrotherapy pools and  the family-friendly Mothers Room”at the new Ryan Field. 🎙️ Anthony Medina: Anthony is 20, grew up in Evanston, and graduated from Evanston Township High School. He ran his own junk removal business before a community connection named Genaro pointed him toward Hire360 and The Trade Collective. He got the acceptance text with the confetti, joined Local 58, and has been working on the Kellogg Building at Northwestern. In this episode, we discuss: 🔥 How do you go from no direction after high school to a union apprenticeship and a career with benefits? 🔥 What does the job site teach a young person that a classroom never could? 🔥 What would these two say to a seventh grader, a freshman, and a parent who is not sure about this path? Join the Movement: New episodes drop every other Thursday, and we just moved to Thursdays! Stay tuned and make sure you are following so you never miss an episode. Follow our journey on social media! Contact & Support: General Inquiries: info@thetradecollective.org Igniting the future of the skilled trades. Let's get fired up! 🔥

Fired Up Podcast Ep.9 | Paid to Learn: How Abt Electronics Builds Careers From the Ground Up

We have talked a lot about getting the next generation into the skilled trades. In this episode we are thrilled to hear from a young person at the start of a promising career about his journey to Abt Electronics and what it is like to be young and finding your path into the skilled trades. Welcome to Episode 9 of the Fired Up Podcast, a production of The Trade Collective. Hosts Dr. Pete Bavis and Patrick Hughes sit down with Stefan Johnson and Josh Eddy from Abt Electronics. Josh tells his story from high school to connecting with Stefan Johnson and finding his place working at Abt Electronics. He breaks down why the choice to go to a traditional college wasn't working for him and how he has been able to find community, excitement, and financial stability at Abt Electronics. Meet The Guests: 🎙️ Stefan Johnson: Stefan spent 28 years as a police officer in Glenview before joining Abt Electronics, where he now leads workforce development. Stefan went into Abt as a customer, had a conversation with the owner about a six-month project, and has been there for over nine years. 🎙️ Josh Eddy: Josh grew up in Evanston and graduated from Evanston Township High School. He had plans to go to Illinois State but life had other plans. After two years of working and figuring things out, Josh was introduced to Abt Electronics through The Trade Collective. He has been employed by Abt  for over a month.   He is getting paid to learn. He rates it 10 out of 10 and is talking about staying 20 years. In this episode, we discuss: 🔥 How do you know that the skilled trades are right for you? What unique career experiences do you get from working in the skilled trades? How do we show students all the paths available to them? 🔥 What does it mean to get paid to learn? How does Abt Electronics certify young people in HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and more while they are already working and earning a paycheck? 🔥 How do you go from feeling lost after high school to finding community, financial stability, and a career you are actually excited about? Join the Movement: New episodes drop every other Thursday — and we just moved to Thursdays! Stay tuned and make sure you are following so you never miss an episode. Follow our journey on social media! Contact & Support: General Inquiries: info@thetradecollective.org Igniting the future of the skilled trades. Let's get fired up! 🔥

Fired Up Podcast Ep.8 | Putting Your Stamp on the Workplace

We have talked a lot about getting the next generation into the trades so on this episode we are thrilled to hear from two young people with promising careers about their journeys and experiences into the skilled trades? Welcome to Episode 8 of the Fired Up Podcast, a production of The Trade Collective. Hosts Dr. Pete Bavis and Patrick Hughes sit down with Tom, David, and Ewan from Ward Manufacturing to discuss what it is like to be a young person in metal stamping.  David and Ewan tell their story from high school to finding their place working for Ward Manufacturing. They break down why the traditional college path wasn’t working for them and how they have been able to find community, excitement, and financial stability at Ward Manufacturing.  Meet The Guest: 🎙️ Tom Ward: Tom is a third generation owner of Ward Manufacturing and is currently serving as Vice President. Tom believes in investing in young talent and the community. Tom wants the next generation to feel inspired by stories like David’s and Ewan’s to help find their direction. 🎙️David Abramson: David is extremely smart but did not like school at all. David did everything he could to just get through it. Somehow, he did learn things. (Begrudgingly, he took the ACT and scored a 31.) He had no idea what he was going to do in life. That was until he found his place at Ward Manufacturing.  🎙️Ewan Mclean: Ewan was a fantastic student. Got very high marks in high school took AP and was college ready. Ewan started the engineering program at Colorado School of Mines, but he wanted to start working.  In this episode, we discuss: 🔥 How do you know that the skilled trades are right for you? What do you get from working in the skilled trades that you don’t get from traditional four-year college? How do we show students all the paths available to them. 🔥 How do you add value to the workplace? How do you build a community and culture in the workplace? How do you add value to the community around you? Join the Movement: New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Follow our journey on social media! Contact & Support: General Inquiries: info@thetradecollective.org Igniting the future of the skilled trades. Let's get fired up! 🔥

Fired Up Podcast Ep.7 | Blueprints and Bleachers: Building a Career in Construction and a Stadium

We have talked a lot about getting interested in the trades, but what are the next steps when the interest is there? Listen to learn about what it takes to build a stable career in construction. Welcome to Episode 7 of the Fired Up Podcast, a production of The Trade Collective. Hosts Dr. Pete Bavis and Patrick Hughes sit down with Turner Construction Company’s Geoff Moore to discuss all things construction including working on the construction team for the new Ryan Field Stadium. From construction opportunities for high schoolers to work ethic to safety, the three lay out the keys to having a successful career in construction. Meet The Guest: 🎙️ Geoff Moore: Geoff is a vice president and construction executive for Turner Construction, currently the largest construction company in the world. He is the principal in charge of the $800 million Ryan Field Construction Project. Geoff believes that there are different paths for everyone including stable, fulfilling career paths in construction. In this episode, we discuss: 🔥 What is the importance of teamwork in the skilled trades? A stadium is not built alone or overnight, how do you work within a construction team? 🔥 What is expected of workers in the skilled trades? Today the group discusses expectations and how to make yourself stand out in the workplace. 🔥 As a high school student, what are the first steps? Today the group discusses what certifications you can get in high school to prepare for a career in construction. Join the Movement: New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Follow our journey on social media. Contact & Support: General Inquiries: info@thetradecollective.org Igniting the future of the skilled trades. Let's get fired up! 🔥