What Explore The Trades does

Explore The Trades is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 20-3547319) founded in 2005 in Bloomington, Minnesota, dedicated to addressing the skilled trades workforce shortage in plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and customer service/dispatch careers. Originally launched as an initiative of the Nexstar Legacy Foundation, the organization functions as a workforce development platform that targets K-12 students, educators, parents, and industry employers. Its core programs include free Classroom Poster Kits distributed in English, Spanish, and an illustrated kids' series (ages 5–11); the Skills Lab equipment grant program (founded in 2021 with Ferguson as flagship partner, providing $25,000 for new labs or $10,000 for refurbished labs); the 'More Than an Elective' educator partnership program; and a Career Assessment Quiz. Supporting products include a digital Resource Library, employer-facing tools (Contractor Toolkit, Career Connections Event Guide, Ride & Decide Guide), and integrations with SkillCat (digital training), NCCER, and Blooket.

The organization's distribution footprint is substantial relative to its small team: resources have reached 3,232 U.S. public school districts (24.3% of all U.S. public school districts) and over 1,200,000 students across North America, while the Skills Lab alone has equipped 53 schools across 21 states and benefited 5,500+ students with hands-on training. All resources are provided free of charge to schools, students, and educators.

Explore The Trades operates a donation- and grant-funded revenue model rather than a commercial pricing structure. Funding comes from individual donations, corporate grants, and foundation awards, with major partners including Ferguson (Flagship Skills Lab partner since 2021), Bradford White Corporation (Industry Forward program, renewed October 2025), SkillCat (digital training since 2024), Nexstar Network (administrative support), NCCER, Yelp Foundation ($30,000 unrestricted grant in 2025), Enterprise Mobility Foundation (2026), and a broader network of industry partners. The team comprises Executive Director Kate Cinnamo, Project Coordinator Maddy Sorenson, and Connections Coordinator Rosa Dunn, with day-to-day administrative support provided by Nexstar Network.

Name

Explore The Trades

Legal name

Explore The Trades

Website

https://explorethetrades.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Explore The Trades is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2005 that provides free K-12 career exploration resources, equipment grants, and industry partnerships to build the skilled trades workforce in plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and customer service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Education

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519), Technical and Trade Schools (61151)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Apprenticeships, Pre-Apprenticeships & Work-Based Learning (EDAAAOAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Career & Technical Education (CTE) & Trade Skills Media (EDAGALAG), Apprenticeships, Internships & Work-Based Learning Programs (BPACANAK), Career Exploration & Job Shadowing Programs (EDAMAKAC), Professional & Trade Education Publishing (Vocational/Certification) (MPAJABAE)

Keywords

• Workforce development education
• Skilled trades training
• Career exploration resources
• Vocational education programs
• Nonprofit education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN 20-3547319), Explore The Trades generates revenue through donations from individual supporters, corporate grants, and foundation awards. Revenue supports free educational resource distribution and workforce development programs.
2. Corporate Partnership Grants: Industry partners provide grant funding to support specific programs such as poster kit distribution, Skills Lab equipment grants, and general operations. Major partners include Bradford White (Industry Forward program), Ferguson (Skills Lab founding partner), and Enterprise Mobility Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Explore The Trades is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit workforce development organization that provides free educational resources, career exploration programs, and industry partnerships to K-12 schools, students, and educators across North America. Its core offerings include free Classroom Poster Kits, the Skills Lab equipment grant program (Built by Ferguson), a Career Assessment Quiz, the More Than an Elective educator partnership, and a digital Resource Library — all designed to connect students to careers in plumbing, HVAC, and electrical trades.

Product overview

Explore The Trades is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating as a workforce development platform focused on the skilled trades of plumbing, heating, cooling, and electrical. The organization functions as a unified platform offering educational resources, career awareness programs, and industry partnerships. Core products include Classroom Poster Kits (distributed to schools nationwide), the Skills Lab program (in partnership with Ferguson providing equipment grants), and a Career Assessment Quiz. Supporting offerings include the More Than an Elective educator program, a Resource Library with downloadable materials, the Connections bridging partnership program, and employer-focused tools (Contractor Toolkit, Career Connections Event Guide, Ride & Decide Guide). The organization also hosts fundraising events including the Hunting with Jack fundraiser and Future in Focus event. Since 2021, the Skills Lab has grown to 53 schools across 21 states, reaching over 5,500 students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Classroom Poster Kits

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,200,000 students impacted by classroom resources
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SkillCatcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Joined Skills Lab program in 2024 to provide digital training support. Offers free access to accredited online training platform for instructors and students, including EPA 608 and OSHA-10 certifications. Students have completed 1,352 courses logging over 4,151 hours of training.
• Nexstar NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides administrative support to Explore The Trades. Nexstar Network's Legacy Foundation (established 2005) originally helped fund Explore The Trades' founding. Julian Scadden serves as Ex Officio Trustee on Explore The Trades board.
• Women in HVACRminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst international group of its kind supporting women in traditionally male-dominated HVACR field through mentorship, education, and career resources. Explore The Trades highlights this organization for women considering trades careers.
• Women in Plumbing & PipingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDedicated to empowering women across all levels of plumbing industry, from jobsite to leadership. Explore The Trades features this organization as a resource for women interested in trades careers.
• Tools & TiarasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntroduces young girls to skilled trades through hands-on programs, mentorship, and role models. Partners with schools, businesses, and industry leaders to create opportunities for girls to explore non-traditional careers.
• NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner providing career exploration resources. Joint Free Career Kit available through NCCER's Build Your Future initiative. Featured on NCCER's The Builder's Table podcast.
• JJM Alkaline TechnologiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner supporting Explore The Trades' mission to build awareness of skilled trades careers.
• Additional Industry PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdditional partners include: Avoca, HD Supply, Elevate, Powerhouse Consulting Group, Reins, Rilla, ShuBee, and ZyraTalk. These partners support workforce development initiatives through various contributions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research): NCCER is a direct peer and actual partner of Explore The Trades, operating the Build Your Future initiative that promotes construction trades careers to students. Both organizations produce free career exploration resources, classroom materials, and credentialed training content for K-12 and CTE programs targeting plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and other trades.
• mikeroweWORKS Foundation: Founded by Mike Rowe of 'Dirty Jobs,' this foundation promotes skilled trades as a viable career path through scholarship programs, public awareness campaigns, and PR partnerships. Direct peer focused on changing perceptions of trades careers — same core mission as Explore The Trades but with higher celebrity-driven awareness engine.
• Home Builders Institute (HBI): HBI is the workforce development arm of the National Association of Home Builders, training people for careers in residential construction trades including plumbing, HVAC, and electrical. Direct peer because it operates apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship training programs in skilled trades with similar employer-funded model.
• SkillsUSA: SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit serving middle school, high school, and college students preparing for careers in trade, technical, and skilled service occupations. Comparable to Explore The Trades in mission (trades career awareness and pipeline development) but with broader trade coverage and a 50+ year operating history with significantly larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Year Up: Year Up is a large-scale workforce development nonprofit connecting young adults to career pathways, including technology and skilled trades adjacent roles. Broader in scope (ages 18-24, urban focus) but comparable workforce-development mission with employer partnership model, providing a comparable benchmark for scale and corporate funding.
• Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE): ACTE is the largest national education association dedicated to advancing Career and Technical Education (CTE) across all trades and career fields. It serves educators and administrators who are exactly the buyer persona Explore The Trades targets, making it an incumbent peer for influence on CTE curriculum and resource decisions.
• PHCC Educational Foundation: The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association's educational foundation promotes careers in plumbing and HVAC through scholarships, apprentice support, and industry awareness. Direct industry-association peer with deeper plumbing/HVAC specificity but narrower audience (contractor members) compared to Explore The Trades' broader K-12 school approach.

Emerging players

• Genesys Works: Genesys Works provides pathways from high school to career for underrepresented youth, including technical career exposure. Comparable in K-12-to-career pipeline mission and corporate partnership funding model, but focused on IT/business paths rather than skilled trades.
• National Skills Institute: Smaller emerging peer that connects students and job seekers with skilled trades training programs across the U.S. Comparable career-pathway discovery and apprenticeship-mapping focus to Explore The Trades' online resource library.

Others

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Large youth-development nonprofit that occasionally runs trades and workforce readiness programming in partnership with industry sponsors. Indirect peer — operates in adjacent youth career exploration space with similar funder base, but is much broader in mission scope (academic, social, health) rather than trades-specific.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/exploretrades
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCr-by1hud-n0WTsw2PR6Tqw
• Facebookfacebook.com/explorethetrades
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/explorethetrades
• Instagraminstagram.com/explorethetrades
• Pinterestpinterest.com/explorethetrades

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Explore The Trades