The Lost Art of The Skilled Trades Podcast

I created The Lost Art of the Skilled Trades to spotlight the people, careers, and culture that keep America running — and to challenge outdated narratives around college, success, and what it means to do meaningful work.

The show is now streaming on all major platforms and reaches millions across  Spotify, Apply podcast, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube including students, parents, educators, employers, and tradespeople nationwide.

Want to sponsor the show? I partner with brands and organizations aligned with trades education, workforce development, and tools that make a difference on the jobsite. Let’s talk. DM me or andrew@andrewbrown.net

Podcast Host

Skilled Trades Advisory Council

The Skilled Trades Advisory Council is a group of national advocates who have aligned to address a growing national crisis - Skilled Trade Labor Is Diminishing Throughout the United States. This movement is designed to address this predicament head on. 

Inaugural members of STAC include senior leaders from across the construction, retail, facilities management, and skilled trades industries who are ready to create awareness and opportunities of the growing need for skilled trades men and women.

Our Mission: STAC aims to unite the skill trades community and inspire North America's youth to consider related careers in the professional trades.

To combat the crisis facing skilled labor in the U.S., STAC’s founding advisors work together to leverage their resources, knowledge, and networks to elevate the skilled trades as high-paying, honorable, and often heroic career paths, including electrical, plumbing, HVAC, janitorial, construction, and other essential jobs that require a rejuvenated workforce.

Founding Member

The skilled trades changed my life  now I help others discover how they can change theirs.

After 9/11, I saw tradespeople risk everything to rebuild. It opened my eyes to just how essential, undervalued, and misunderstood these careers really are. I left corporate life and built Toolfetch a company that’s served tens of thousands of tradespeople with pro-grade tools and gear.

But that was just the beginning.

Today, I run The Lost Art of the Skilled Trades a podcast, media platform, and movement to bring awareness, respect, and new opportunities to the trades. My content reaches millions of students, parents, educators, and trades professionals across LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube.

🔧 How I can help:
For Brands & Trade Organizations: Want to reach the next generation of tradespeople? I offer podcast sponsorships, custom content, and social media campaigns that put your message in front of the right audience.

For Contractors, Employers, & Trade Schools: Need to attract talent? I speak, consult, and create content that helps you connect with Gen Z and build real pathways into the trades.

For Students, Parents, & Career Changers: I break down what it really takes to get into the trades from pay, culture, and lifestyle to apprenticeships and career growth. No fluff. Just the truth.

🎙 Host of The Lost Art of the Skilled Trades
💬 Speaker & Content Creator
🛠 Founder of Toolfetch

Let’s talk: andrew@andrewbrown.net or DM me here.

Andrew Brown

You spend $30K on school. $30K on tools. 

Just to make $30K starting out as an Auto Technician.

Not many people want to sign up for that.

Kids are doing the math. And the math is broken.

I asked 75,000 auto technicians why people are leaving the industry and the comments blew up.

Fix the pay.
Flat rate is a scam.
I made more at Wendy’s.
$30K in tools and $50K a year?
Dealers charge $200/hr and techs see $25.

One person said in the comments:

Automotive is the only trade where workers absorb the risk of ownership without the rewards.

Let that sink in.

We tell young people:
 Go to school
 Buy the tools
 Get certified
 Work faster
 Beat the book time
 Destroy your body
 Pay subscriptions just to diagnose
 Accept warranty cuts
 
And maybe… just maybe… you’ll make a living someday

Meanwhile:

- Vehicles are rolling computers
- Diagnostics take hours, not minutes
- Tool debt can hit $50K–$100K+
- Flat rate punishes techs when work slows
- And entry-level pay is competing with fast food

That’s not a worker shortage.

That’s a business model problem.

And before anyone says

I made it, so they should too.

Many of the same veterans also said:

I wouldn’t do it again.
The ROI is terrible.
The pay used to be better.
This industry will collapse if it doesn’t change.

Here’s the truth no one wants to say out loud:

⚠️ You cannot build the future of the auto industry on:

Broken pay models
Tool debt
Warranty theft
Burnout
And loyalty that only goes one direction

If you’re a:
Dealer principal
Shop owner
Manufacturer
Training provider
Industry leader

You have to answer this:

Why would a gen zer choose this path today over plumbing, electrical, aviation, or industrial maintenance?

Because right now… many are choosing to walk away.

👇 If you’re a tech, shop owner, educator, or student

What actually has to change for this industry to survive?

#skilledtrades ##jointhetrades #bluecollar #STAC

I help skilled trades companies hire Gen Z with in-the-field media. Founder, Trades Media | Host, The Lost Art of the Skilled Trades

Union apprentices today are on track to retire with $2M in their 401(k)
 
And a $5k–$6k pension check every month.

That’s straight from Tom Bigley Director of Plumbing Services for the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry.

Live at my booth at the PHCC connect show last month. 

Tom has spent 40+ years watching young apprentices build more long-term wealth than most people with degrees:

$1M-$2M in their 401(k)
$5k–$6k pension check every month
Healthcare from day one
Zero student debt
Paid training
Job security and upward mobility

And yet… almost nobody tells young people this.

Instead, we push them toward debt-heavy paths while ignoring the career track.

That quietly delivers seven-figure retirements without sacrificing 30 years of life or stability.

Tom said it best:

“The benefits outweigh the wages and young people never hear that part.”

They should.

Full video on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/exfvs_Qn
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/epXgh3hF
Apple podcast: https://lnkd.in/ezh5p3Kp

This one’s worth sharing.

#skilledtrades #jointhetrades #bluecollar #STAC Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors -National Association

Helping Companies & Schools Attract Gen Z into the Skilled Trades | Podcast Host | Keynote Speaker

550,000 plumbers are needed by 2027

No one wants to wait 2–4 weeks for a plumber.

And one brand isn’t waiting for someone else to fix it.

We talk a lot about the skilled trades shortage, but here’s the reality:

For every 5 plumbers who retire, only 1–2 are entering the field.

Most companies acknowledge the crisis.

Very few take responsibility for solving it.

But during my conversation at the PHCC Connect show with Vinny Arnese from American Standard (LIXIL)

Vinny shared:

We’re one of the largest plumbing manufacturers in the world.
 
We feel the responsibility to do something.

And they did.

A group inside LIXIL came together and built the Trade Up Program 

A nationwide initiative built around one simple but powerful idea:

It’s okay to trade up your career, no matter what age you are.

High school students.
Union apprentices.
Adults in their 30s, 40s, even 50s starting over.

American Standard is meeting them where they are in classrooms, training centers, trade schools, and community events across the country.

They’re not just selling plumbing supplies & toilets.

They’re building the future workforce of the plumbing industry.

They’re helping people find purpose, stability, and a path into a trade that protects public health every single day.

As Vinny said during our interview:

If we’re going to talk about the shortage, we need to actually do something about it.

And American Standard is.

This is the kind of industry leadership we need right now not just conversations, but action.

If more companies followed their lead, the skilled trades wouldn’t be facing a shortage…

Watch the episode on the Lost Art of The Skilled Trades

YouTube: https://lnkd.in/e7DA8_Ab
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ehpkb_ZS
Apple podcast: https://lnkd.in/erDc32fw

I bring my podcast studio to events nationwide. If you want your conference featured -> www.tradesmedia.net or andrew@tradesmedia.net

#skilledtrades #jointhetrades #bluecollar #STAC

Here's how to reach Gen z in the trades.

Have an event coming up -> andrew@andrewbrown.net 

#skilledtrades #jointhetrades #bluecollar #STAC

Welders are upset about their wages.

Every day I get comments like:

How can I support a family on $20/hour
Entry-level job requiring 3–5 years experience at $20/hr? Come on.
Why is everyone acting like welders are getting rich.

This is the reality across my social media feeds welders, fabricators, fitters, all saying the same thing:

We love the work. We can’t survive on the pay.

That’s exactly why I went to FABTECH with the American Welding Society.

Not just to keynote on How to Reach Gen Z in the Trades.

Not just to tell a feel-good story.

But to have the hard conversation the one people usually avoid.

And on the Weld Wednesday Podcast with AWS’s Jason Becker…
we went there.

Wages
Mentorship
Training
Gen z and more.

People were crowding around the booth listening in.

Because this isn't content.

This is the future of the industry.

Listen here give me your feedback https://lnkd.in/eeTTnKBA

Drop a comment after you listen what’s the REAL fix?

Lets go!

Lets start a conversation on how to fix the shortage ->andrewbrown.net

#skilledtrades #jointhetrades #bluecollar #STAC

Plumbing careers are a lucrative Plan A

Not plan b.

What do you think?

#skilledtrades #jointhetrades #bluecollar #STAC

People are losing their jobs in tech due to AI.

After my keynote speech a young adult asked me a question.

He asked tech is laying off many people right now should I consider a trades path.

Here’s what i told him. ☝️

Looking for a keynote speaker on how to reah Gen z? 

Lets talk > andrew@andrewbrown.net 

#skilledtrades #jointhetrades #bluecollar #STAC

Happily Retired!!

Embraer

Project Manager II

Responsible for the safety of the crew, the quality of the product and on-time delivery of aircraft assigned to manage.
Comply with repair station procedures (RSM /QCM/CASS) and company policies (SOP) when performing aircraft or component maintenance
Responsible for all pre-planning of the specific project(s) assigned.
Responsible for arrival and timely departure of the aircraft.
Coordinate with the customer representatives for the timely delivery of customer documents, materials, or other items as required during the maintenance visit.
Coordinate the activities of hangar maintence personnel, to include : support shops and inspection in order to maintain a plan of progress leading to a scheduled completion date.
Assisting, as necessary, with parts ordering, estimating of tasks, obtaining customer approvals, updating and distributing aircraft status reports, and following up on parts issues and any outside services as needed/required.
Participate in developing the final documentation packages for the customer, and reconciling company documents for the purpose of determing the final billing for the project.Responsible for oversight of all hangar activities such as employee safety,hazmat material handling, and proper use of PPE and facility equipment.
Ensures that necessary tooling and/or equipment is available to accomplish the assigned project/task.
Provide daily, weekly and/or over-all project  status updates in a professional manner to senior management and/or customer.
Responsible for accuracy of time and attendance/personal leave and billing tasks to customers
Position will require the implementation and involvement with yearly employee evaluation process ; merit and/or 90 day evaluation.
Submit engineering request as required.
Accomplishing other duties assigned by VP or Op’s and/or Sr. Manager, Hangar Operations.
Recommend specific training for employee personnel and help determine attendees.
Review SOP’s for accuracy within every 2 years as required by SOP 1.1

Project Manager

Embraer Aircraft Maintenance Services

Coordinate with the customer representatives for the timely delivery of customer documents, materials, or other items as required during the maintenance visit.
Coordinate the activities of hangar maintenance personnel, supporting shops and inspection to maintain a plan of progress leading to a scheduled completion date.
Assisting, as necessary, with parts ordering, estimating of tasks, obtaining customer approvals, updating and distributing aircraft status reports, and following up on parts issues and any outside services, if required.
Participate in developing the final documentation packages for the customer, and reconciling company documents for the purpose of determing the final billing for the project.
Responsible for oversight of all assigned dock activities such as employee safety, hazardous material handling and proper use of equipment.
Participate in company training classes.  Recommend specific training for personnel and help determine attendees.
Ensures that necessary tooling and equipment is available to accomplish the assigned project.
Orders requested materials for assigned project and provides effectivity documentation for task completion.
Ensures Quantum is updated with proper estimates for Non Routine job tasks.
Ensures timely flow of paperwork from the production floor to Production Control.
Audits all paperwork prior to submitting to PC for final closing.
Completes work package documentation by signing/stamping off after finishing all designated operations.
May submit completed/in progress work to Project Manager for review; submits to Quality Assurance for final/in progress inspection and re-certification of airworthiness.
Provides Project Manager with performance statistics and other operational data, as requested.
Comply with repair station procedures (RSM /QCM) and company policies (SOP) when performing aircraft or component maintenance.
Accomplishing other duties as assigned by Project Manager.

Assistant Project Manager

Airborne Maintenance and Engineering Services

Performs and recommends management actions related to hiring, scheduling, discipline, employee development, coaching, mentoring and termination.  Provides direct supervision and technical support to assigned personnel.  Create and maintain a safe work environment, managing costs and delivering a quality product on time.  Ensures that work is performed to customer satisfaction within budgeted time and within the guidelines of all applicable FAA regulations.  Coordinates efforts with all departments to ensure maximum utilization of all resources.

Heavy Maintenance Production Supervisor

Kalitta Charters II, LLC.

Maintained a continuous liaison with all outstation maintenance facilities, ensuring proper maintenance practices.
Authorized, assigned and maintained a daily log of MEL, CDL and carry over controlled items.  Reviewed all on a daily basis to ensure parts and technical assistance are all in order to make repairs in a reliable and timely fashion.  
Debriefed crews and ride-on mechanics on status of aircraft and required maintenance.
Repaired and sustained functioning of various aircraft airframe, power plant, and minor avionic systems, independently and as a team member; interpreted blueprints and schematics to develop repair plan.

Maintenance Control

Sibcy Cline Realtors

Real Estate Sales

Astar Air Cargo / Formely DHL Airlines

Hold responsibility for overseeing all maintenance and repair work across a large base and seven outstation facilities for two different aircraft fleets (A-300 and DC-8.)
Partner with Planning, Engineering, R&amp;D, Quality Assurance, and Operations to develop organizational strategies and foster synergies between groups in order to achieve objectives.
Schedule and coordinate multiple activities and projects simultaneously to meet production demand.
Prioritize regular, un-scheduled, and emergency maintenance tasks to maintain a high rate of fleet readiness.
Ensure timely and accurate communication between various maintenance teams and facilities.
Manage high-value equipment, parts, and supply inventories with accountability for verifying adequate support is available to meet needs, optimizing utilization of resources, and controlling costs.
Review records and database entries to confirm accuracy and completeness.
Evaluate personnel training and performance to identify weaknesses.

Maintenance Controller

Express.Net Airlines

Lead flight mechanic.  Traveled with and maintained A300 and B-727 aircraft throughout the US and Asia .  Supervised and trained maintenance personnel on A300 aircraft systems and components.  Set up and audited maintenance bases as required.  Ensured that mechanics under my supervision received and maintained appropriate training.
Also filled in during times of need in Maintenance Control.  Duties included troubleshooting and arranging AOG (Aircraft of Ground) services.  Provided complete support for maintenance personnel, including purchasing parts, troubleshooting, and arranging repairs.

Lead Flight Mechanic

Kitty Hawk

Trouble shoot and repaired fuel tanks, fuel quantity indication system, and filled in as a flight mechanic.
Experienced working on B-727, B-747, DC-8, L-1011 aircraft.
Trained and experienced in working with confined space entries, reading air max index equipment.

AOG Fuel shop lead mechanic / flight mechanic

Dynamic, accomplished professional who offers a solid background of progressively responsible maintenance management experience.  Highly analytical, innovative, and organized with a history of developing comprehensive plans and expertly coordinating activities to meet and exceed corporate objectives.  Proven record of accurately analyzing and resolving complex issues to maintain operational schedules and quality standards.  Outstanding communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills that result in productive internal and external relationships at all levels.  Independent self-starter and effective leader who develops cohesive teams and fosters collaborative efforts toward goals. Strong critical thinking, problem solving, and time management skills with success handling multiple responsibilities and projects in high-pressure environments.

Specialties: Extensive knowledge on E170, E175, B767, B757, B727, B737, A300, L1011 and DC8 fleet.

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