Grainger Scholarship Program Going Strong
The company's new "Dynamic Partnerships for a New Economy" playbook is intended to help businesses and community colleges to train workers for industrial skilled trades.
Grainger, the leading distributor of safety equipment, launched an interactive skilled trades playbook, "Dynamic Partnerships for a New Economy," to connect businesses and community colleges in an effort to boost local workforce development. The playbook, developed in partnership with Skills for America's Future, helps them train workers in industrial skilled trades. Visit www.skilledtradesplaybook.org to download the full playbook.
Machinists, welders, and electricians, among others, are needed by many employers who report they're finding it difficult to recruit these workers. Skilled trades have been the hardest segment of the workforce for employers to staff for the last three years, according to ManpowerGroup.
"Employers no longer have the luxury of remaining on the sidelines," said Jim Ryan, Grainger's chairman, president, and CEO. "Grainger is committed to promoting the importance of jobs in the industrial skilled trades, and this playbook offers practical solutions to help close the growing skills gap."
To promote the importance of industrial skilled careers, Grainger, in conjunction with the American Association of Community Colleges, launched the Grainger Tools for Tomorrow scholarship program in 2006 to help students in such trades realize their educational and career goals. This year, Grainger will award a Grainger Tools for Tomorrow scholarship to129 students at 70 community colleges, with half of the scholarships targeted to U.S. military veterans.