The last decade has seen significant social and economic ups and downs, but from a business owner’s perspective, one thing seems likely to remain constant: workforce shortages in skilled trades will only continue to grow. This has affected us at Lozier Corporation, a leading manufacturer of products used by retailers and warehouses: store shelves, backroom storage, sortation solutions and checkout and self-checkout systems.

More than a decade ago, we realized that our skilled trades workforce was retiring faster than we could fill those roles. The knowledge gap was only likely to grow, so we decided to work toward diffusing it. Our most successful effort so far has been an initiative designed to engage high school students and introduce them to the opportunities that trade school can provide. Through this work, we have not only helped solve a critical labor shortage, but we’ve also provided young adults with an education at no cost to them, as well as a viable, stable career path.