Trade schools are rising in appeal among young people eager to start their careers and hesitant about the financial commitments of a four-year degree.

Indiana’s Kankakee Valley REMC is leaning into that trend with its Trades Camp for high school juniors and seniors to explore various trade professions. Now in its third year, the highly popular one-day camp has drawn dozens of students, some driving nearly an hour to the co-op’s Wanatah headquarters, for face time and hands-on experience with plumbers, electricians, pipefitters, bricklayers and, of course, lineworkers.

Amanda Steeb, director of marketing and communications at the 21,500-member co-op, says the event fills a definite need in the community, including the growing demand for skilled labor.

“There’s a lot of pressure to pick a career before entering college, and we saw the camp as one way to feature trades careers to students and put them in front of professionals who are doing the job each day,” she says.

Driven by Gen Z, new applications at trade schools have grown by 10.5% from 2020 to 2023 and are projected to increase by at least another 6%, according to Validated Insights, a higher education marketing agency. By contrast, traditional higher education enrollment will likely grow by only 0.8%.

Long on its radar, Indiana Electric Cooperatives had asked the co-op to test a concept that would provide students with meaningful exposure to hands-on careers in the utility industry. IEC now wants to expand the program at other Indiana co-ops.

“Kankakee Valley REMC was a natural partner” because of its track record on youth engagement and workforce development through programs like its Junior Board, says Karlee Gable, youth and education specialist at the statewide association in Carmel.

With IEC’s blessing to “run with the concept,” Steeb and facilities director Dave Howell branched out beyond linework to include skilled trades facing labor shortages, like carpentry and bricklaying and sprinkler fitters.

“We felt like expanding beyond just linework would draw even more interest in the program,” Steeb says.

Camp presenter Pat Tucker, an organizer for the local 669 Road Sprinkler Fitters, says his trade is bracing for “record-high” demand for workers because of resource-intensive data centers and chip plants coming to Indiana.

The earlier businesses can find and train workers, the better, he says.

“There are students graduating that are unsure of their career path,” says Tucker. “A lot of kids don’t know that sprinkler fitters is a career choice—or even what it is.”

The co-op promoted the camp across its community networks, including the 12 schools in KVREMC’s footprint and local chambers of commerce. Speakers came from employee referrals. Tucker, for example, is the father of the co-op’s HR manager.

To maximize the camp’s hands-on opportunities, the co-op capped enrollment at 60 during its second year after 50 attended the first year. The camp sells out quickly, and applicants have had to be turned away due to lack of space.

“The thought process is that if these students are truly interested in getting into the trades, then we want them to have as much one-on-one time with the trades professionals as we could,” Steeb says.

Gathered inside the co-op’s warehouse, students spend the morning getting snapshots from each speaker about how to break into the trade. After lunch, they rotate again and practice measuring lumber, attaching bolts and operating heavy equipment simulators, among other activities.

Blake Michiaels was considering a career in linework instead of a four-year degree when he attended the camp in 2023 as a high school junior. For him, conversations with experienced workers and hands-on learning were the highlights. He took their advice to get his commercial driver’s license and is now awaiting an interview at a local climbing school.

“I was hoping to learn more about each trade to find out what fit my future goals the best,” says Michiaels, now 19. “My biggest takeaway from the camp was the reassurance for myself that I did want to go into the trades.”

Participants from South Central Junior-Senior High School also returned from the camp brimming with ideas.

“Many students have come back to school the next day with a much clearer understanding of the various skilled trades, and some have actually gone into or are planning to pursue the specific trades represented that day,” says Tina Randall, guidance director and school counselor at the Union Mills school.

Students like Michiaels are the true measure of the program’s success, says Dave Howell, co-op facilities director, noting that several students brought résumés.

“What made it really enjoyable was the fact that these kids wanted to be here, and they didn’t treat it like getting a day out of school,” Howell says. “They were really interested and came ready to work.”