Alliance for America's Skilled Trades expands with 14 new members and releases national report
Summary
The Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades has announced the addition of fourteen new members, including companies such as AT&T, Blackstone, and Microsoft, in a bid to expand access to skilled trades careers nationwide. This expansion follows the release of their first national report, which highlights the urgent need to fill an estimated 1.7 million skilled trades openings annually through 2035, a challenge compounded by current training programs only producing 55 workers for every 100 needed. Founded in July 2026, the Alliance aims to collaborate across various industries, including technology, telecommunications, and construction, to improve training pathways and address workforce shortages in skilled trades.
Analysis
Google: Google is a technology company that engages in workforce initiatives to support economic and infrastructure needs. It was a founding member of the Alliance for America's Skilled Trades alongside BlackRock, Carhartt, and Ford. Google is helping expand the coalition as it welcomes new members from diverse sectors. Carhartt: Carhartt is an apparel company focused on workwear for trades and industrial professions. It co-founded the Alliance for America's Skilled Trades to help address labor shortages in skilled occupations. The company is part of the core group expanding the coalition's reach across industries. BlackRock: BlackRock is a global investment management firm that participates in industry coalitions to support workforce development initiatives. It was one of the founding members of the Alliance for America's Skilled Trades. The firm is joining with other major companies to promote skilled trades careers through this new partnership. Brad Smith: Brad Smith is vice chair and president at Microsoft, where he addresses workforce needs in data centers, advanced manufacturing, and related fields. He stated support for the Alliance to expand access to trades careers. His involvement underscores technology sector participation in the coalition. Jim Farley: Jim Farley is the president and CEO of Ford Motor Company, where he oversees operations that depend on a skilled trades workforce. He provided a quote emphasizing the need for collaboration among employers, educators, and policymakers to support trades careers. His statement appears in the Alliance's announcement of its expansion and report release. Shane Moll: Shane Moll is group president at Milwaukee Tool, a company centered on products and support for skilled trades professionals. He described joining the Alliance as an extension of investments in people, training, and partnerships. The comments reinforce commitment to strengthening trades for future generations. Kirk Tanner: Kirk Tanner is president and CEO of The Hershey Company, a food manufacturer that hires manufacturing team members annually. He connected skilled trades to production processes and expressed commitment to opening more career doors through the Alliance. The statement positions manufacturing careers within the broader trades ecosystem. Chris Nelson: Chris Nelson is president and CEO of Stanley Black & Decker, which owns the DEWALT brand focused on tools for trades workers. He referenced DEWALT's investments in trades development and the need for a stronger skilled labor pipeline. His statement positions the company within the Alliance's collaborative efforts. Dan Peyovich: Dan Peyovich is president and CEO of Dycom, an infrastructure services company involved in engineering, construction, and maintenance work. He emphasized the need for collective focus on skilled trades to support critical infrastructure buildout. His remarks tie directly to the Alliance's goals for workforce investment. Dan Schulman: Dan Schulman is chief executive officer at Verizon, a telecommunications firm addressing workforce shifts in a changing economy. He advocated for cross-industry collaboration and public-private efforts to reskill workers. His remarks tie Verizon's Alliance membership to preparing for future demands. John Stankey: John Stankey is the chairman and CEO of AT&T, a telecommunications company that invests in employee training and apprenticeships. He issued a statement highlighting AT&T's commitment to skills-based career pathways as part of joining the Alliance. His comments focus on the benefits for families and communities. Ryan Maibach: Ryan Maibach is the president and CEO of Barton Malow, a construction firm that values innovation and problem-solving in the skilled trades. He shared remarks on the essential role of trades careers in building and competing nationally upon joining the Alliance. His statement underscores long-term industry experience with these professions. Ryan McNamara: Ryan McNamara is vice president of operations at Waymo, an autonomous vehicle company reliant on infrastructure and vehicle maintenance roles. He noted that skilled trades underpin safe ride experiences and service expansion. His comments highlight Waymo's investments in technical education and trades jobs. Max Langenkamp: Max Langenkamp is senior vice president of human resources at Cintas Corporation, which runs apprentice programs in fire and maintenance roles. He described Cintas's structured training and mentoring efforts as part of its Alliance membership announcement. The comments highlight career development across the company. Raj Namboothiry: Raj Namboothiry is senior vice president at ManpowerGroup North America, a workforce solutions provider. He stressed collaboration across employers, educators, and government to build talent pipelines for sectors like manufacturing and semiconductors. His comments support the Alliance's mission for sustainable workforce development. Ford Motor Company: Ford Motor Company is a major automotive manufacturer with operations that rely on skilled trades workers for production and maintenance. It co-founded the Alliance for America's Skilled Trades and its CEO Jim Farley issued a statement supporting collaborative efforts to build training pathways. The company is actively involved in the Alliance's launch of a new national report and dashboard. Dina Powell McCormick: Dina Powell McCormick is president and vice chairman at Meta, focusing on infrastructure and talent needs for AI and technology. She highlighted America's Workforce Academy and guaranteed job placements as part of joining the Alliance. The remarks link trades careers to building future technologies. Alliance for America's Skilled Trades: The Alliance for America's Skilled Trades is a coalition of companies founded in 2026 to close the nation's skilled trades gap by expanding access to training, apprenticeships, and career pathways. It brings together employers from technology, manufacturing, construction, and related sectors to raise awareness and build talent pipelines. In this news, the Alliance is expanding its membership and releasing its first national report on workforce challenges. Sectoral Involvement: Founding and new members represent a broad cross-section of American industry committed to raising awareness of trades pathways and supporting apprenticeships alongside initiatives like the Business Roundtable's Skilled Trades for America. Workforce Development: The Alliance is launching an interactive dashboard with state- and trade-specific profiles to help employers, educators, and policymakers target training investments more effectively. Industry Collaboration: Companies across technology, telecommunications, construction, manufacturing, and workforce solutions are uniting in a coalition to promote skilled trades careers and address labor pipeline challenges.
Categories
techpolitics