For years, the dominant message about careers was some version of sending people to college to get a degree, and a career would be waiting on the other side. Though it came from a well-intentioned place, that framing quietly pushed skilled trades to the margins— treating electricians, welders and technicians as fallback options rather than intentional career choices. Because hands-on, nondegree career routes were not held in the same regard as degreed pathways, they also became less connected to the sense of meaning and purpose that drives the best career decisions. However, as the job market catches up to what many tradespeople have always known, we are seeing small sparks that can ignite real public sentiment change.
Recent research from Lightcast shows that 42% of Gen Zers say they'd rather work somewhere that gives them a sense of purpose than somewhere that pays more. The trades' challenge — while generally carrying a 31% wage premium over other non-bachelor's degree occupations, and enjoying strong AI-resilience and high long-term demand — is inspiration. People need to see themselves in these careers, understand the social, community and internal value of the work, and feel the pull of it before any financial incentive kicks in.
At SkillUp, we see this as both a purpose-finding challenge and a career navigation need. Recent support from Autodesk Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Autodesk, Inc, enables us to continue expanding our platform and infrastructure to address these simultaneously.
Three Interconnected Priorities: Skilled Trades, Purpose and Career Navigation
Autodesk Foundation's investment in SkillUp supports three interconnected priorities: deepening the visibility of skilled trades pathways, advancing clean energy career navigation through partnerships that connect training to local employer demand, and accelerating the capabilities and reach of My Career Coach — SkillUp's AI-enabled career navigation tool built to guide STARs through the full journey from career exploration to employment and advancement.
“Skilled trades are a powerful and underutilized pathway to economic mobility,” says Kate Buchanan, Workforce Investment and Innovation Lead at Autodesk Foundation. “Design and Make employers need qualified talent, and these roles can offer meaningful, durable careers. Our investment in SkillUp helps STARs see themselves in these opportunities and access the trusted pathways and guidance they need to get there."
Together, these priorities form something much larger than the sum of their parts: a system where STARs can discover their strengths and purpose, explore a skilled trades career that aligns with who they are, enroll in the training to pursue it, connect to employers who are hiring, and receive sustained career coaching along the way.
Purpose as a Layer Inside My Career Coach
SkillUp’s career navigation capabilities within My Career Coach are designed to understand who a worker is — their strengths, their values and what drives them — and use that self-knowledge to guide more personalized, meaningful training and career recommendations. For STARs who have never considered the trades, that might mean surfacing roles that align with a preference for hands-on work, social value, community impact or building something tangible and lasting.
"When we help someone understand their strengths and what gives their work meaning, we're giving them a filter for career decisions that holds up even when the job market shifts," says Cory Rusin, PhD, Senior Research Analyst at SkillUp Coalition. "Skilled trades careers carry high social and community value, building the infrastructure and services that all communities depend on. We need better systems to help people understand their purpose and discover these meaningful careers, so that more people can decide these pathways are meant for them."
Autodesk Foundation's investment also enables longevity of the ecosystem partnerships that translate our digital reach and infrastructure into real-world connections. Through storytelling campaigns, cultural events and on-the-ground activation, TradesForce and Invest In Our Future bring the career pathways, training programs and employer connections directly into the communities where career decisions get made — work that helps STARs see themselves in these careers before they ever visit a job board. Home Depot's Path to Pro program extends access further, giving SkillUp users short-form foundational trade skills training and a job board connecting them to opportunities with one of the country's largest employers across our 60+ regional sites.
There is no single solution that helps someone make the best career decision. But together, these partnerships close the loop between inspiration, navigation and opportunity, and ensure STARs who feel the pull of trades work don’t just find a job, but a clear, supported path from that first spark to a career worth building.
If purpose-driven career pathways resonate with you and your organization, get in touch with SkillUp to explore how we can work together.
