Wolverine Aims to Close Skills Gap by Proving a Job in the Trades is Next Generation's Dream Job
Wolverine's purpose is to support people who forge their own path and the brand is on a mission to bring awareness to the skilled trades by proving that a job in the trades can be anyone's dream job. Roles in the trades offer the qualities ranked as most important for young people in their future jobs:
- Doing something I'm passionate about (94%)
- Being able to get a job quickly after school/training (90%)
- Doing something that will have a lasting impact (88%)
- Having opportunities to be creative (83%)
"Not knowing enough about the skilled trades is a large barrier for why people aren't choosing this career path," said
However, 65% still worry they'll need to choose between following their passions and making a living. That's why Wolverine's Project Bootstrap enters its fifth year focused on eliminating stereotypes and showing how things you're passionate about can be found in trades careers.
In partnership with
Mike Betros (Tinton Falls, New Jersey ): Mike took the skills he learned in automotive trade school and went on to follow his passion crafting a rewarding career in brewing. From brewing beer to installing vats to managing the brewery's entire flow — for Mike, there's never a dull moment.Michelle Gooding (Parma, Idaho ): Michelle ditched her 9-to-5 behind a desk and returned to her family farm to reconnect with the physical and mental work she loves. Together with her sisters, she's taken their hops farming business to new heights.Shane McConnell (Sommerville,Massachusetts ): The trades led Shane down many different roads. But it's his job as draft technician installing tap systems at Modern Draught that allows him to pour his heart into every restaurant and bar, establishing him as one of the coolest draft techs around.
As the new faces of the Wolverine brand, each Team Wolverine member was also surprised with
"Mike, Michelle and Shane are pursuing their dreams through their jobs, and each has found the flexibility and opportunity to create the life they wanted through the trades," said Shripka. "At Wolverine, we believe this crew can tackle anything with their hard work and tenacious spirit. We're honored to call them Team Wolverine, as they take the same pride in their work that we do in supporting them."
In addition to providing the inspiration to follow their dreams, Wolverine is also helping facilitate Gen Z's entry into the trades. Wolverine partnered with Torch & Crown to create Lace 'Em Up Lager, a beer to support the skilled trades. Wolverine is matching the collaboration beer sales with a donation of
Founded in 2014, Wolverine's Project Bootstrap celebrates and supports the women and men who keep our country running through their expert skills and strong work ethic. While some of the root causes of the skills gap are low awareness of and misconceptions about the trades, there has been positive movement on key measures according to this year's survey, including:
- In 2018, 69% of those surveyed indicated they were not familiar with careers in the skilled trades; in 2019, that figure dropped to 66%. Although not significant, it suggests a downward trend.
- When asked why members of the next-gen workforce have not considered the trades more strongly, 39% said they just do not know enough about it compared to 45% in 2018 — a significant difference.
To learn more about Wolverine and Project Bootstrap, visit Wolverine.com/ProjectBootstrap.
ABOUT WOLVERINE
Wolverine is a Michigan-based footwear and apparel company that has been making durable work boots with the highest-quality materials for more than 135 years. Committed to supporting those in the skilled trades, Wolverine's Project Bootstrap sheds light on the interesting and exciting career paths that are available in the trades. In 2018, they formed Team Wolverine to support individuals that personify the drive, grit and work ethic of those in the trades to help close the skills gap. For more information, visit www.wolverine.com. Wolverine is a division of
ABOUT TORCH & CROWN
ABOUT THE MIKEROWEWORKS FOUNDATION
The mikeroweWORKS Foundation is a on a mission to help close the skills gap by highlighting the millions of vocational opportunities that people often overlook by publicly challenging myths and misperceptions about these jobs. Through its scholarship programs, like the Work Ethic Scholarship Program, the mikeroweWORKS Foundation encourages people to learn the trades that help sustain civilized life and provides financial assistance to people willing to learn a trade that's in demand. Since its inception, the mikeroweWORKS Foundation has granted, or helped facilitate the granting of, more than $5 million in technical and vocational education for trade schools across the country.
1SURVEY METHODOLOGY
The survey was commissioned by Wolverine and conducted by Edelman Intelligence, a full-service consumer research firm. Fielded between Sept. 05 - Sept. 10, 2019, the online questionnaire surveyed 1,000 high school-aged students ages 16-18 within a margin of error of +/- 3%. Year-over-year questions include data from
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SOURCE Wolverine
Erin Delahanty, (312) 233-1235, Erin.Delahanty@edelman.com