Skilled Trades Enrollment Growing

When Dan Quinonez looks at the rate of people entering training for skilled trades, he sees an optimistic line of growth.

Quinonez, who leads the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors—National Association (PHCC) Educational Foundation, said the number of apprenticeship courses doubled in the first nine months of 2025, growth driven by workers looking for steady incomes and job stability.

PHCC works with manufacturers and businesses to meet the needs for skilled labor. The association plans to roll out a program called PHCC on Demand, which will offer videos from manufacturers for training on new products.

“The products are getting more advanced. The installations are getting more difficult. We want to make sure that PHCC contractors know we can bridge that gap between the manufacturer and the contractor to get that training,” Quinonez said.

The association and education foundation are also working with other groups, such as the ESCO institute, to expand and target training around such topics as the A2L transition.

Many of the students entering the trades are older than traditional college students. The National Student Clearinghouse Research centers shows enrollment in vocational and trades program grew by almost 20% since the spring of 2020, reaching 871,000 students last spring.

Pre-Apprentice Program Enrollment Spikes

One PHCC program in particular, the $29 pre-apprentice course drew a lot of interest which Quinonez sees as an indicator that interest in trades careers is shifting.

“I think the younger generation is entrepreneurial. I think they’re seeing this is the area where they can combine skills in the trades with what they do in their lives that I don’t think you can really get in a lot of other careers,” he said.

Most of the success is happening in urban centers where there are lots of jobs open and training programs are being developed to help new workers. Quinonez hopes that more collaboration with education systems to boost enrollment will spread into all areas of the country.

“I hear from different parts of the country where they don’t have a plumbing program. In this day and age, why not? You’ll hear various reasons — low property tax, they can’t afford it, they’re diverting money to something else — but they’re leaving a void in (skilled trades). That’s what probably makes me the most nervous,” Quinonez said.

Attitudes Shifting Among Students

From his vantage point in northern Virginia, he sees a trend where high-performing students are opting for trades careers rather than going into a four-year college program. It’s not just about the money and stability, either.

“There’s a little bit more knowledge increase in terms that some of them get involved in clean water, the environment. They’re combining a little bit of that with plumbing and HVAC education. It fits how they view the world. They feel like they’re doing something for the community, as well, and that’s exciting,” Quinonez said.

Still the employment gap remains.

The United States needs 1.4 million new workers in skilled trades to keep up with demand, according to statistics from zipdo, a data company that tracks industry hiring and training. The demand for skilled trades workers is still a factor slowing growth for many companies, with more than 7 million openings in the nation, mainly driven by retirements and turnover.

Industry data shows that for every five workers who leave, only two are coming in to replace them.

Still, Quinonez said changes within the industry are another factor that could boost the workforce. Private equity companies are moving into the trades sector, drawn by the amount of money within the industry. As a result, companies are investing in training and recruitment.

The face of the industry is changing, as well, which again boosts appeal to students looking for advancements.

“You’re seeing more of a corporate hierarchy, a corporate structure, so you could be a plumbing technician but also get your college degree, get a degree in finance, and now you’re part of a corporate structure. You can grow within that company, get into sales and marketing, get into, code and development. There are other opportunities, not limited to just being your everyday plumber,” Quinonez said.