The last decade has seen significant social and economic ups and downs, but from a business owner’s perspective, one thing seems likely to remain constant: workforce shortages in skilled trades will only continue to grow. This has affected us at Lozier Corporation, a leading manufacturer of products used by retailers and warehouses: store shelves, backroom storage, sortation solutions and checkout and self-checkout systems.

More than a decade ago, we realized that our skilled trades workforce was retiring faster than we could fill those roles. The knowledge gap was only likely to grow, so we decided to work toward diffusing it. Our most successful effort so far has been an initiative designed to engage high school students and introduce them to the opportunities that trade school can provide. Through this work, we have not only helped solve a critical labor shortage, but we’ve also provided young adults with an education at no cost to them, as well as a viable, stable career path.

Lozier is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, with facilities across the US. In Omaha, and now in Scottsboro, Alabama, we have created a program that is building us a robust pipeline for developing skilled tradespeople, thereby addressing our workforce needs.

When we first perceived this issue, the average age of our skilled trades employees was between 55 and 58 years old. It was clear that this created a looming retirement cliff. With fewer workers entering the skilled trades field, and demographic data that suggested this would only get worse, we saw that we were on the verge of a critical shortage of trained employees in essential areas like electrical, mechanical maintenance, and tool and die. We had to get out in front of it.

Our options were limited. The first option was to enter an expensive bidding war for existing talent, but this brought with it obvious disadvantages far beyond financial, as that talent was harder and harder to find. We decided we could do better and partnered with the local community college to help develop our own talent, proactively.

Inspired by some others in our industry in the U.S. and especially in Europe, our Chief People Officer and a dedicated community outreach specialist led the charge to develop a training and apprenticeship program aimed at cultivating a new generation of tradespeople from the ground up. A significant advantage was that, by creating our own program, we could tailor it to meet Lozier’s specific needs. The groundwork required to get it started included an enormous amount of community outreach and forging of relationships with local schools and organizations, but in the end, that work, and those relationships, have become the reason it has worked so well. It also confirmed one of the competitive advantages of being an Evergreen® company: people and relationships contribute value that compounds over time.

Lozier’s program, now well-established in Omaha and in Scottsboro, operates on a multi-faceted approach, each aspect of which is designed to benefit both the company and the individual who engages in the process.

A critical piece of the program is the early outreach and recruitment. In an effort to connect with high school students while they are far enough along on their journey to have started to think about life after school, but not so far that they have committed to a specific option, we engage directly with local schools. We visit students at school, we invite students and their families to visit our sites, and we work with Career & Technical Education teachers to identify promising students with an interest in skilled trades. Our focus is to educate the students, the educators, and the parents about the great career opportunities in manufacturing at Lozier. While high school seniors are the primary focus, the outreach efforts often begin earlier, sometimes in even middle school.

Students selected into the Sponsorship for the Trades program receive myriad benefits. Upon graduating high school, selected students work for Lozier and then enroll in the local community college to pursue an associate degree, at no cost to them (books and tools included), while continuing to receive paid, on-the-job experience at the manufacturing company. Upon completion of their education, the student is guaranteed a full-time job with benefits at Lozier.

One of the most innovative and fun aspects of our program are our Signing Day Ceremonies. Each Spring, we host a formal event equating signing to a career in the trades to signing to a college to play sports. These days are designed to celebrate the students and their bright futures, and we involve families, teachers, current and former Sponsorship students, the community and invite the local press. This public recognition helps to elevate the trades as a respectable and desirable career choice.

In order to make the associate degree piece of the program possible, we collaborate closely with local community colleges to provide formalized training at the same time as students are gaining hands-on experience in our plants. The opportunity to earn a degree, all while getting paid, and then start a full-time career without any college debt at all appeals to a great many young people and can be an excellent opportunity to launch into their professional lives and feel quite far ahead of the game.

The impact of this initiative has been significant. Approximately one third of our current skilled trades employees have come through this program, effectively closing the gap of the talent crisis we perceived a decade ago. What began as an effort to merely survive a labor shortage has evolved into a thriving, self-sustaining talent development pipeline and transformed individuals’ lives.

In the time since we have started this program and through its growth, it’s been interesting to watch national trends around post-secondary education. In the U.S., parents and educators used to prioritize four-year college paths over the trades. This contributed in large part to the shortages we saw coming down the line that inspired us to begin this work in the first place. But as college costs continue to soar, the national perception of skilled trades has shifted dramatically. An increasing number of students do not want to start their professional lives saddled with debt, and they are starting to see that they don’t have to; there is another path. Our program, while initially slow to attract applicants, now receives more applications than available spots, making participation increasingly competitive.

Beyond direct workforce development, this initiative has created a ripple effect within the communities we serve. Several former Lozier tradespeople have transitioned into teaching positions at local community colleges and high schools, bringing real-world experience into the classroom, reinforcing the value of trade careers, and further strengthening the relationships that we have forged with the local schools and community colleges.

With our Omaha and Scottsboro programs running successfully, we now have our sights set on expanding the initiative in other locations. However, it’s a big undertaking; such programs require long-term commitment and resources to be effective. For example, Lozier attended and participated in 96 school events in the 2023-24 calendar, along with 34 community events. To support these events and activities, 38 employees volunteered their time. We have learned that in order to be effective and take root in the community, we have to be ready to commit for real and for the long term. We have to take the time to build relationships, set a foundation, serve a small number of people initially, and build a meaningful presence in the community. With time, trust is earned, and success begins to compound.

While the skilled trades labor shortage remains a nationwide challenge, the model we have developed provides us with strategic investment and community engagement. We have been able to both secure our own future workforce and also provide young people with stable, lucrative career opportunities. We are an Evergreen® company whose Purpose is our people. We want our people to become better versions of themselves and to have the opportunity to improve their lives, take care of their families, and give back to their community. This initiative has allowed us to serve our people, and to improve and strengthen our business at the same time.

In closing, I’ll share a few words from one of our newer hires, Sam, who is in Tool & Die. Sam summed it up succinctly, but in some ways, he said it all; “Don’t second guess the trades, because we need trades more than ever.”