Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2019 - 12

Hot Topic

Building a New Future

High school students learned about rewarding
opportunities in the skilled trades at KBIS

LAS VEGAS WAS COATED WITH SNOW and abnormally chilly as wind
ripped through the city, but a brigade of buses still pulled up to the Las Vegas
Convention Center, bringing150 Clark County school district students to
KBIS for a special event.The National Kitchen & Bath Association kicked off
its NKBA NextUp initiative at the show by offering an insightful presentation and tours of the show floor to students to provide them with information
about career opportunities within the skilled trades.
The program is part of the association's continuing effort to expose high
school and even middle school students, their parents, educators and guidance
counselors to the lucrative and creative career opportunities in design, skilled
trades and remodeling.The need for residential designers, skilled laborers and
professionals who combine elements of the trades and technology is wellestablished, and jobs are plentiful; workers to fill these jobs will be needed
for years to come.
"Students are really not exposed to a lot of things outside of the scope
of their own communities - especially when it comes to different industry
sectors," said Craig Brockett, Clark County School District's work-based
learning administrator. "We've really made an effort to try to expose them
to work-based learning experiences with internships and job shadowing, so
when we were contacted for this event, it was a perfect match."
There is currently a severe shortage of skilled trades workers, and the
NKBA aims to lessen the gap. NextUp will incorporate several initiatives

12

ABOVE Students from Las

Vegas-area high schools came
to KBIS to participate in the
NKBA NextUp program.

that bring awareness to the dilemma and inspire
students to consider the trades as an option.
"The NKBA is committed to providing the
next generation of kitchen and bath professionals
with knowledge surrounding skilled labor careers,"
said NKBA CEO Bill Darcy. "The event during
KBIS was not only the largest we've held, but it
was also an ideal venue, allowing students, panelists and tour guides to interact and discuss opportunities. The students were highly engaged and
asked a lot of questions about skilled labor careers,
gaining greater insight into how they might want
to consider structuring their own paths."
INSIGHTFUL ANECDOTES

By LOREN KESSELL,
NKBA Social Media
and Creative Content
Associate

The day started with a panel discussion that
featured a range of industry professionals. Karl
Champley, AKBD and president and owner of
KDLA Inc., served as the moderator and a tour
guide. Champley is backed by a wealth of experience, including being an award-winning builder,
appearing on HGTV and winning "Ellen's Design Challenge."
"We had to bring the information down to
earth for the students so they could understand,"
he said. "We helped give them a new outlook."
Students piled into the room and took their seats,
and panelists provided personal anecdotes about
their challenges and successes within the industry.

/ MAY-JUNE 2019 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of NKBA (NKBA.org) and KBIS (KBIS.com)
http://www.KBBONLINE.COM http://www.NKBA.org http://www.KBIS.com
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2019
