The Generation Next Campaign, an effort to encourage young people to join the skilled trades, took center stage at the fifth annual Design & Construction Week, held Jan. 9-11 in Orlando.

There were several events to support the initiative, including appearances from the crew on “This Old House.”

“Raising awareness of the building trades as a rewarding career path and mentoring a new generation of tradespeople has been an extremely gratifying experience this year,” master carpenter Norm Abram said during the opening ceremonies. “I’m looking forward to continuing our effort to reinvigorate interest in our industry among young people and closing the skilled jobs gap.”

The National Kitchen & Bath Association and National Association of Home Builders are sponsors of the campaign.

The NKBA is committing $10,000 in scholarship dollars to the effort, while also dedicating communications throughout 2018 through its skilled labor initiative aimed at changing traditional perceptions about vocational careers.

For more information, visit www.skilledlaborfund.org.

This article originally appeared in the February 2018 issue.