Two Youth-Based Workforce Development Programs Partner to Build Toolkits - And Futures - for the Next Generation of Tradespeople

The Northeast Construction Trades Workforce Coalition (NCTWC), based in Saratoga Springs, has long recognized a critical challenge facing the skilled trades: an aging workforce and not enough young people entering professions such as masonry, carpentry, electrical work, and plumbing, etc. Determined to reverse this trend, NCTWC developed hands-on, in-school programs that introduce elementary students—starting as early as 2nd grade—to the possibility and satisfaction of building with their own hands.

One of their most popular programs is the Tool Box Assembly Program, where students are provided with kits to build their own wooden toolbox under adult supervision. Each participant leaves the classroom with a finished toolbox, a tape measure, and a tool apron—early tools not just for building, but for imagining a future in the trades.

However, one obstacle stood in the way of scaling this successful initiative: the time-consuming process of fabricating the toolbox kits. Construction contractors and NCTWC members were volunteering their limited spare time to produce the kits, which limited how many schools could participate.

That’s where STEADY Work, a program of the Wayne County Community Schools, stepped in.

At the 2025 NYATEP Youth Practitioners Conference, Jeremy Hughes of Wayne County Community Schools recognized the powerful synergy between the Tool Box Assembly Program and the goals of STEADY Work (Skills, Training, and Employment Access for the Development of Youth). STEADY Work is a paid internship initiative serving youth ages 14–24. It focuses on developing workplace readiness—like punctuality, communication, and accountability—while also offering hands-on skill-building and personalized support. In 2024 alone, the program achieved a remarkable 92.5% success rate among participants.

After learning about the Tool Box Program and its challenges, Hughes quickly saw a solution: STEADY Work’s youth needed meaningful, skill-based projects, and NCTWC needed help producing kits. A partnership was born.

Under the new collaboration, STEADY Work will produce and package 1,000 high-quality toolbox assembly kits, supporting NCTWC’s programming throughout the 2025–26 school year. Youth in the STEADY Work program will gain valuable woodworking experience while actively contributing to a statewide workforce development initiative.

“We are deeply grateful to STEADY Work and Wayne County Community Schools for joining us in our mission to empower the next generation,” said a spokesperson from NCTWC. “This partnership is a win-win—students are learning foundational skills and building confidence, and young adults in STEADY Work are gaining real-world job experience. Together, we’re building more than toolboxes—we’re building bridges from classroom to career.”