In this episode, our hosts Mike Nelson and Derek Foster interview Doug Ford and Pam Stott, two employees of Curtis Lumber who specialize in workforce development! It's all anyone can talk about now: "Where are all the young workers?" "What will happen to the trades in ten years?" If Doug and Pam have anything to say about it, things will only get better - they're dedicated to educating people across the state about their options, and the wonderful truths about Blue Collar work - it's not "a backup job", it's skilled, profitable, fulfilling, and essential!

Welcome to Blue Collar StartUp, the podcast!

Our Mission is Simple: To facilitate the growth and development of Blue Collar businesses. We will showcase REAL Blue Collar businesses in interviews, and use these stories to help educate and empower the next generation of trades workers to become Blue Collar business owners!

00:15 - Show Begins

01:16 - Introductions

02:56 - Fix that Mic!

03:33 - All About Tupper and Saranac Lake

05:40 - Combatting Workforce Development Challenges

09:17 - The Blue Guarantee

11:23 - Overcoming the College Expectation

12:45 - Too Much Work? The “Real” Job Stigma

15:30 - COVID Helped Grow the Trades?!

16:52 - Stability, Benefits, Safety: The Trades Have Evolved!

18:08 - The Organization Grows

20:18 - Working with the Government

22:43 - Striking Against Stereotypes: Love for the Locals

26:27 - A Decades-Old Stereotype: When Will it Pass?

29:26 - The Education Pipeline

31:48 - Scary Statistics: Where is Everybody?

33:31 - Show Your Support! What You Can Do to Help

35:49 - Branching Out: Taking the Mission Further

37:42 - How to Get in Touch

38:26 - Closing Remarks: Shoutout to Michaels Group!