Skill Stadium

Skill Stadium

By Keith WilliamsBusinessCareers
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Skill Stadium episodes

  • Dennis Johnson owner of Gene Plumbing shares how they help people intersted in becoming plumbers

    Dennis and Kimberly are the second generation of family owners at Gene Johnson Plumbing & Heating. The company started in 1976, when Gene and Valerie Johnson decided that Seattle needed an honest and reliable plumbing company. They were committed to delivering integrity and quality to each job, and treated every customer to top notch support—values that still stand today.

    This commitment to honest service and quality workmanship brought a sense of pride to the entire family. Growing up, we would see our father’s big white trucks with the bold ruby letters and GJP logo driving away to help a customer. Sometimes we got to meet the people our father helped, getting a taste of what it was like to provide the kind of customer service that truly made a lasting impression on people. When we got older, we started working alongside our parents at the shop, cleaning and helping out with simple tasks.

    Now, we are running the business as the second generation. The pride of ownership has become even more personal as we take responsibility for the continued success of the company. It’s no longer “Dad’s truck” but “Our truck”; no longer “Dad fixed that family’s plumbing” but “We fixed that family’s plumbing.”


    Gene Johnson Links

    https://www.genejohnsonplumbing.com

    https://www.facebook.com/genejohnsonplumbing

    https://www.instagram.com/genejohnson_plumbing/

    https://www.youtube.com/user/GJPlumbing

    https://twitter.com/GJPlumbing


    24 min
  • Barbie the Welder shares how her artistic talents in welding opened doors of opportunities.

    Barbara Parsons, known professionally as Barbie the Welder, is an American metal sculptor. Her work achieved prominence after being published on social media. She has produced sculptures for a number of significant clients, and run welding exhibitions at trade fairs.

    From Elmira, New York, Barbie was influenced by her father, a self-described jack of all trades from whom she learned about drywall fitting, roofing, and electrical installations. She was inspired to take up welding after seeing a character in the film Cast Away weld wings onto an angel sculpture.

    She started her career in 2007, saving $1,200 to attend a local BOCES welding program. She was subsequently hired at Cameron Manufacturing and Design, where she worked as a sheet metal fabricator. After working for five years to learn the art of welding and fabrication and earning her Journeyman in sheet metal and iron plate, she quit in September 2014 to work as an independent artist.


    How You Can Find Her

    https://www.barbiethewelder.com

    https://www.facebook.com/BarbieTheWelder

    https://www.instagram.com/barbiethewelder/

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbiethewelder/

    https://www.tiktok.com/@barbiethewelder?source=h5_m

    26 min
  • Kayleen McCabe shares the benefits of working in the skilled trades
    Licensed contractor Kayleen McCabe has been swinging hammers and toting tool belts since the ripe age of six, when she shadowed her dad’s overhaul of their Denver home. In 2009 she beat dozens of male competitors for the grand prize on TV's Stud Finder: her own series.
    https://www.kayleenmccabe.com
    https://www.facebook.com/kayleenmccabe
    https://www.instagram.com/kayleenmccabe/
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2KwDRgxP5uIcbGOf5kZuWg/videos
    26 min
  • Laurie Genevish shares how she helps students identify the right career path

    Yes, we want our kids to have a career they love but we also want to be able to live on their own and pay the bills. My Ideal College not only helps teens find careers that they will love but also have the job outlook and salary that will meet their needs. Not only that we teach your student how to network with professionals in their chosen career paths. This could lead to internships and jobs.

    If your teen’s career requires a college degree, we can help you find the college that is the right fit at the right price. Initially, we start with 10 colleges selected specifically based on your family questionnaires and rankings. We will review those colleges and you will continue the research and provide further input to refine the selection. Based on your family’s finances and the importance of cost, the above colleges will be selected with cost in mind.


    https://www.myidealcollege.org

    https://www.facebook.com/MyIdealCollege/

    https://www.instagram.com/myidealcollege/

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEdlUP7ttz1IDBbJiS1seqw


    25 min
  • VJ Niles a career coach shares advice on making career changes
    Your career growth is in your control. There’s no need to wait for your boss to put you on a trajectory, those days are long gone. Take control of the life you desire and move your career forward with the right strategy and coaching. The Niles Group focuses on helping individuals taking their careers to the next level with the ultimate career leap. Whether you want to move up, change industries or become your own boss we help you create the right strategy and action plan to make it happen.
    The right strategy leads to success!
    VJ Niles Links
    http://www.thenilesgroup.com
    https://www.facebook.com/thenilesgroup/
    https://www.instagram.com/thenilesgroup/
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/vjniles/
    https://twitter.com/vjniles
    24 min
  • Sherman McCleoud of PTTI shares how his school gets students high paying jobs

    The institute’s training facility is designed to provide education and hands-on training in several technical fields like Welding, Auto, Sterile, Manufacturing, and more. With a total space of 10,000 square-foot for training and administrative facility, we have ensured to provide a spacious learning environment for all our students.

    Fewer students in one class assure quick learning and allow our instructors to provide attentive teachings which is a convenience to all our students. With new norms about to be in place, our facility is completely capable of managing students and adhering to the standards at the same time.

    Facilities:

    • We have two (2) Hunter Hawkeye alignment machines & four post lifts
    • Six (6) two-post vehicle lifts
    • Pennsylvania Emission & Safety Equipment Training Center, OBDII & Dynamometer
    • On-board diagnosis scanners (including Snap-On Modus & MT2500)
    • Nachi Robotic Arm – 90, 150 & 270 Pound Lifting Units
    • Nachi AR Robot Controllers
    • 15.0 KVA Robotic Transformer
    • Multimeters, Oscilloscopes, Cognex Vision Systems, Robotics
    • Controls & Electrical Panels, Automatic Sequencing Machines & Packaging Equipment
    • Thermal Arc 252i Fabricator Multi Process Welding Inverter
    • Thermal Dynamics 52 Cutmaster Plasma Cutting System
    • Thermal Arc 95 S Inverter Arc Welder
    • Weldmark Auto Darkening Welding Helmet
    • Diversi-Tech Inc. Downdraft Table Model MiniDD
    • Philadelphia Technician Training Institute  Links

      https://ptt.edu

      https://www.facebook.com/pttedu/

      https://www.instagram.com/pttedu/

      https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClZ2pS_vQ9XzCKMdUgjw0GQ/videos

      https://www.linkedin.com/company/philadelphia-technical-training-institute/


      • 1901 West Girard Ave Philadelphia, PA 19130
      • 215-381-9403
      • 32 min
      • A conversation with Sidni Hinesley about the Georgia Trade School

        Warner Robbins native, Sidni Hinesley has returned to the Peach State to lead our student recruitment efforts and employer partnerships. A graduate of the Houston County School System with a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management from Ashford University, Sidni served in the United States Marine Corps including two tours of service in Iraq (2007) and Afghanistan (2009).

        Following her distinguished military communications career, Ms. Hinesley joined the Fortune 500 giant Huntington Ingalls Industries- the Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps largest shipbuilder. During her six-year tenure at the most important 800 acres in the United States, Sidni formed relationships with trade schools and technical colleges across the nation, created and implemented multiple training courses and contributed to social media and marketing.

        No stranger to awards, Sidni was part of a team that was recognized nationally by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) for veterans hiring initiatives. An accomplished speaker, Ms. Hinesley​ has presented at multiple national conferences on specialized techniques for recruiting.

        A Cobb County resident, Sidni serves on the Governors High Demand Career Initiative Construction Task Force, the Kennesaw Mountain High School Construction Advisory Committee, the Cobb Workforce Partnership and her memberships include Women in Manufacturing and Cobb Executive Women.


        Georgia Trade School provides best in class training on the latest cutting edge welding technology! The magnetic culture we have created is not only smart for our company, but also our students, graduates, industry and community. Many people talk about workforce development, but we live it every single day.


        https://www.facebook.com/georgiatradeschool

        https://www.instagram.com/georgiatradeschool/

        https://www.linkedin.com/company/georgia-trade-school-llc/


        28 min
      • A conversation about Fiona McDonalds journey in the skilled trades

        Fiona McDonald’s career began as a light vehicle apprentice, during her apprenticeship and time working in the automotive industry she identified a lack of support, promotion and opportunities for women in trade industries. During her apprenticeship, Fiona started a networking group for women in trades. Building relationships and establishing partnerships with business and industry, Fiona developed and implemented strategies to increase the participation of women in trades. With rounded experience, Fiona understands the opportunities of gender equity in male-dominated industries. Fiona values workplace diversity and works with employers to help them achieve benefits such as higher employee engagement, Improved performance, Greater innovation, Retention of talent, Improved employee wellbeing and remove unlawful behaviours such as harassment and discrimination.

        Tradeswomen Australia was established to encourage, recruit and retain women in skilled trade roles that are male-dominated. We support industries to capitalise on previously untapped workers through the engagement of all stakeholders and by leading large scale culture change projects. By recognising the need for change in social attitudes we support businesses to take the lead and remove the barriers for women who wish to enter their trade.


        https://tradeswomenaustralia.com.au

        https://www.facebook.com/twaustralia/

        https://twitter.com/tradeswomen_aus


        21 min
      • Larry Witherspoon shares how the automotive center is creating careers for at risk youth in low income neighborhoods

        The Automotive Training Center started initially as an idea. In 2012, Larry had just moved to an inner-city Atlanta neighborhood and was struck by how many young men he was meeting that had been to or were headed to prison. Larry was upset by this trend and wanted to do something to help these young men.

        The Automotive Training Center is a program in Atlanta, Georgia that provides young men with technical training so that they may obtain entry-level employment in the automotive repair industry. The majority of our students are at-risk and drawn from low-income neighborhoods where unemployment and high school drop out rates are both high. ATC was founded on the principle that all of its students have untapped potential that has not developed because of their specific life circumstances. ATC gives its students opportunities to grow the technical and entrepreneurial skills they already possess. We instill these values in its students through a positive, encouraging, and challenging learning environment. ATC’s training produces graduates that are more likely to maintain stable employment, become business owners, and have stable family lives when compared to their peers.

        https://www.automotivetrainingcenter.org

        http://facebook.com/AutoTrainingCenter

        https://www.instagram.com/AutoTrainingCenter/

        https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDw-tvzPhB-0ZtBXa_Lm--A?view_as=subscriber


        26 min

      About Skill Stadium

      From the publisher's feed

      The Skill Stadium podcast features business owners, hiring managers, trade school administrators, and skilled trade professionals.