SMACNA CEO Publishes Editorial on Need for Younger Workers in Trades

Piece penned by Aaron Hilger, run in newspapers in Florida, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia talks about the benefits of a career in the trades for high school graduates.

   Aaron Hilger

SMACNA CEO Aaron Hilger recently wrote an op-ed for syndication regarding the value of a career in the skilled trades for rising high school seniors and recent graduates. The article, published in publications based in FloridaPennsylvania, and West Virginia, talked about the growing need for young skilled workers as the industry is becoming flooded by the growth of megaprojects. Hilger spoke about the need to expand apprenticeship programs and vibrant high school technical education programs so the flow of skilled workers can meet the growing demand. 


May 8, 2024 Member Update

Latest Articles


New Operations Hub Episode

Jul 8, 2026 - Panel looks at the hotly debated topic of trade stacking and how SMACNA contractors can navigate this common issue.


Take Advantage of the Latest Standard of the Month

Jul 8, 2026 - Save 15% on Rectangular Industrial Duct Construction Standards, 3rd Edition for a limited time.


Learn More About Some of The New Tools Available for Construction Tasks

Jul 8, 2026 - Online training will show you use cases that leverage Copilot, ChatGPT and Claude to help automate some of your basic job functions.