New Catholic trade schools are sprouting up across the country — here are four
Joe Bukuras
January 2, 2024
There is growing interest in the trades for many families around the country, according to the leaders of postsecondary Catholic trade institutions, and it comes amid major skilled-labor shortages in the U.S.
According to the 2023 Career Advancement in Manufacturing Report by Xometry, 82% of manufacturing companies are experiencing a labor shortage. In February, the Associated Builders and Contractors said that the construction industry had a shortage of half a million laborers.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the demand for electricians is expected to grow faster than the demand for all occupations from 2022 to 2032 to make up for workers leaving the field to retire or transferring to a different occupation.
Leaders of new Catholic trade schools across the U.S. say they are offering a new path for students who don’t want to take on crippling debt from traditional four-year colleges by training them in a skill, cultivating their faith, and doing it all affordably.
