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Brown: How POWER is championing skilled trades, closing the skills gap in construction, not the same old playbook

Company can help teach skilled trades, lower barriers

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National Skilled Trades Day will be celebrated on May 7 to shed light on the skilled trades shortage facing the United States and to celebrate the necessary work of skilled tradespeople.

At the company POWER, everyone takes reducing barriers to employment seriously, especially when it comes to skilled trades.

In an industry which has an associated stigma of “unprofessionalism” and “unsophistication,” POWER leaders understand how big of an impact is needed.

To build this impact, the Dan Price Craftsmanship Academy (DPCA) was established.

According to the POWER website, “Named after a pivotal employee who was part of the program’s inception and build-out, the DPCA is a training program that allows POWER to address the gap in skilled trade by training non-installation employees with construction skills needed to complete installations.

“Through DPCA, POWER is both improving services for customers by helping to fill often vacated roles with skilled talent while creating more career opportunities within our communities. And better yet, employees within the program are paid while training.

“It’s our belief that building this program will allow us to provide our people with the skill and motivation to exceed our customer’s expectations.”

Trevor Perryman, Vice President of Installation Services and member of the inaugural DPCA class at POWER elaborates, “Everything I know now, I learned at POWER.

“I had no experience in sales, marketing or construction previously and POWER has taught me everything from start to finish, especially since I’ve internally transferred from department to department over the course of my eight years within the business.

“To be one of the first nine employees selected for the DPCA program was an honor and a pivotal moment in my professional career.

“Entering the academy with little to no hands-on construction experience was definitely challenging, but at the same time it was a blessing in disguise.

“At POWER, we like to focus on ‘who before what’ and I looked at this as an opportunity to be a proof point to that belief.

“Fast forward five years later, I am now a Vice President of Installation Services. I can confidently say I am better at my job now because of the tools, knowledge, and overall skill set the academy provided me.”

Sean Johnston, Vice President of Project Services and key architect of the DPCA at POWER explains, “Since the Great Recession, the industry has lost hundreds of thousands of workers.

“Rather than labor coming back at the quality at which it left, Baby Boomers are retiring and there are a lot of people coming into this industry who don’t know what they are doing.

“There’s a vacuum and a void that needs to be filled there. A big part of what DPCA is focused on is the philosophy of craftsmanship — what it means to be a good craftsman, do good work and be proud of it.

“What makes POWER different is there is a genuine concern for doing things well. It’s the idea that work has value, no matter what it takes to do it.

“If you’re sweeping a floor, sweep it well. If you’re installing a window, install it the right way.

“It is the idea of creating something that wasn’t there before in an order of magnitude better than what is currently here.”

Bridget Devine, Director of Project Services and DPCA graduate adds, “Going through the DPCA reinforced the level of commitment which POWER puts into their training.

“Just like any other profession, skilled individuals who love what they do are what makes the experience better for everyone involved — primarily, the homeowners receiving the service.

“DPCA has given me and the people I work with such a drive. The satisfaction of a ‘job well done’ goes such a long way.

“To look at something and know that you did that, you realize how great it feels to be a part of the above average experience for homeowners,” concludes Devine.

Truly exceptional is Power for Good. According to a spokesperson, “Ask anyone within our organization what our power is and they’ll tell you, it’s our people.

“Our employees are the reason why we’ve cultivated a strong culture, why we have happy customers, and why we’re impacting more and more communities outside of our walls. It’s because they’re heart-forward and purpose-fueled.

“That’s what inspired us to create Power for Good — the company’s philanthropic division which turns traditional corporate giving on its head, giving more voice and choice to employees who have a say in how and where corporate funding is given.

“As part of Power for Good, the company’s employee resource groups (ERGs) were asked to select a national nonprofit partner which is addressing an issue important to their respective community.

“POWER has donated a $100,000 grant to each nonprofit, and ERG members have engaged with each of them throughout the year to help create meaningful change.

Olumidé Cole, POWER’s Director of Belonging states, “For POWER’s ERGs, this moment has been a dream in the making for some time.

“I remember us discussing the potential for our ERGs to establish these national partners at one of our workshops years ago. Now, with the development of Power for Good that dream is a reality.”

Power Veterans of United States Armed Services selected their partner BraveHearts, “not only because of the tremendous impact they have on Veterans through healing horsemanship, but the values they share with POWER.

“The grant provided by POWER helped BraveHearts to bring their best-in-class healing horsemanship program to more centers across the country.

“Because POWER veterans are service-minded, members of PV continue to donate volunteer time throughout the year to create small, but tangible change for the nonprofit and the Veterans they serve.

“During POWER’s North Veteran Expedition, partners helped with a beautification project of the BraveHearts farm in Illinois.”

Power Women’s ERG “was looking for a nonprofit whose mission aligned with their own: ensuring that women have all the mentorship, training, and advocacy necessary to reach the highest levels of leadership, earning potential, and success.”

Girls Inc. was founded in 1864 to serve girls and young women experiencing upheaval in the aftermath of the Civil War.

“Selecting Girls Inc. as their national partner was a no brainer.

“For the last 160 years, Girls Inc. has been the preeminent girls leadership organization, equipping girls to reach their full potential. They’re building the new generation of strong, smart, and bold leaders through direct service and advocacy.

“POWER has partnered with the nonprofit specifically on their newest initiative called Project Accelerate, which provides mentorship to girls as they transition to college and into the workforce and, with partners, creates pathways for girls to ascend into positions of leadership.”

“POWER’s ERG dedicated to the Latino and Hispanic communities, Mi Gente (or ‘my people’ in Spanish) teamed up with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in 2024. The nonprofit is the nation’s largest and oldest Latino civil rights organization.

“The grant provided by POWER funded a Family Fun Day and Health Fair in San Antonio, TX, providing family-friendly activities and essential health services to local residents.

“Mi Gente members volunteered at the event in May, helping to make the event more impactful for San Antonio residents.

“The remainder of the grant will continue to fund more of these events across the country, helping to bridge the gap between the Latino population and healthcare and provide education and services that this community needs.”

These are several examples of “giving back” as explanation of POWER’s maxim, “You don’t become the nation’s largest exterior home remodeler by following the same old playbook.”

Mary Brown, a professor of Latin at Saint Joseph University, is a weekly columnist for Main Line Media News.

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