Lowe's Companies Inc.

07/15/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 07/15/2025 08:19

Meeting Students Where They Are: The Secret to Removing Skilled Trades Barriers? Rolling Classrooms

"In Montana, mobile training is critical," said Alex Fregerio instructor for the Job Site Ready program. "We live in the fourth-largest state in the country, and this mobile unit allows me to offer training anywhere."

Over the past two summers, Alex has taken the unit to nearly every corner of the state - from Poplar to Troy and onto three Tribal Reservations. He's met aspiring tradespeople from all walks of life: high school graduates unsure of their next step, adults changing careers, and community members with zero experience but a hunger to learn.

"These communities often lack the infrastructure or contractors to provide training," Alex explains. "We give students their first experience, something real they can put on their resume, and a foot in the door to the building industry."

For students like Nycia Dewitt, the mobile unit has provided a long-awaited opportunity to enter the trades. "I've been kind of wanting to do it for a while now," she said. "The mobile unit made it possible."

Daegan McVicker shared a similar sentiment. Tired of working in fast food, Daegan was eager to explore the trades. "I didn't want to go to college or into debt," he said. "This is nice because you get to try a little bit of everything ... It just is a good experience."

Fregerio sees this shift firsthand in his students. "Even though our build only lasts two full days, I see (the students) come in tentative, and by the end, they're picking up tools without being asked. That confidence is everything."

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