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Police captain and high-school liaison pitch 'Bring Back the Trades' event, scholarships for students
Summary
Captain Patrick Cheatham and liaison Katie Sullivan asked the board to promote a May community trades fair, Bring Back the Trades, at Londonderry High School. They said the event will host vendors, offer scholarships and be free to attend; the Rotary and community sponsors are supporting the first local run.
Captain Patrick Cheatham of the Londonderry Police Department and Katie Sullivan, the district’s high-school liaison, asked the school board on May 3 to help publicize a Bring Back the Trades event at Londonderry High School intended to connect students and community members with trade careers and local employers.
Cheatham, who said he and Sullivan will co-chair the local effort, described a regional concern often called a "silver tsunami": a projected shortfall of trained tradespeople as current workers retire. He said the event will include vendor booths and scholarship dollars for attendees who apply.
"Anyone that needs a plumber, electrician, a hairstylist, or anything that you would consider a trade, there's gonna be a significant deficiency," Cheatham said, urging broad attendance and noting the event is free for attendees. Sullivan said organizers had recruited about 50 vendors who paid participation fees that will fund scholarships and that neighboring districts and CTE centers were invited.
Why it matters: The board and presenters framed the event as a regional workforce pipeline effort to expose students and community members to trades and postsecondary pathways. Sponsors named in the presentation included the Rotary Club and local businesses; the presenters asked the district to promote the event and share flyers.
Ending: Board members welcomed the outreach and encouraged staff to share event information with area schools and families.
