Opinion: Building Tennessee’s Future on a Foundation of Skilled Trades

Every day at Wilson & Associates, we look at the physical blueprint of Tennessee's future. From major transportation infrastructure and manufacturing facilities to the residential communities welcoming thousands of new families, our state is experiencing historic growth. But if you talk to any surveyor, engineer, or contractor across our state right now, they will tell you that the most critical infrastructure we need to build isn't made of concrete or steel. It is our workforce pipeline.

Our employees work to survey and engineer the framework of our communities, and as the volunteer Board President for the non-profit organization Go Build Tennessee, I am acutely aware of a stark reality: Tennessee is facing a severe shortage of more than 315,000 skilled trades professionals through 2026. Nationally, for every five skilled tradespeople who retire, only two people are stepping forward to enter the trades. However, that gap used to be only one person per five retiring, so we are trending in the correct direction. 

This staffing gap represents more than just delayed construction projects; it’s a direct bottleneck on our state’s roaring economic engine. To secure Tennessee's long-term economic prosperity, we must fundamentally reshape how we talk to students about their career options. For decades, the cultural narrative has dictated that a traditional four-year university degree is the sole pathway to financial security and professional respect. This is an outdated, expensive misconception. The reality of today’s economy is that seven out of ten jobs do not require a four-year degree.

Choosing a career in the skilled trades—whether as a welder, electrician, heavy equipment operator, or surveyor—is not a backup plan. It’s a premier, first-choice career path that offers jobs today at a high wage and a long-term career path. 

Consider the practical realities facing high school graduates. The average starting salary after completing a structured apprenticeship in the trades sits around $77,000—all achieved without the crushing, decades-long burden of student loan debt. While their peers are sitting in lecture halls accumulating liabilities, students entering the trades are earning a highly competitive income from day one through paid, hands-on job training.

Furthermore, the upward mobility in these fields is virtually limitless. The young apprentice learning to install electrical systems or read civil surveying plans today is the project manager, superintendent, or small business owner of tomorrow. These are highly technical careers that cannot be outsourced or automated away.

At Go Build Tennessee, we are bridging the gap by connecting educators, parents, and students with our state’s robust training ecosystem, including our 24 Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) and dedicated construction academies - from ABC of Greater Tennessee’s Construction Trades Academies in Nashville and Knoxville to AGC of East Tennessee’s Construction Career Center in Chattanooga. However, to fully solve the workforce shortage, it requires a collective shift in perspective.

We need parents to realize that encouraging their child to pursue a trade is an investment in their long-term financial freedom. We need high school guidance counselors to champion technical education with the exact same enthusiasm they reserve for the Ivy Leagues. Most importantly, we need students to know that there is immense dignity, pride, and prosperity in working with your hands to build the world around you. And, from students to companies, we need folks involved in the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce’s Apprenticeship TN - which has approximately 10,000 apprentices and 520+ active programs and growing. 

For those Tennesseans who are looking for a career in the trades, you can earn while you learn. Many companies will pay for your training, allowing you to enter a new career without taking on any student loan debt. 

Tennessee’s economic future is incredibly bright, but it requires a foundation of skilled hands to build it. By empowering the next generation to master the trades, we aren't just filling job openings—we are equipping young Tennesseans to build lucrative, lifelong careers, while ensuring our state remains the best place in the country to live, work, and grow. 

Justin Wilson is the volunteer President of the Board of Directors at Go Build Tennessee and the Executive Vice President & CCO of Wilson and Associates P.C.