TradesFutures

06/08/2026

06/08/2026

In June, we celebrate, honor, and recognize members of the LGBTQIA+ community all around the world. In the Trades Industry, q***r people have stood as a beacon for fairness, workplace protections, and quality work.

As we acknowledge the q***r community for their contributions, we thank them for continuing to carry the torch for union advocacy in the labor and equality movements.

Happy Pride 2026!

06/05/2026

For our last two Breakout Sessions for the TradesFutures National Apprenticeship Readiness Forum, we now introduce the speakers discussing the topics of Apprenticeship Readiness in Schools and Pre-Apprenticeship as Policy.

Focusing on how schools, educators, unions, and workforce organizations are collaborating to introduce students to apprenticeship opportunities and career pathways in the skilled trades, we will have John Doherty (International Union of Painters and Allied Trades), Nicole Bertran (The Edward J. Malloy Initiative for Construction Skills, Inc.), and Chanton Green (Greater Boston Building Trades Union).

Explore how pre-apprenticeship and Apprenticeship Readiness Programs can be integrated into workforce policy strategies to expand equitable access to union construction careers and strengthen local workforce systems, with Rakku Singla (Equal Rights Advocates), Danielle Szabo (CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity), Katelyn Walker - Mooney (Laborers' International Union of North America), and Caroline Haeffner (City of Philadelphia). *Not Pictured*

We look forward to having them with us come June 16th and 17th in Washington, D.C at the Embassy Suites by Hilton for the first TradesFutures National Apprenticeship Readiness Forum.

06/05/2026

Yesterday, we highlighted our Plenary Panelists for the National Apprenticeship Readiness Forum; today, we are introducing our Breakout Session Speakers. Starting with our first two sessions of the conference, which will be centered around Apprenticeship Readiness Programs as Workforce Intermediaries and Strategies for Union and Employer Engagement.

Explore how Apprenticeship Readiness Programs serve as critical intermediaries between participants, unions, employers, and workforce systems to improve apprenticeship placement, with Beli Acharya (Construction Trades Workforce Initiative), Melissa Wells (North America's Building Trades Unions), Andrew Cortes (Building Futures Rhode Island), and Dan Bukiewicz (Milwaukee Building & Construction Trades Council).

Highlight practical strategies for building sustained industry engagement, aligning programs with labor market demand, and strengthening participant pathways into Registered Apprenticeship, with Allison Knautz (The Boldt Company), Sam Petschulat (Music City Construction Careers), Paul Puente (Houston Gulf Coast Building and Construction Trades Council), Myllex Guadamuz, MCA (LA/OC Apprenticeship Readiness Fund), and Monica Floyd (TradesFutures).

We look forward to having them with us come June 16th and 17th in Washington, D.C at the Embassy Suites by Hilton for the first TradesFutures National Apprenticeship Readiness Forum.

06/04/2026

For our fourth Plenary Panel at the first National Apprenticeship Readiness Forum hosted by TradesFutures, the conversation will center on New Horizons for Apprenticeship Readiness.

We will have Kevin Reilly (Laborers' International Union of North America), Brent Parton (CareerWise), Joshua Johnson (Center for Employment Opportunities), and Norman Ruano (Office of Illinois Works) exploring emerging trends, innovations, and opportunities shaping the future of Apprenticeship Readiness Programs.

We look forward to having them with us June 16th and 17th in Washington, D.C at the Embassy Suites by Hilton for the first TradesFutures National Apprenticeship Readiness Forum.

06/04/2026

The National Apprenticeship Readiness Forum is fast approaching, and today we are introducing our Plenary Panelists. Starting with our first two panels of the conference, which will be centered around Labor and Industry Partnerships, and Labor and Workforce Development Policy Perspectives.

Leading the conversation on how labor, industry, and workforce development organizations are partnering to strengthen apprenticeship pipelines, we will have Mike Monroe (NABTU), Seth Reznik (Microsoft), Jerry Grissom (Alabama Power Company), and Samantha Dolynchuk (United Cleanup Oak Ridge).

Examining workforce development and apprenticeship policy trends shaping the future of Apprenticeship Readiness Programs and Registered Apprenticeship, we will have Nick Beadle (Jobs That Work), Brook DeRenzis (National Skills Coalition), Dr. Tom Kriger (NABTU), and Jessica Looman (Commonwealth of Virginia).

We look forward to having them with us come June 16th and 17th in Washington, D.C at the Embassy Suites by Hilton for the first TradesFutures National Apprenticeship Readiness Forum.

06/03/2026

As we get closer to TradesFutures' first National Apprenticeship Readiness Forum, let us take a moment to recognize our guest speakers and panelists. Starting with Sean McGarvey, the President of North America's Building Trades Unions, and Marina Zhavoronkova, the Executive Director of Trades Futures. Together, they will open our conference and lead the conversation on Building Stronger Pathways into Registered Apprenticeship.

Learn more about our speakers below:
Sean McGarvey
Sean McGarvey is the President of the North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), a position he has held since 2012 after beginning his career with the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades in 1981. A strong advocate for registered apprenticeship programs, he has led initiatives to expand opportunities for women, veterans, communities of color, and other underrepresented groups in the construction industry. Sean is widely recognized for his bipartisan leadership in advancing workforce development, infrastructure investment, and labor standards. He holds a degree in Business Administration, is a graduate of the Harvard Trade Union Program, and serves on numerous labor and industry boards.

Marina Zhavoronkova
Marina is the Executive Director of TradesFutures, where she leads efforts to expand access to union construction careers through workforce development programs and partnerships. She previously served as Senior Advisor for Workforce Strategy at the http://U.S. Department of Commerce’s CHIPS Program Office, helping build the workforce needed for domestic semiconductor manufacturing. Marina has also held leadership roles in workforce development and education and holds degrees from Harvard Kennedy School and New York University.

06/01/2026

Let's hear it for our newest graduating class from the Apprenticeship Ready Program in Construction, Mid-Missouri Cohort 9! Over the past weeks, we have watched them learn, grow, and gain the confidence and skills that will carry them far in their futures in the trades. Congratulations!

06/01/2026