Workwear retailer Carhartt has debuted a new program designed to recognize outstanding skilled trades educators as an extension of its ongoing For the Love of Labor program, which supports nonprofit organizations training and placing workers into skilled trades careers. Five educators will each receive $10,000 to invest in their classrooms, along with a tailored workwear package and new Carhartt gear for their students, including backpacks and work gloves.
Additionally, Carhartt will donate $100,000 to the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), a leading nonprofit provider of construction, training, assessment, credentials, research and career development programs. The donation will be used to launch and expand accredited Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs across the country, introducing this CTE curriculum to students for the first time.
“Carhartt and NCCER share a common mission to create a more comprehensive and equitable pipeline to meaningful careers in the skilled trades,” said Boyd Worsham, President and CEO of NCCER in a statement. “The Steel Apple Awards will not only honor the exceptional educators on the front lines, but also the students that pass through their classrooms.”
The educators receiving the first Steel Apple awards are:
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- Matthew Bracey, Randolph Career and Technical Center, Detroit;
- Aaron Haselwood, Wichita High School East, Wichita, Kan.;
- Robert “Bobby” Pease, Fleming County High School, Flemingsburg, Ky.;
- Bryan Suarez, Dr. Kirk Lewis Career and Technical High School, Houston; and
- Jennifer McNally, Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School, South Easton, Mass.
“The mentors who dedicate their careers to training the next generation of tradespeople aren’t just teachers — they’re builders of futures, role models of excellence and champions of craftsmanship for all hardworking people,” said Todd Corley, SVP of Inclusion, Sustainability and Community at Carhartt in a statement.
Carhartt has a long history of supporting labor and trade education. Since its inception in 2020, the Carhartt For the Love of Labor program has awarded 27 grants totaling nearly $3 million. In September 2021 the retailer teamed with heavy metal band Metallica’s All Within My Hands foundation, and in September 2022 Carhartt awarded $175,000 in grants to four organizations committed to serving women and/or diversifying the skilled trade workforce. In March 2024 Carhartt pledged up to $250,000 from women’s apparel sales on International Women’s Day to these foundations.
