Welcome, Educators

Help Students Explore Real Careers Through Experience-Based Learning

Today’s students want learning that feels relevant, real, and connected to their interests—and educators are being asked to provide career exploration opportunities earlier than ever.

TradesNKY and Allied Construction Industries (ACI), have partnered to produce skill UP, giving students the chance to explore essential trades, discover career pathways they may not have considered, and connect what they learn in school to the real world.

Register Your Students

Why Skill UP Matters for Students

As you know, middle school is a critical time. Students are beginning to form opinions about:

  • what they’re good at

  • what they enjoy

  • what their future could look like

Skill UP helps students make those connections in a way that is engaging and memorable—by putting them in the action, not just in the audience.

At Skill UP, students can:

  • ✅ explore careers through interactive exhibits

  • ✅ engage with real equipment, tools, and demonstrations

  • ✅ ask questions directly to industry pros

  • ✅ learn that there are multiple paths to success—not just one

What are the “Essential Trades” that will be represented at Skill UP?

BUILD
Design/Engineer
Construction
Plumbing
Electrical
HVAC

MAKE
Manufacturing
Machining
Robotics
Fabrication
Welding

MOVE
Logistics
Transportation
Supply Chain

POWER
Energy
Utilities
Environmental Systems
Lineman

PROTECT
Facility Operations
Public Safety
Community Infrastructure
Cybersecurity
Disaster Response

A row of yellow school buses parked on a paved lot under a cloudy sky, with the front bus closest to the camera.

Experience-Based Learning That Sparks Curiosity

Skill UP is designed to support the kind of learning that students respond to best: interactive, high-interest, and built around discovery.

Instead of just hearing about careers, students get to:

  • try things

  • see things

  • build things

  • solve challenges

  • make connections

This type of experience-based learning strengthens student engagement because it connects career exploration to:

  • STEM concepts

  • problem solving

  • teamwork and communication