Paid Skilled Trades Programs for L.A. High School Students Set to Expand as National Poll Shows Surging Demand for AI-Proof Career Training

Paid Skilled Trades Programs for L.A. High School Students Set to Expand as National Poll Shows Surging Demand for AI-Proof Career Training

Hundreds of students to participate in unique, career-building skilled trades programs resulting in valuable industry certifications and real-world experience

Hundreds of Los Angeles County high school students will get paid to learn construction, welding and other critical trades this summer through support from Harbor Freight Tools for Schools’ L.A. County Skilled Trades Summers program. The expansion of the program comes as a new national survey by NORC at the University of Chicago shows U.S. voters across party lines support increasing access to skilled trades classes and rank them as the top high school elective funding priority for school districts, ahead of STEM, business, arts, and physical education.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260604004036/en/ Students at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor Skilled Trades Summers program in 2025.

Harbor Freight Tools for Schools, the flagship program of The Smidt Foundation, first launched the L.A. County Skilled Trades Summers program in 2021 to introduce the region's young people to skilled trades and offer early access to career pathways and opportunities before they graduate from high school. Building on five years of success, the program has grown to serve over 800 students across 11 sites in 2026 — more than double the enrollment in 2024. The program has served over 2,000 young Angelenos to date.