JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – At News4JAX, we’re committed to helping our community thrive. That’s why we’re launching Trade Up, a new initiative designed to shine a spotlight on skilled trades and connect people with rewarding career opportunities right here in Northeast Florida.
For decades, college has been presented as the primary path to success. But thousands of high-paying, in-demand careers are available through skilled trades, often with less student debt and faster paths to employment.
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Trade Up aims to highlight those opportunities by showcasing local success stories, providing information about training programs and apprenticeships, and connecting job seekers with employers who are actively hiring.
From electricians and plumbers to HVAC technicians, welders, construction managers, linemen, and advanced manufacturing professionals, skilled trades are helping build Jacksonville’s future.
As our region continues to grow, the demand for qualified workers has never been greater.
Through on-air stories, digital content, community partnerships, and special events, Trade Up will:
- Highlight careers in the skilled trades.
- Showcase local companies and organizations training the next generation of workers.
- Connect viewers with apprenticeship and certification programs.
- Provide resources for students, career changers, veterans, and job seekers.
- Help employers find the talent they need to keep Northeast Florida growing.
Whether you’re a high school student exploring career options, a parent looking for information, or an adult considering a career change, Trade Up is here to help you discover opportunities that can lead to stable, meaningful, and well-paying careers.
Jacksonville is growing. The jobs are here. The opportunities are real.
It’s time to Trade Up.
Follow News4JAX in the weeks ahead as we spotlight the people, programs, and professions building the future of Northeast Florida.
We’ll be introducing viewers and readers to local students starting their journeys, employers investing in talent, and community leaders creating new pathways to economic opportunity.
This includes the partnership’s debut story: A behind-the-scenes tour of the WareWorks facility with founder Chris Ware.
Meet WareWorks
Launching alongside the initiative is News4JAX’s partnership with WareWorks, a Jacksonville-based workforce development organization dedicated to helping people discover careers in the skilled trades.
WareWorks was created by founder Chris Ware, chairman of Ware Capital, who grew The Ware Group from a single HVAC supply operation into a regional company with more than 40 locations.
WareWorks’ mission, he said, is focused on helping to build the next generation of skilled trades professionals through collaboration with community partners.
WareWorks, led by CEO Karen Bowling, serves as a central hub for individuals exploring trade careers by connecting them with apprenticeship programs, technical schools, employers and industry resources.
Rather than replacing existing training programs, WareWorks helps people navigate the many opportunities already available throughout Northeast Florida.
The organization believes students and families should understand that a successful career doesn’t always require a traditional four-year college degree.
“There are trade schools, there are companies that have apprenticeships, there are colleges,” WareWorks founder Chris Ware explained. “What WareWorks provides is a place where people can understand which trades are available, what certifications they need and how to begin their journey.”
Ware also believes career conversations should start well before graduation.
“It’s so clear that the path could be presented to the ninth-grade student and their parent,” Ware said. “Show them the opportunity that’s waiting after high school.”
For many skilled trades, that opportunity can begin immediately after graduation.
According to Ware, young adults entering apprenticeship programs can quickly begin earning competitive wages with benefits while gaining valuable experience. As their skills grow, so does their earning potential and opportunities for advancement.
Bowling is a longtime Jacksonville leader whose career includes serving as Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Jacksonville and as the University of North Florida’s first Vice President of Jobs, where she built partnerships aligning employer needs with student career pathways. Bowling also co-founded Solantic Urgent Care and previously worked as a journalist and TV news anchor.
Click here for more information surrounding WareWorks.
Other strategies
In addition to Trade Up, leaders announced two additional efforts designed to remove barriers and create clearer pathways into skilled trades:
- A partnership with the national Be Pro Be Proud movement to bring a state-of-the-art mobile “Try-A-Trade” experience to North Florida, giving youth and adults hands-on simulations to explore dozens of trades.
- The debut of the WareWorks Career Pathway Platform, an online resource connecting students, parents, educators and job seekers with training programs, opportunities and crystal-clear career pathways throughout the skilled trades ecosystem.
Together, organizers say, the initiatives represent a commitment to changing perceptions and increasing awareness of high-demand, high-wage skilled trades careers in the region.