How to Fix the Skilled Trades Deficit.

In October of 2019, officials from the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association honored LCTI plumbing instrructor Ken Midgett as the 2019 Plumbing Instructor of the Year during the organization’s annual conference at the Indiana Convention Center & Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The prestigious national award recognizes instructors who meet the highest standards as they provide training necessary to develop tomorrow’s workers in the plumbing field.

Midgett, a licensed master plumber who spent 20-plus years running a prosperous business, has served as LCTI’s Plumbing & Heating program teacher since spring 2008. Under his leadership, program enrollment is booming and student performance is strong. The Coopersburg resident has been particularly successful in his efforts to recruit and mentor girls, who are nontraditional students for the male-dominated program.

He will speak to our club about a major concern - the looming deficit in skilled tradespersons and will share with us his thoughts about how to fix it.