Episode #15
Fired Up Podcast Ep.15 | Growing A Trade Guild One Connection At A Time
A guild is an organized group of people who share the same job, trade, or common interest. In this episode, the mic goes to two people who are building a guild right here at The Trade Collective that’s composed of current and future local tradespeople. An electrician who runs his own shop and a union pipefitter who trains apprentices may have very different roles in the skilled trades, but they share a vision of a tight-knit local trade community and knowing the need to train the next generation. Welcome to Episode 15 of the Fired Up Podcast, a production of The Trade Collective. Hosts Dr. Pete Bavis and Patrick Hughes sit down with electrician Dru Taggart and union pipefitter Clark McCarthy to discuss how they decided to bring together professionals across multiple trades for their recently launched Trade Guild. Together they discuss the importance of getting young people interested in the skilled trades, the absolute need for hands-on experiences and how building the Guild can open up these opportunities for local young people. Listen as Dru tells the story of a new hire whose certificate came from an online course, and what happened when he picked up a band saw. Both guests make the case for having more skilled trades workers living and working in Evanston. ️ Dru Taggart grew up with tools in his hands; taking apart TVs and washing machines next to his father, an electrician. Halfway through business school, he decided he wanted a job with more screwdrivers in it. He earned his Illinois electrician's license and founded Taggart Electric Inc. in 2005. These days you’ll find him all over the Chicagoland area building and servicing commercial spaces. ️ Clark McCarthy was a bike messenger when his uncles told him to go take the test. Fourteen years later, he's a pipefitter with Pipefitters Local 597 and teaches steam and hydronics to third-year apprentices at the union's training center. He grew up in Oak Lawn and has made Evanston his home. The Trade Guild meets once a month at The Trade Collective and will be led in its first year by Charlie Schaefer of John J. Cahill Plumbing. In this episode, we discuss: What does a certificate mean if you've never held the tool? Who fixes Evanston's buildings, and where do they go home at night? Why an electrician isn't worried about AI taking his job New episodes drop every other Thursday. Igniting the future of the skilled trades. Let's get fired up! Follow our journey on social media. Contact & Support: info@thetradecollective.org
