Contribution Underscores ServiceTrade’s Goal to Attract More Workers to the Trades Amid an Unprecedented Skilled Labor Shortage, Which Is Cited as The Top Challenge of 53% of Commercial Service Business Owners
Durham, NC and Austin, TX – March 3, 2025 – MCAA—ServiceTrade, an innovative software platform designed to optimize commercial service business operations for growth and profit, announced its silver-level sponsorship of the career workshop series called The Heavy Metal Summer Experience. The program is supported by a dedicated group of trade industry associations, vendors, educators, and individuals. In its fifth year, the non-profit program aims to introduce students across the U.S. and Canada to mechanical, electrical, and plumbing careers.
“The growth of the mechanical construction and service industry relies on the next generation of workers,” said Angie Simon, president and co-founder of The Heavy Metal Summer Experience. “In 2024, the program held camps at 36 locations across the United States and Canada, a 71% increase in participation over previous years, with approximately 500 students enrolled. The 2025 program will hold sessions in 54 camp locations and reach almost 900 students in the season.”
The Heavy Metal Summer Experience attracts students from all backgrounds and ethnicities, including 18.7% female students. It introduces students to all aspects of working in the trades, including hands-on learning and working with industrial materials. Students are provided with information on apprenticeship programs, trade specialties, local opportunities for further education, and information about careers in the industrial trades.
Careers in the trades are gaining popularity among young people. According to the Associated General Contractors of America, enrollment in focused commercial manufacturing and repair trade programs grew by 11% between 2021 and 2023. Undergraduate college enrollment dropped by 8% in the same period, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Trade school programs are also faster and less expensive than alternatives, with students finishing programs within two years and quickly finding employment after graduation.
“A career in the trades is a terrific path to high job satisfaction, rapid career advancement, and great pay,” said Billy Marshall, Founder and Special Advisor at ServiceTrade. “The demand for these young skilled workers is extraordinarily high with an estimated current labor shortfall of 14 – 20% in the commercial fire and mechanical service markets. The Heavy Metal Summer Experience is the right solution at the right time, and we look forward to working alongside its founders to ensure its success.”
To learn more about ServiceTrade and Heavy Metal Summer Experience:
- Visit ServiceTrade at the MCAA Conference on March 2-6.
- To learn more about The Heavy Metal Summer Experience and support their mission, visit the website.
- Read the 2025 Technician Insights Report to learn about commercial service technicians’ career perspectives.
- Read the ServiceTrade Mechanical Industry Benchmark Report to see comparative performance metrics for mechanical contractors.
- Join a ServiceTrade demo to learn how to boost revenue by 44% for your contracting business.
About ServiceTrade
ServiceTrade, Inc. is a software platform for commercial mechanical, fire, and life safety contractors. During a chronic skilled labor shortage, ServiceTrade helps commercial contractors increase profit by improving service and project operations, increasing technician productivity, selling more service agreements, and growing customer loyalty. Located in Durham, North Carolina, ServiceTrade was founded in 2012 to automate and streamline the commercial mechanical and fire protection industry and has grown to have more than 1,300 customers. More than 10% of the commercial or industrial buildings in the United States are serviced by contractors using ServiceTrade. Learn more at www.servicetrade.com.
