StrataTech Education Group, a long-time leader in training skilled professionals, launched StrataSkills Industry Solutions as a workforce development and retention solution for electrician, welder, and HVAC/R employers nationwide. StrataSkills launches when industry demand for trained workforces and certain skillsets are at an all-time high.
“Reskilling and upskilling are critical to business growth. Employers recognize they have to keep their workforce highly skilled to meet the increasing demands of their customers and ever-evolving technological advancements”, said Mary Kelly, President and CEO of StrataTech Education Group. “Investing in people and utilizing programs like StrataSkills to train and develop workers will not only allow employees to keep current with technology, but also allow businesses to remain competitive in the global marketplace.”
Designed with insight from industry professionals, StrataSkills aims to solve four key challenges employers face in the skilled trades today:
- Help recruit qualified, trained, and motivated talent to fill much needed entry-level skilled trade positions.
- Ensure new employees are ready to work on an accelerated time frame with a range of short-term courses, classes, seminars, and resources.
- Provide reskilling solutions to keep employees’ skills relevant, equipping them with the evolving skillsets needed for skilled-trades industry certifications.
- Help companies retain core employees by offering the opportunities they want and need for ongoing professional development.
“The best tradespeople in the industry know they should never stop learning,” Mary Kelly added. “Lifelong learning requires a continual evolution of technical skills and training and that’s why we advocate for businesses to utilize StrataSkills to recruit, train, retrain, and retain skilled trades employees.”
StrataSkills helps employers find the right solutions to their employment training needs and Gulf Island, a company specializing in providing high quality fabrication of complex steel structures and modules, has utilized StrataSkills’ hands-on training programs to help recruit and elevate its workforce.
“At Gulf Island, we understand the importance of recruiting skilled craft individuals and providing employees continual learning opportunities; this not only allows them to develop in their profession but also gain the needed knowledge and technical skills to deliver best-in-class services to our customers,” said Thomas Smouse, Gulf Island VP, Chief Human Resources Officer. “Having access to StrataSkills allows us to elevate and recruit top talent to grow our talent pool. We have found StrataTech welding and fitting programs produce highly skilled and qualified individuals that are eager to join Gulf Island.”
As employers and trade professionals review the wide array of course offerings, they will find a number of resources and training programs to meet these critical needs. Courses include advanced pipe welding, electrical distribution systems, EPA certification, and national electrical code, lockout/tagout procedures and more.
As of February 2022, StrataSkills training courses are available online and in-person at StrataTech’s four campuses: Tulsa Welding School in Tulsa, OK; Tulsa Welding School in Jacksonville, FL; Tulsa Welding School & Technology Center in Houston, TX; and The Refrigeration School, Inc. in Phoenix, AZ. Custom training options are also available at employer locations upon request.
StrataSkills is the latest, innovative resource offered by StrataTech as it continues its mission to lead the digital transformation of education. In late 2021, StrataTech launched OcuWeld, a virtual reality welding simulator that allows students to learn and practice welding outside the classroom using Oculus Quest 2 technology. OcuWeld is offered as one of the new training resources available through StrataSkills.
