This Old House Builds Skills With ‘Generation NEXT’

What is “Generation NEXT,” exactly?

Generation NEXT is a workforce-and-awareness initiative built around a simple idea: you can’t maintain America’s housing stockor build the next wave of homeswithout people who know how to do the work.
This Old House uses its TV shows, digital platform, and partnerships to highlight career pathways into the trades, showcase apprentices and training programs, and support scholarships that reduce the cost barrier to getting skilled.

In other words: it’s not “Let’s romanticize hard hats.” It’s “Let’s make sure someone is still qualified to install your boiler in 10 years.”

Why the trades need reinforcements (and why homeowners should care)

The retirement wave meets a rising demand

Across construction and extraction occupations, projected job openings are enormousdriven by growth and by replacement needs as experienced workers retire or move on.
The housing world feels that pressure immediately: longer build times, higher labor costs, and fewer available crews when a storm hits or a pipe bursts at 2 a.m. (Because plumbing emergencies never happen at a convenient timeplumbers can smell comfort.)

The “skills gap” isn’t just an industry buzzword

When the skilled labor pipeline shrinks, the ripple effects are real. Homebuilding slows. Renovations get delayed. Businesses hesitate to expand.
Some recent industry analyses have even tried to put a dollar figure on what shortages meanlost production, higher carrying costs, and fewer homes completed on schedule.

And yes, the jobs can be solid

Trades careers are often paid, structured, and progressive: you learn, you earn, you level up.
Many paths don’t require a four-year degree (or four years of debt), but they do require training, mentorship, and gritplus the ability to show up on time even when it’s raining sideways.

How This Old House turns TV fame into real-world training

Apprenticeships on actual project sites

One of the most visible parts of Generation NEXT is the way This Old House integrates apprentices into real projects.
Instead of treating apprentices like background extras holding a broom (a noble tool, but not the whole career), the show has given them meaningful time alongside seasoned proslearning how framing, roofing, finish work, and problem-solving unfold on real job sites.

A standout example is the Newton “Generation NEXT” project, where apprentices worked alongside the master crew on a historic home renovation.
It’s the kind of environment where “classroom knowledge” becomes “jobsite instincts”like understanding why a detail matters before water finds the one weak spot you didn’t think about.

Highlighting the full ecosystem: schools, unions, and training programs

Generation NEXT also points viewers toward the places where skills are built: vocational-technical schools, community college programs, union apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeship pipelines.
That matters because the trades aren’t a single lanethey’re a whole highway system, with on-ramps for teens, career changers, veterans, and adults who just realized they’d rather build a staircase than sit in endless meetings about “staircase strategy.”

Training without the debt: scholarships and on-ramps that actually help

Work Ethic Scholarships (mikeroweWORKS)

Generation NEXT has publicly supported scholarship efforts tied to the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, which promotes vocational training for in-demand skilled jobs.
The Work Ethic Scholarship Program is known for emphasizing not only training, but also a mindset: responsibility, persistence, and follow-throughtraits that matter whether you’re running conduit or running your own business later.

The point isn’t to turn “work ethic” into a bumper sticker. It’s to reward people willing to do the unglamorous parts of learning: practice, repetition, showing up, and getting corrected without taking it personally.
(Pro tip: getting corrected is how you become excellent. Also how you avoid installing something backward.)

The Skilled Labor Fund and the National Housing Endowment

Another piece of the puzzle is funding that supports construction education and training.
Generation NEXT has referenced donations routed to initiatives like the Skilled Labor Fund (connected with the National Housing Endowment), aimed at strengthening the residential construction workforce through scholarships, training support, and industry collaboration.

HBI, The Home Depot Foundation, and structured pre-apprenticeship routes

Some training programs are built to be fast, practical, and job-aligned.
For example, the Home Builders Institute (HBI) has long been associated with pre-apprenticeship curriculum and career training models in the building trades.
Programs supported by partners like The Home Depot Foundation have been described as offering structured, industry-recognized trainingespecially for transitioning military members and others who want a clear path into the workforce.

That “structured path” matters. When someone can see the stepstraining, certification, placement support, apprenticeship, advancementit’s easier to commit.
Vague encouragement is nice. A ladder you can climb is better.

Partnerships that widen the ladder: YouthBuild and opportunity youth

One of the most compelling expansions of Generation NEXT is the partnership with YouthBuild USA, an organization focused on “opportunity youth” (generally young adults ages 16–24 who are not in school or employed) by combining education with hands-on skills training and leadership development.

In the YouthBuild collaboration highlighted around Season 42, selected apprentices worked alongside This Old House professionals on a Greater Boston-area assignment.
The idea wasn’t charity for charity’s sakeit was applied training, exposure, and a professional standard of work on a real project, with real expectations and real mentoring.

Why this model hits different

A lot of workforce talk stays theoretical. This model is not theoretical.
It puts learners near pros, on sites where decisions matter, and in situations where soft skills (communication, problem-solving, reliability) show up every day.

Hands-on trade exploration: the roofing example

Some pathways also include short, intensive training experiences designed to introduce people to a trade and help them build employable basics quickly.
For example, manufacturer-backed programs like GAF Roofing Academy have described tuition-free training with classroom and hands-on components, offered across many locations.
For someone exploring trades, that kind of “try it for real” experience can be the difference between guessing and knowing.

What Generation NEXT is really building (beyond a wall that’s square)

1) Technical competence

The trades are full of details that look simple until you try them: layout, level, plumb, load paths, moisture management, electrical safety, combustion air, code requirements, material behavior, and more.
Generation NEXT stories tend to highlight how real skill comes from repetition, mentorship, and learning how to recover when something goes sideways.

2) Work habits that employers actually need

Reliability is a skill. Communication is a skill. Clean-up is a skill. Planning is a skill.
A talented person who can’t show up, can’t listen, or can’t learn will stall out.
Generation NEXT consistently frames “work ethic” not as macho posturing, but as the practical behavior that makes teams function.

3) Pride and professionalism

When the culture treats trade work like “less than,” fewer people choose itand everyone loses.
This Old House has long treated craft as something to respect: accurate work, thoughtful details, and long-term durability.
Generation NEXT extends that respect to the people learning the craft, not just the people who’ve already mastered it.

4) A bridge to entrepreneurship

Many tradespeople eventually run crews, start companies, or specialize in high-skill niches.
The “business side” shows up naturally: estimating, scheduling, client communication, quality control, and reputation.
Some apprentices featured through GenNEXT have talked about learning not just how to build, but how to build a career.

If you’re inspired: practical ways to explore the trades (without doing anything unsafe)

For students and teens

If you’re in high school (or close to it), look for structured programs: vocational-technical classes, career and technical education (CTE), supervised shop programs, summer pre-apprenticeships, or local community college introductory courses.
The goal is supervised learning with safety trainingnot “watch three videos and attempt something dangerous.”
Real pros respect safety because they respect going home at the end of the day.

For parents and mentors

Ask better questions than “Are you sure?” Try: “Which trade interests you and why?” “Do you want paid training?” “Do you like problem-solving?” “Do you want to build things people use every day?”
Treat the trades like the professional choice they can be, and the conversation instantly changes.

For local businesses and communities

Partner with schools. Offer jobsite visits. Sponsor tool scholarships. Support pre-apprenticeship training.
If a community wants more housing, better infrastructure, and reliable repairs, investing in workforce development is not optionalit’s part of the blueprint.

Bottom line: Generation NEXT is a reminder that the future won’t build itself

It’s easy to take skilled work for granted until you need it urgently.
Generation NEXT pushes back against that amnesia by showing the human side of the trades: the learning curve, the mentorship, the pride, and the life-changing effect of discovering, “I’m good at thisand it matters.”

The most powerful message isn’t that the trades are “an alternative.” It’s that they’re a cornerstone.
And when a major home-improvement brand uses its megaphone to spotlight training, apprenticeships, and scholarships, it helps rebuild something bigger than any single renovation: a culture that respects skill.

Experiences related to “This Old House Builds Skills With ‘Generation NEXT’”

Talk to almost anyone who has learned a trade the right waythrough structured training and mentorshipand you’ll hear a common theme: the first time you realize your work is real.
Not a worksheet. Not a practice jig. Real. Something that has to hold up, pass inspection, and serve a family for years.

One of the most “Generation NEXT” experiences is the moment a mentor stops hovering and starts trusting.
At first, you’re handed small tasks: organizing materials, measuring, marking, prepping, cleaning, and learning names for tools you thought were all called “that metal thing.”
Then, after enough repetition, you get a bigger responsibilitylike laying out a cut list, assembling a section of framing, or setting up a work area so the crew can move fast without chaos.
The job still gets checked (always), but you can feel the shift: you’re no longer just watching; you’re contributing.

Another experience that fits the Generation NEXT spirit is learning that trades are both physical and mental.
Yes, you might carry lumber. But you’re also doing geometry, reading plans, understanding sequences, and solving problems that don’t come with answer keys.
A wall that’s out of plumb isn’t “wrong” in an abstract wayit creates a cascade of issues: trim gaps, cabinet headaches, door swings that misbehave, tile lines that look haunted.
You start to see houses like systems, not like rooms.

Many apprentices describe a surprising emotional win: pride.
There’s a particular satisfaction in driving past a project and thinking, “I helped build that.”
It’s not ego. It’s evidence.
For some peopleespecially those who have felt stuck in school, stuck in low-growth jobs, or stuck in a life that doesn’t feel like it’s movingbuilding something tangible can be a reset button.
You’re not just earning money; you’re gaining a skillset that travels with you.

Programs connected to Generation NEXT often highlight how “soft skills” show up in the most practical ways.
You learn to ask questions before you guess.
You learn to take feedback without spiraling.
You learn that being early is a form of respect.
And you learn how to communicate on a team where mistakes can cost time, money, or safety.
A good mentor doesn’t just teach techniquethey teach professionalism: how to carry yourself, how to handle setbacks, and how to keep standards high even when nobody’s filming.

There’s also a classic “trade awakening” moment: the first time you realize your hands got better.
Not magically. Not overnight. But noticeably.
A cut line becomes cleaner. A measurement becomes faster. A tool feels less like a mystery and more like an extension of your plan.
That’s when confidence starts to replace anxiety.
You’re still learning, but you’re not guessing at randomyou’re improving with intention.

Finally, a Generation NEXT-style experience is seeing the bigger mission: community impact.
Whether it’s renovating a family home after damage, improving safety and energy efficiency, or helping restore a building with history, trade work often serves people directly.
That’s why partnerships with organizations that support young adults and career changers can be so powerful.
When training is paired with real opportunity, it can turn “I’m not sure what I’m doing with my life” into “I’m building somethingliterally and figuratively.”

And if there’s one lesson that mentors repeat across trades, it’s this: start with safety and humility.
The best crews don’t celebrate shortcutsthey celebrate solid work, safe practices, and steady growth.
That’s the kind of “next generation” the industry actually needs: people who want to learn, want to do it right, and want to be proud of the results for years.