Building the Future Workforce: Why Shop Class Still Matters with Noah Hughes
The Why We Build Podcast! by Greg Woleck & Remodelers Advantage
Episode notes
In an industry constantly talking about the labor shortage, it's easy to focus on the problem and miss the people creating solutions. This week, Greg sits down with Noah Hughes, a carpentry and Career & Technical Education (CTE) teacher at Caroline High School in Virginia, to discuss the critical role shop classes play in developing the next generation of skilled trades professionals.
Noah shares his unconventional journey from framing houses, trim carpentry, and running construction businesses to becoming a high school teacher. Along the way, he discovered a new mission: helping students see the trades as a viable, rewarding career path while creating meaningful connections between classrooms and the construction industry.
The conversation explores the misconceptions surrounding the trades, the importance of making shop class vis ...