April 27, 2023

Bring Back the Trades and Great Bay Community College are partnering to host an exhibit event at the College’s campus in Rochester on Saturday, May 20th from 10AM to 4PM.  The event, similar to one recently held at the Seacoast School of Technology, will include vendor exhibits and demonstrations from over 20 companies across the trades industry including Eastern Propane and Oil, River Birch Building, Dowling Corporation, and Granite State Manufacturing. Attendees of all ages will have the chance to learn about careers and job opportunities as well training programs for anyone interested in the skilled trades.

“We are happy to support the mission of Bring Back the Trades” said Dr. Cheryl Lesser, President if Great Bay Community College. “We understand the need for not only building awareness of the many opportunities within the trades field but also for training to provide qualified employees to fill positions in the technical skill fields. To see this many companies across the trades industry come together, you realize just how big the sector is and the number of opportunities there are out there for people with the right skills.”  Great Bay currently offers certificate programs in Welding, Automotive Technologies, CNC and Motorcycle Maintenance and repair as well as customized corporate training.

Bring Back the Trades of Rye N.H. was started in 2017 by Steve Turner who also operates Turner’s Upholstery, an automotive upholstery refurbishing business he has owned for the last 34 years. According to Turner, he has experienced first-hand the deficit in recruiting skilled craftspeople and feels that it takes a combination of both 2 year and 4 year graduate programs to shape the workforce of tomorrow.

“Through Bring Back the Trades, I am determined to be a resource for parents and high school students looking for alternative paths to the traditional four-year university program. Our event at Great Bay is designed to be family centric, put on for the public to appreciate all the skills and hard work done by our tradespeople.”  The event, which includes music, a food truck, building games, and specialized skill demonstrations also offers companies access to prospective employees and future customers. “We are all about showing off the our trade vendors and the opportunities they offer that include great pay, training, and multiple paths for future career growth.”

Bring Back the Trades, a registered not for profit, also provides scholarships to students in occupations as diverse as under-water welding, automotive engineering, aeronautics, construction management and various manufacturing roles.

For more information on the Bring Back the Trades event at Great Bay Community College, and to participate as a vendor or volunteer, contact Stephanie Brown, Executive Director, – [email protected]