The GRIT Foundation - Building the Trades Workforce of Tomorrow

For every five workers who retire from the skilled trades, only two replacements enter the workforce. By 2030, that gap is projected to leave an estimated 2.1 million trades jobs unfilled nationwide. The skilled trades have a pipeline problem, and anyone working in HVAC already feels it.

The GRIT Foundation is a nonprofit working to change that, introducing young people to careers in the skilled trades through one-day, hands-on learning events called GRIT Camps. The foundation partners with contractors, educators, and manufacturers to make those experiences happen in communities across the country.

The GRIT Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that introduces young people ages 12 to 17 to careers in HVAC and other skilled trades through one-day, hands-on learning events called GRIT Camps.

Headquartered in Clermont, Florida, GRIT was co-founded by Bryan Orr and Ruchir Shah.

Bryan is president of Kalos Services and the founder of HVAC School. He says GRIT is his way of giving back to the industry that shaped his career.

Ruchir is the founder of SkillCat, an online training platform that has helped more than 300,000 students enter the trades. He started GRIT to reach young people before they have ruled out the trades entirely, with a particular focus on kids who have never had a reason to consider it.

The organization is run day-to-day by Executive Director Leilani Orr, a homeschool educator of more than 20 years and events coordinator at Kalos Services, who focuses on community partnerships and bridging the skilled trades workforce gap. Head of Training Ty Branaman spent 30 years in HVAC before becoming a certified master educator and now develops and leads the camp curriculum.

GRIT Camps are designed for young people ages 12 to 17. No experience is required, and participation is designed to be accessible regardless of background or location.

GRIT also serves the industry. Contractors get a concrete way to invest in the next generation of workers in their area. Manufacturers and distributors can direct their support into the communities their business depends on. And educators get access to something a classroom rarely offers: working tradespeople, real equipment, and real tasks to do. 

A GRIT Camp is a one-day event hosted by a local contractor or community organization. Students rotate through six to seven modules covering HVAC, electrical, plumbing, carpentry, and more, working with real tools in the kinds of spaces where this work actually gets done.

Mentors do not lecture. They ask questions and let students work through problems. The point is not to produce a credential in a single day. It is to give a young person a real sense of what this work feels like. The HVAC School podcast, which covered a recent camp in New Jersey, described students who had shown little interest in school becoming fully absorbed once they had tools in their hands.

Hosting a camp is a structured process with GRIT support throughout. Hosts review a Camp Guide covering the trade modules, meet with GRIT leadership, complete background checks, and handle materials and participant recruitment. Camps max out at 15 students, with one mentor required for every two participants. For organizations that want a shorter format, GRIT Workshops are designed to fit inside an existing class, event, or program. 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the HVAC industry is projected to have approximately 40,100 job openings per year through 2034, with employment growing faster than the average for all occupations. The number of young people pursuing HVAC careers and skilled trades careers more broadly has not kept up with that demand.

A career in the trades offers a path to financial stability and long-term success, often without the burden of significant college debt. Access to trades education and real exposure to the work makes a difference in whether a young person ever considers it.

GRIT works at the earliest point in that process: the first time a young person picks up a tool and thinks, "maybe I could do this." For contractors and industry partners, supporting that moment is a direct investment in where the next generation of technicians comes from.

GRIT is built to work with the industry, not around it. Contractors can host a camp, opening their facility and putting their team to work as mentors for a day. GRIT handles the curriculum, logistics, and coordination. Hosts bring the expertise. 

Manufacturers and distributors can sponsor camps, funding the materials and outreach that make it possible to reach communities without easy access to trades education. This kind of HVAC industry support and trades community support is what makes it possible for GRIT to expand into new areas. Educators can partner with local contractors to bring a GRIT Camp to their students or connect their programs with GRIT Workshops. 

TruTech Tools is proud to support the GRIT Foundation. Helping the next generation find their way into the trades is good for the industry, and good for the professionals we serve.

The workforce shortage in the trades is real, and it is not going to fix itself. The GRIT Foundation is one of the workforce development programs doing the early work, reaching young people before they have ruled out a trades career. Contractors, manufacturers, and educators all have a role to play. The industry can make that work go further. 

The June 26 GRIT Camp in Canton, OH, co-hosted by TruTech Tools and Fast Track Lab, is one example of that support in action.

- Host a GRIT Camp. Open your facility and put your team to work as mentors for a day. GRIT handles the planning and curriculum. 

- Sponsor a camp. Donations go directly to supplies and materials for students. 

- Spread the word. Pass it along to trade school instructors, apprenticeship programs, and anyone invested in skilled trades workforce development in your community. 

- Attend an upcoming camp. Parents, educators, and students can reach out to GRIT directly to find HVAC training opportunities and other trades events nearby. 

Learn more at thegritfoundation.com.