How It all Began

Skills Support Foundation was born from a father’s pride and a clear observation of a real need in trades education.

My son Brandon attended a career center to study mechatronics, and I was truly amazed by what he accomplished. He built impressive projects and machines for school events, competitions, and even collaborated across classrooms to learn machine tools and construction techniques. Through his experience, I came to appreciate just how much career centers and similar programs do to prepare the next generation of skilled tradespeople.

Yet one recurring challenge stood out: budget limitations. Schools operate under strict funding caps, while students like Brandon have no limit to their imagination, creativity, and drive. When resources run short, even the most talented learners face barriers that hold back their potential.

That realization led me to found Skills Support Foundation. Our mission is straightforward and heartfelt: to ensure every student, aspiring tradesperson, and current tradesperson has the tools, materials, and funding they need to succeed, without ever having to worry about cost.

Tradespeople are the backbone of our society. They design, build, repair, and maintain the world around us. They deserve the freedom to focus on innovation, quality, and excellence, not on budgets that limit their creativity or stop promising projects before they begin.

Every donation we receive goes directly to the people who make the world go around: the current and future tradespeople of America. We visit schools, career centers, and individual tradespeople, listen to their needs, and hand-deliver the resources that help them create bigger, better, and more impactful work.

This is our story and it’s just getting started.