Housecall Pro, the software platform trusted by over 24,000 home service companies to run their business, recently awarded 20 HVAC students $50,000 in scholarships through its Trade Academy program.

Trade Academy, launched in 2021, is a free resource that hosts industry-specific job boards. Home service businesses can create employer profiles, post open job listings, and search resumes of qualified candidates in their area. The platform, created by Housecall Pro as part of its mission to champion Pros to success, is fully committed to delivering value to trade school students, job seekers, and home service business owners.

“One of our key goals for Trade Academy is to encourage more young people to consider careers in the trades,” said Roland Ligtenberg, co-founder of Housecall Pro. “Students are often told that going to college for a four-year degree is the only path to success and wealth — but we see in our data that it’s not true. So we created the Trade Academy scholarship fund to inspire the next generation of Pros to start a fulfilling, lucrative career in the trades.”

Trade Academy’s Next Generation Scholarship program, presented in partnership with WD-40 Brand and Truewerk, accepted hundreds of applications from trade schools and organizations across the United States. In January, 20 recipients were selected to be awarded $2,500 each for tuition and tools —plus a year’s supply of WD-40 Brand products, a Truewerk workwear system, and a year-long Housecall Pro ‘Essentials’ subscription.

The skilled trades are the backbone of the American economy. Housecall Pro’s Trade Academy program is doing its part to reverse the labor shortage and empower the next generation of technicians and business owners.

See the full list of Next Generation Scholarship winners at www.tradeacademy.com/blog. Visit www.tradeacademy.com to set up a free employer or job seeker profile.