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- Ford, BlackRock, Carhartt, and Google are joining forces.
- They’re establishing the Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades.
- The organization aims to build a job pipeline for workers.
Ford CEO Jim Farley has a tendency to complain. Most days it’s related to China, but sometimes it’s about fellow American automakers building in Canada, Mexico, and South Korea.
However, one of his favorite gripes is that people don’t want to work at Ford dealerships. While this could be due to the fact that the company is the undisputed recall king and has conducted a whopping 59 campaigns so far this year, Farley blames it on a lack of so-called “essential workers.”
More: Ford CEO Frustrated He Can’t Fill 5,000 Mechanic Jobs Paying $120,000
As he explained in 2025, the problem extends far beyond dealerships as there are “over a million openings in critical jobs, emergency services, trucking, factory workers, plumbers, electricians and tradesmen.” He went on to claim we don’t have trade schools and we’re not investing enough in the next-generation.
In a fun twist of fate, he also said ‘God forbid we get in a war, because Google’s not going to be able to make the planes and tanks we need.’ Fast forward to today and we’re at war with Iran and Ford is teaming up with Google.
However, they’re not building tanks and planes. Quite the opposite as they’re forming the Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades with BlackRock and Carhartt.
The organization has three main goals with the most notable being building a job pipeline for skilled trades. The alliance will also publish a Skilled Trades Report and try to grow by adding new partners.
The group penned an opinion piece, which claimed an “estimated 2.1 million skilled trades jobs … could go unfilled nationally by 2030, which span multiple industries, sectors, and regions.” This includes more than 350,000 automotive technician jobs as well as around 130,000 spots for electrical workers.
To address the problem, the companies are teaming up to “fill hundreds of thousands of open jobs in skilled trades, creating real career opportunities for people and giving them highly in-demand, transferable skills.” Specifics are far and few between, but they’re starting with training in 30 states and it’s designed to appeal to everyone from recent high school graduates to adults changing careers.
Unfortunately, there’s more words than substance at this point. It remains to be seen if that will change, but the companies said they’re partnering with labor unions, trade associations, and professional organizations as well as nonprofits and educational institutions. However, they didn’t really explain what they’re doing or how they’ll accomplish anything.
