ABOUT

Communities across America have a problem.

As tradespeople are retiring and fewer youth are entering the trades, contractors and homeowners are facing a shortage of skills and experience. Now is the time for communities to mobilize to ensure the transfer of knowledge to the next generation.

Touch a Trade is an initiative designed to address this problem by sparking the individual’s interest in working with their hands.

“According to a 2019 survey by the Associated General Contractors of America, 80 percent of General Contractors of America, 80 percent of construction firms reported having difficulty in filling craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce. Similarly, a survey by the National Association of Home Builders found 82 percent of respondents expected labor shortages to be their top issue in 2019. This lack of skilled workers is further magnified for the specialized traditional trades often needed for historic preservation projects.”

– Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Policy Statement on Promotion and Value of Traditional Trades Training, Adopted October 19, 2020

Touch a Trade is an initiative of Hudson Valley Preservation, based in Kent, CT, with a mission to support the development of the next generation of trades and craftspeople. 

We envision doing this through the three main goals below. Our current focus is exclusively on the first goal in order to establish a community of like-minded people and organizations. In subsequent years, we will build on this foundation to work towards the second and third goal.


Reinvigorate interest in historic trades and crafts

  • Give target audiences hands-on experiences in a range of trades and crafts.

  • Provide a venue for trades and craftspeople to share their passion, expertise and experience.

  • Create an environment that is friendly and conducive to children who learn differently and would benefit from experiential education.  This includes children and adults on the Autism Spectrum and those with ADHD, dyslexia and other alternative ways of experiencing the world around them.

  • Showcase historic trades and crafts in a way that gives them modern appeal. Shine a light on their relevance to everyday life, highlight the people behind the tools, and render the trades accessible and understandable to the public. 

Evolve what trades and crafts professions look like

  • Increase participation by groups traditionally under-represented in the trades and with historically low economic participation: Women, people of color and immigrants.

  • Advocate for broader and more formal participation by these groups.

Develop the next generation of talent

  • Understand, raise awareness, and dismantle systemic barriers to participation in the trades. Create pathways for women and immigrants to participate in trades and crafts.

  • Provide training, resources, and experiential learning opportunities for communities, including children, potential tradespeople.

Our long term vision

While this year, 2023, will be focused on successfully delivering the first Touch a Trade event, our vision and goals stretch well beyond that into the coming years. Social change takes time and broad community engagement and in order to affect the kind of change we want to see, we imagine a multi-pronged approach that includes education, community engagement and policy advocacy. Along the way if we can create a template for others to follow, we would like to see TAT in other states.

As we form partnerships and develop our internal organization, here’s some of the ideas we are exploring:

  • Summer camp for young people (2025)

  • Regional maker space for the Litchfield communities (2027)

  • Immigrant labor advocacy

  • Professional training programs for future tradespeople

  • Community education for homeowners and those interested in self-sufficiency skills

  • Online Tradesperson Marketplace

Touch a Trade Planning Team

  • Janet Downey

    CO-OWNER WOLFWORKS
    DESIGN + BUILD

    Better Home. Better Life. Better Planet

    All things construction.
    Certified Passive House Builder. Eco-advocate.
    Mother. Wife. Family. Dog lover. Cat tolerator.
    All things outdoors.

  • Hosanna Fox

    OWNER
    HIVELY CONSULTING

    Slow renovator of a home in South Kent. Wrangler of three cats. Impatient gardener.

  • Mason Lord

    FOUNDING PARTNER
    HUDSON VALLEY PRESERVATION

    Carpenter, project manager, doer of anything outdoors.

  • Patrick McCombe

    CONSTRUCTION MEDIA CONTENT PRODUCER AND SENIOR EDITOR, FINE HOMEBUILDING MAGAZINE

    Fine Homebuilding podcast host and producer, former Habitat for Humanity construction supervisor

  • Nancy Meyer

    ASSISTANT PROJECT MANAGER
    HUDSON VALLEY PRESERVATION

    Aspiring carpenter; exercise and being outdoors.

  • Andrew Rowand

    MUSEUM CURATOR AND SITE ADMINISTRATOR
    ERIC SLOANE MUSEUM

    Dedicated student and avid supporter of all historic trades and crafts.

  • Dave Seegers

    PARTNER
    HUDSON VALLEY PRESERVATION

    Production manager. Obsessed fisherman.

  • Viviane Tubiana

    ART DIRECTOR AND
    GRAPHIC DESIGNER

    Passion=profession: designing with type, color, and materials. Background in architecture, education, and community-based organizations. Cyclist, paddler, improvisational cook.

  • Lorraine Zaccardo

    Marketing maven, orchestrating memorable events, rocking motherhood with three kids, fueled by a passion for music