Las Vegas, NV—In late July, building professionals from across the Las Vegas region gathered together to spearhead an effort to help raise the quality of construction in the area and to ignite a passion for the trades in their community.
The meetup was hosted by Eddie and Julie Leverett of the design-build firm One Eleven ltd. in partnership with Fine Homebuilding. KeepCraftAlive, which is built on the premise of understanding the skills gap and its impact on home building and local economies, has its foundation deep in the spirit of craftsmanship, and is supporting community events like this one across North America to celebrate the value true craft brings to those who follow their passions into the trades.
“Together, we want to create a community where those with an interest and aptitude for building can feel welcomed, can gain knowledge and inspiration, and can feel empowered to follow their instinct for construction, “ said Rob Yagid, Executive Director of KeepCraftAlive. Adding, “We know that perceptions of the trades aren’t great amongst mass culture. We know that many young kids and young adults are steered away from the trades. KeepCraftAlive, and the efforts of groups like this, is the counterbalance to that narrative. It’s going to require us to all act as stewards of craft, celebrate its value, celebrate the professional opportunities that exist within the trades and work with local and regional industry professionals to ensure that those who have in interest in building at a high level, have the opportunity to do so.“
The group that gathered in Las Vegas has already developed an initial task list of actions they can employ to begin executing against the KeepCraftAlive mission and is organizing their next meeting.
If you’re interested in being an on-the-ground leader for a KeepCraftAlive group in your area, we would be glad to work with you to make it happen. Email us at info@keepcraftalive.org for details.