Gillette Stadium Skills Expo Draws 3,000+ Students to Explore the Trades

RYE, NH — Bring Back the Trades (BBTT), a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening the skilled trades pipeline, marked a major milestone with its first-ever Massachusetts Skills Expo, held at Gillette Stadium and presented by F.W. Webb Company.

More than 3,000 students, families, and industry professionals attended the October 25 event, exploring 100 hands-on exhibits designed to give young people a real look at what trade careers involve—on the job, on the tools, and in the field.

“Seeing Gillette Stadium filled with students, families, and professionals all there to celebrate the trades was unforgettable,” said Shana Brunye, Chief Operations Officer of Bring Back the Trades. “This event showed that the trades aren’t a fallback, they’re a foundation. They build communities, careers, and confidence. That’s what this movement is all about.”

Interactive Exhibits Put the Trades Front and Center

Attendees engaged with welding simulators, robotics stations, live construction builds, plumbing demonstrations, and aviation displays—each designed to show how skilled trades power essential work across every community. Students met tradespeople who wire, weld, fix, install, and build the systems behind modern infrastructure, gaining exposure to career paths that offer stability, advancement, and long-term opportunity.

The main stage featured Aaron Witt (BuildWitt), Demi Knight Clark (She Built This City), and Leon Garrett (Kenco Plumbing & Drains), alongside a special appearance from two-time champion and New England Patriots alum Rob Ninkovich, whose family roots run deep in the ironworking trade.

Scholarships Support Students Entering Essential Fields

During the event, BBTT awarded $25,000 in scholarships—10 awards supporting students pursuing careers across plumbing, automotive, aviation, construction management, and related trades.

“I grew up around the trades—my grandfather’s in the trades, my friends are in the trades,” said scholarship recipient Nicolas Eaton, of Rhode Island, who is studying plumbing. “It just feels right for me. The trades are the way to go.”

Industry Partners Drive Workforce Development Momentum

The Expo was shaped by strong collaboration among New England employers and training partners. Organizations including F.W. Webb Company, Casella Waste Systems, Eastern Propane & Oil, Kenco Plumbing & Drains, Lighthouse Credit Union, Noso Labs, Optiline Enterprises, and numerous vocational programs helped demonstrate how industry and education can work together to build the next-generation workforce.

“This event was proof of what can happen when businesses and educators work side by side to inspire the next generation,” said Steve Turner, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bring Back the Trades. “Every demo, every conversation, every connection at Gillette helped someone see what’s possible—and that’s exactly what we set out to do.”

“At F.W. Webb, we believe the skilled trades are the backbone of every community,” added Sean Davis, Vice President of Marketing at F.W. Webb Company. “Partnering with Bring Back the Trades lets us connect directly with students and families—to show that a career in the trades can offer not just great pay, but pride, purpose, and lasting opportunity.”

Expanding Skills Expos Across New England

Bring Back the Trades will broaden its Skills Expo series across New England in 2026, creating more opportunities for students and employers to connect through hands-on training, technical demonstrations, and workforce development initiatives.

“This is just the beginning,” said Turner. “Our goal is to keep this momentum going, to make sure students in every state see that the trades aren’t just jobs—they’re careers worth celebrating.”

For more information, visit bringbackthetrades.org.