Train for a high-paying skilled trade while you compete in intercollegiate athletics!
tacklethegap.org
YOU CAN TRAIN FOR A HIGH PAYING SKILLED TRADE WHILE YOU COMPETE IN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS!
​There are hundreds of two year trade schools, junior and community colleges, all across the country, that provide training for high paying and in demand skilled trades, as well as, compete in multiple sports. The trades are not "dark, dirty and dangerous" like in generations past. They are clean, modern and high tech. There are projected to be over 3 Million unfilled openings in the skilled trades by 2028. Not only are these jobs in high demand in your hometown, but you will have skills that transfer anywhere in America and beyond.
THE NEXT, NEXT LEVEL
Competing in intercollegiate athletics at a two-year school will enable you to improve your skills, gain strength and accumulate film for 4-year university coaches. Everyone on the roster is a freshman or sophomore, so you don't have to compete with upperclassmen for playing time. You will have the opportunity to improve your academics to meet the entrance and eligibility requirements of a 4-year school while earning an Associate's degree or certification in an high paying and in demand skill.
Learn about many of the trades by visiting their website!
.png)
Click the banner to access National Association of Manufacturers and the Manufacturing Institute Success Stories.
Creators break the mold—there is no single type. They are all across the country, doing work that improves our lives. These are some of their stories.
Student Initiatives
The Mechanical and Manufacturing Technologies for Energy and Sustainability (MET² ) Program better prepares community college and college or university mechanical manufacturing engineering and technology students with technical, social, professional, and entrepreneurial skills required to meet today’s workforce demands.
MET² Program provides genuine, real-world challenges or problems to fuel projects explored by self-managed
Program Teams of students. Program Teams are inter-institutional, interdisciplinary, and self-managed to capitalize on the synergy between the theoretical knowledge of university students and faculty (Partner
universities in Connecticut), complemented by the requisite hands-on technical skills of community college students and faculty (Connecticut State Community College). Program Teams will meet and conduct research culminating in a professional-level final report and presentation.
Applications for the 2026 MET2 Cohort are now open.
All Required Application Materials must be submitted no later than Friday, December 5th, 2025, to ensure consideration.
Admission to the MET² Program is based on various criteria, with all factors in the applicant's background considered.
The MET² Program welcomes your application and inquiries.
For further assistance, please contact,
John Birch, Executive Director MET²
