Celebrating Diversity in the Skilled Trades

Black History Month is a great, annual celebration for all of us to not just take time to learn something new about how Black culture and the Black experience have shaped the world, it’s also a time to double down on our collective commitment to equality, equity and inclusion. ?

I’m proud to work alongside a diverse and talented group of people at HomeServe. We’ve worked hard and will continue working hard to ensure that this is a workplace for everyone. Whether an entry-level Customer Service Representative, a newly minted HVAC Apprentice, a seasoned HR professional, an aspiring corporate leader, or anywhere in between, this is and will continue being a place where people can learn, grow and achieve their career aspirations.??

And not only is HomeServe a workplace for everyone, it’s also a company that’s committed to helping every one of our customers. We help people in their homes every day for a variety of HVAC, plumbing and electrical repairs. And without significant contributions from Black inventors, we might not be the company we are today. It’s also possible that homes wouldn’t be what they are today.??

Consider these three people: Thomas Elkins, Lewis Howard Latimer and David N. Crosthwait Jr.?Elkins, a pharmacist, dentist, abolitionist, Civil War veteran and inventor, made valuable contributions in the fields of refrigeration and plumbing. Latimer literally helped light the way, best known for his work in the electrical field, refining the light bulb, while also inventing an air conditioner and improving toilets. Where would we be without air conditioning? Crosthwait, an engineer and inventor, was the first Black person elected to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers for his contributions to HVAC technology. ?

You can draw a line from those innovators to the Black men and women working in the skilled trades today -- all of them share those same technical skills, vision and ambition. These pioneers forged a path for tradespeople like Carl T., a field manager at our Brooklyn-Queens depot.?

"I wanted to do something that no one could take from me," Carl said. "Working with your hands, this technical knowledge, I never have to worry about a robot taking away my job, and there will always be a demand."??

After a stint in trade school, a chance meeting with an electrician moonlighting as a bus driver who recommended Carl seek a position with HomeServe and serendipitously overhearing another student discussing a job opportunity here, Carl applied to work at our Brooklyn-Queens depot and started out as a seasonal employee. Carl worked his way up from there to become a full-time technician and later, a field manager, and continues to pursue opportunities for advancement with HomeServe.?

"Three things I would say, for me, that have helped in my career are one, being ambitious, two, having a technical aptitude, and three, common sense," Carl said.??

Carl was the first among his friends and family to pursue the trades as a career, but he's by no means the last.?

"The first person who followed in my footsteps was my younger cousin," Carl said. "He saw what the trades did for me, and I told him that once he graduated, I would put a word in for him. He interviewed and got the job, was hired as a seasonal employee here at HomeServe."?

Carl and his cousin were later followed by a brother who is now a plumber at our Farmingdale depot and a nephew is waiting in the wings, intending to follow his family into the trades and possibly a career with HomeServe when he graduates.??

Despite the need for more skilled tradespeople, only about 6% of those now working in the trades are Black. The profession needs more young people of color. One of the biggest obstacles to recruiting them is a lack of knowledge about the opportunity, according to Carl. Although he has returned to his alma mater, Lincoln Tech, to talk about the opportunities at HomeServe, all of us who are invested in the success of the skilled trades need to do more to spread a broader awareness about the trades as a career.?

"People just don't know that it's even possible," Carl said. "They just can't be afraid to do it and understand that it is technical. My brother had never used a screwdriver in his entire life, but once he got into it, he was fine."??

Carl recently promoted the first young woman -- a young Black woman -- hired at Brooklyn-Queens from a seasonal employee to a full-time apprentice and he had this advice for her: "You can go as high as you want. There's no limit.”??

If we want to close the skilled trades gap, we need more people like Carl and we need to make sure there are no limitations to every employee reaching their greatest potential. Thanks, Carl, for sharing your story – I hope we can reach some more people who haven’t picked up a screwdriver before but are willing to give it a try.??

Also, a massive thank you to all our Black colleagues at HomeServe. Thank you for having a voice and using it, and for your commitment to our customers, contractors, partners, communities and one another.?You’re an important part of our team.