St. Louis-area Catholic high school to offer trades program as Gen Z explores hands-on skills

A “Building Trades” program is set to launch at a Catholic high school in Missouri as a growing number of students express interest in alternatives to traditional four-year college degrees.

St. Dominic High School near St. Louis will begin the program in the 2025-26 school year for junior and senior students to learn hands-on skills in carpentry, electrical, plumbing and HVAC.

“As one of the few private, co-educational schools in the region to offer trades curriculum on campus, our program provides opportunities for our students to explore new areas of interest and potential career paths,” the school noted in a statement.

St. Dominic, which is the largest co-ed Catholic high school in the state, said its new program was hatched after students and their families expressed interest in learning the trades. School surveys over the past two years indicated that nearly 20% of students were interested in “having the option to take trades program courses,” the school said. 

That interest reflects the growing number of young Americans nationwide who are considering skilled trades rather than a four-year degree. 

One 2024 survey indicated 55% of Gen Z respondents are considering a career in the trades – up 12% from the prior year. Citing “the ability to earn money and work right away, to pursue a career they enjoy, and to learn new skills,” the Gen Z respondents indicated that trades offered an affordable and flexible career path.  

Pursuing the trades program at St. Dominic will not affect a student’s ability to attend a four-year college in the future. Instead, the “main goal” is to give high schoolers “early exposure to construction trades to see if they like to work with their hands in a particular field and to understand the work ethic that is demanded of individuals in this industry,” the school noted.    

“By offering this exploratory curriculum, we aim to help our students make informed career choices, emphasizing the importance of skill development and problem-solving,” St. Dominic Principal Stacy Stewart said. “Through this program, we seek to inspire both our male and female students to consider pursuing further education or apprenticeships in construction-related fields, while also nurturing an appreciation for the built environment in which we all live and work.” 

The school purchased a neighboring warehouse for the initiative, made possible through an anonymous benefactor who donated a record $2.4 million to the school. 

St. Dominic President Jim Welby called the program “truly remarkable” since “students can gain exposure to the field right here on St. Dominic’s campus as part of their daily coursework, along with their core classes in traditional subjects like science, math, literature, and religion.”