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Private equity’s interest in the skilled trades is creating new millionaires out of blue collar business owners. Gen Z is rediscovering trade school and becoming the “toolbelt generation.”

I knew I had to get into this story and figure out why Gen Z is so enamored with trade school, what it’s really like to be a plumber, and see why private equity is so interested in buying these companies.

Out There is produced by Meag Cherry. Intro music by Cal Freundlich.

Chapters:
Intro 0:00
Macy goes to trade school 0:30
Women in the trades 4:03
Trade school growing 5:16
Macy becomes a plumber 6:31
Macy sells her business to PE 13:38
Marketing 19:27

Guests:
Berk Trade School https://electricalandplumbingschool.com/
Dov Plumbing https://dovsewer.com/
Graham Weaver ​​https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0QlsANSV3_ZC-uqxLQ_5uA

Follow Macy for more
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTcoGluWQIxCK7ON7wla8fA
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/macyagilliam/

Learn more about the plumbing industry:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2024/10/17/private-equity-taking-on-skilled-trades/
https://www.wsj.com/business/entrepreneurship/plumbers-hvac-skilled-trades-millionaires-2b62bf6c
https://sherwood.news/business/private-equity-trade-small-business-acquisitions/
https://www.npr.org/2024/04/22/1245858737/gen-z-trade-vocational-schools-jobs-college
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/24/gen-z-workers-opt-out-of-college-and-go-into-trades.html

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