Ford and Carhartt have announced a program that will 1) promote their products and 2) help train young people for careers in the skilled trades.

The most visible aspects will be a special edition Super Duty Carhartt truck, scheduled to debut in the fall of 2026, and technicians’ uniforms from Carhartt. But if all goes as planned, its legacy will be thousands of skilled tradespeople entering the workforce.

Ford CEO Jim Farley has long sounded the alarm about shortages in the skilled trades workforce and in America’s manufacturing capacity. The carmaker has joined forces with high schools, community colleges and the nonprofit TechForce Foundation, offering scholarships for technician training. 

Shortly after the pandemic, Carhartt created a tool library in Detroit that has lent out more than 90,000 tools. Seeing the success of that program, Ford is helping to supply a second tool bank that will also repair tools, and offer safety instruction for those who want to use them. 

It’s a trend that’s picking up nationwide. Google, for example, is training electricians to wire new data centers. And given the increasing demand for skilled workers, more companies are likely to join in. Anyone considering a skilled trades career should check for these or similar programs in their area.