Phillies and Nest Debut “Skilled Trades All-Star Program” with Technical High School Students

To combat the skilled trades labor crisis facing America, the Philadelphia Phillies joined forces with NEST to launch the Skilled Trades All-Star Program. Students from Mercy Career & Technical High School inaugurated the program this Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park and learned the intricacies of stadium operations, covering aspects from HVAC and groundskeeping to carpentry and maintenance.

The event kicked off with welcoming remarks from Rob Almond, CEO of NEST, and Carolyn DiGiuseppe, General Manager of Facility Services at Citizens Bank Park for Oak View Group (OVG). Then, the high schoolers were brought on an interactive, behind-the-scenes tour of the ballpark with the building’s industry experts.

In response to the skilled labor shortage, NEST helped establish the Skilled Trades Advisory Council (STAC) in 2023, uniting industry experts to champion skilled trade as viable and rewarding career choices. The Skilled Trades All-Star Program is a direct extension of STAC’s mission, seeking to illuminate the path for youth towards these essential roles. Managing more than 60,000 retail locations, NEST is the pioneer of integrated facilities management and is based in South Jersey.

The urgency for such programs is underscored by a report from Associated Builders and Contractors, which indicates the construction industry needs to hire an additional 500,000 workers in 2024 alone to meet labor demands.