─ Powered by the Blue Collar Expo

THE BLUE COLLAR PODCAST

Real Conversations About Skilled Trades, Workforce Opportunity, and the Future of Work

The Blue Collar Podcast is a platform built to spotlight the people, industries, and opportunities driving America’s skilled trades.

Hosted by Chevon Reid, the podcast brings together tradespeople, employers, educators, industry leaders, sponsors, and workforce advocates for real conversations about what is happening across the blue-collar economy.

From diesel and fleet services to construction, welding, HVAC, electrical, logistics, manufacturing, and beyond, this podcast gives voice to the industries that build, fix, move, and power our communities.

─ About the Podcast

Built for the

People Who Build

Everything Else

Join the Community

The Blue Collar Podcast was created to bring attention, respect, and visibility to skilled trade careers and the industries that depend on them.

Each episode explores the real issues shaping the blue-collar workforce — labor shortages, training pathways, career opportunities, technology changes, employer needs, and the stories of people doing the work every day.

This is more than a podcast. It is a platform for awareness, opportunity, and connection.

Whether you are a student, tradesperson, employer, educator, sponsor, or career changer, The Blue Collar Podcast is here to help you better understand where the trades are headed and how you can be part of the future.

Join the Community

─ What the Podcast Covers ─

The Conversations That Matter

in the Skilled Trades

The Blue Collar Podcast features conversations around the industries, careers, and people shaping the future of hands-on work.

Listeners can expect episodes covering:

Skilled Trade Careers

Opportunities, pathways, and real-world demand

Workforce Shortages

Hiring demand, gaps, and employer challenges

Trade Schools & Apprenticeships

Certifications, training programs, and education

Veterans in the Trades

Career transitions and military pathways

Youth Career Awareness

Reaching students before college is the only path

Women in the Trades

Stories, challenges, and opportunities in blue-collar industries

Technology & Innovation

How new tools are changing hands-on work

Sponsor & Exhibitor Spotlights

Companies investing in the skilled trades workforce

Entrepreneurship

Building businesses in blue-collar industries

Industry Leader Interviews

Employers, executives, and workforce advocates

Expo Preview Episodes

Upcoming speakers, exhibitors, and Expo highlights

Real Stories from the Field

Tradespeople sharing why the work matters

The goal is simple: make the trades visible, respected, and accessible.

─ Connection to the Blue Collar Expo

The Official Podcast Platform of the Blue Collar Expo

The Blue Collar Podcast works hand-in-hand with the Expo to extend the conversation beyond the event floor. While the Expo brings everyone together in person, the podcast keeps the conversation moving year-round.

Explore the Blue Collar Expo

"The podcast keeps the conversation moving before, during, and after the Expo."

Through interviews, sponsor features, exhibitor spotlights, industry discussions, and workforce-focused episodes, the podcast builds awareness for the Expo and continues creating value long after the event ends.

━ Meet the Host

Hosted by

Chevon Reid

Chevon Reid brings a fresh, curious, and practical voice to The Blue Collar Podcast.

As host, Chevon leads conversations with tradespeople, business owners, employers, educators, sponsors, and workforce leaders to uncover what is really happening across the skilled trades.

His role is to ask the questions people want answered:

Where are the opportunities?
What trades are growing?
How do people get trained?
What are employers looking for?
How can young people, veterans, women, and career changers build real futures in skilled trade careers?

Chevon’s approach makes the podcast professional enough for industry leaders and sponsors, but clear and relatable enough for students, parents, and everyday listeners.

─ Who Should Listen

This Podcast Is for the

Builders, Fixers, Movers, and Future Leaders

The Blue Collar Podcast is designed for anyone who cares about the future of skilled trades and workforce opportunity.

This includes:

Students exploring career options
Parents looking for strong alternatives to traditional college pathways
Veterans transitioning into civilian careers
Career changers looking for stable, high-demand work
Skilled trades professionals
Employers looking for talent
Trade schools and training providers
Workforce development organizations
Sponsors, suppliers, and industry brands
Community leaders focused on economic opportunity

If you care about real careers, real skills, and real opportunity, this podcast is for you.

─ Sponsor and Partner Spotlight

A Platform for Companies That Support the Skilled Trades

The Blue Collar Podcast gives sponsors, exhibitors, and industry partners a way to share their story with an audience that cares about workforce, career pathways, and the future of blue-collar industries.

Sponsors and partners can use the podcast to highlight their company, promote career opportunities, discuss industry challenges, showcase products or services, and connect with people interested in the skilled trades.

This creates value beyond event-day visibility. Sponsors are not just seen at the Expo — they become part of the larger conversation.

Potential sponsor features may include:

Featured interviews
Industry spotlight conversations
Pre-Expo sponsor highlights
Exhibitor previews
Branded episode mentions
Short promotional segments
Social media clips from podcast interviews
Post-Expo recap conversations

The podcast helps sponsors stay visible before, during, and after the Blue-Collar Expo.

─ Podcast expections

What to Expect from Each Episode

Each episode of The Blue Collar Podcast is built around practical, meaningful conversations.

Listeners can expect a mix of:

01

Trade Spotlights

A closer look at specific skilled trades, including career paths, training requirements, job demand, and real-world opportunities.

02

Industry Leader Interviews

Conversations with employers, executives, educators, workforce leaders, and business owners shaping the future of the trades.

03

Real Stories from the Field

Interviews with tradespeople who share how they got started, what they have learned, and why the work matters.

04

Sponsor and Exhibitor Features

Spotlights on companies supporting the Blue Collar Expo and investing in the future of the skilled trades workforce.

05

Expo Preview Episodes

Special episodes highlighting upcoming speakers, exhibitors, demonstrations, sponsors, and opportunities connected to the Blue Collar Expo.

─ Why This Podcast Matters

The Trades Deserve a Bigger Platform

For too long, blue-collar careers have been overlooked, misunderstood, or undervalued.

The Blue Collar Podcast exists to help change that.

These are the careers that keep our communities running. They repair vehicles, build infrastructure, power buildings, move freight, weld materials, maintain equipment, support supply chains, and keep businesses operating.

The future of work is not just digital.

It is mechanical.
It is technical.
It is industrial.
It is hands-on.

It is blue collar.

And the people doing this work deserve to be seen, heard, and respected.

─ Blue Collar Podcast Email Signup

Stay Connected to the Movement

Be the first to hear new episodes, guest interviews, sponsor features, Expo updates, and skilled trade opportunities.

Join the Blue Collar Podcast list and stay connected to the people, companies, and conversations shaping the future of skilled trades.

Want to Be Featured on The Blue Collar Podcast?

If your company hires, trains, equips, supports, or serves the skilled trades, The Blue Collar Podcast gives you a powerful way to reach an audience focused on workforce, opportunity, and industry growth.

Sponsors and partners can use the podcast to increase visibility, tell their story, promote hiring needs, highlight their services, and connect directly with the Blue Collar Expo audience.

Explore Sponsorship Opportunities

The Trades Have a Story. We’re Here to Tell It.

The Blue Collar Podcast is where skilled trades, workforce opportunity, industry leadership, and real stories come together.

Whether you are building a career, hiring talent, supporting the trades, or looking for your next opportunity, this podcast is your place to listen, learn, connect, and build.