Emerging Trends and Innovation

Successful businesses not only respond to their current customer needs, but often anticipate future trends and use innovation to develop new ideas, products or services. The future of skilled trades will be shaped by emerging trends such as sustainability, new entrants to the skilled trades and applied research and development as well as skills shortages driven by demographics and economic factors. Leaders and entrepreneurs in the trades need to develop the capacity to leverage these trends and other changes that may arise in the future. Students develop the skills to be future leaders and entrepreneurs in the trades along with the ability to analyze and manage emerging trends and nurture a culture of innovation within their fields.