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White Paper | Published 05.12.2026
Mentoring: Developing Trade Workers’ Talent and Engagement
Across SMACNA shops and job sites, most mentoring still happens the way it always has: organic, informal, and dependent on whoever happens to take a new worker under their wing. This New Horizons Foundation report makes the case that contractors are leaving real money on the table by stopping there. Drawing on practical examples from …
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White Paper | Published 05.12.2026
Onboarding Trade Workers for Accelerated Engagement and Productivity
“I received better onboarding at Jack in the Box than I did as a union employee.” That comment from an HVAC contractor president frames the problem this report sets out to fix. With 60 percent of construction injuries happening in a worker’s first year and effective onboarding linked to 52 percent better retention and 60 …
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