6 events in Passaic County with a date

Website helps link applicants with trades

Contractors pay to screen potential workers

By: Mary Ann Koruth
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey

..... If dating algorithms lead romantically inclinned singles to love, why not sue them for electricians and welders looking for work?
..... That was the idea behind Where Trades go, a LinkedIn-style website launched in 2024 by a North Jersey resident and designed for tradespeople to showcase demo reels for free - and where contractors pay to screen potential employees and make a job offer.
..... The platforms, which uses a matching algorithm just like a dating app, is now available for students studying welding at Passaic county Community Collage as a space for "tradespeople to full show their value, and employers to hire with confidence," said Morristown resident Brian Drucks, who cerated the platform.
..... Robert Santiago, 38, of Passaic, a Where Trades Go user enrolled in the welding certificate program at Passaic County community college in February. [2026] He has spent $3,000 so far, with some financial aid form the college. "I like hands-on stuff. I'm a hands-on person. I need to actually do it, not read a book," he said about option for a career in the trades.
..... Santiago works a job in lighting technology for precision machines, through he had wanted to became a certified welder for 10 years. "I wanted to go to school, but I couldn't afford it," he said. "Meanwhile I saw this program at PCCC and it was doable.
..... "The job I was working at was one where I could not grow anymore," he said. "where Trades Go allows you to upload your certifications and show the world what you have."
..... Drucks, a fourth-generation construction worker, was dining out with his wife in2022 when he noticed that the bars in Morristown were crawling with 50-somethings on dates.
..... A professional guitarist and a serial entrepreneur with three construction-related tech platforms already under his belt, along with the screwdrivers and nail guns, Drucks decided he had finally found a solution for a gap in the market - an Online space for tradespeople who need more than resumes to shoo off their skills and impress employers.
..... With the boomers generation retiring, and trades careers increasingly seen as offering job security and well-paying alternatives to white-collar careers, Drucks launched Where Trades Go with about $500,000 of his own funds in 2024.
..... Drucks, now 64, stated in construction when he was 14. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston in the late 1970s and performs with his classic rock and R&B band, the Brian Drux Project, at locations across the state.
..... He joined the family business founded by his grandfather and uncle in Newark in 1955, "because my parents made me do it," he said. "They said 'you'd better have a trade to fail back on.' "
..... Drucks eventually broke form the main business to found his own construction company, but said that his parents were right - relying on income from his trade allowed him to pursue a career as a professional musician.

Helping PCCC students

..... Passaic County Community College's collaboration with Where Trade Go will help graduates of the school's technical programs land jobs sooner and without the headache of chasing down every gig.
..... Enrolled students get a head start by upload show-reels and certificates, doing skill tests and building their one profiles.
..... The cost of the platform is covered by tuition and fees, which are about $6,500 for an 18-credit welding certificate from the publicly funded college. The cost is nearly half of what some private trades schools in the area charge, said Santiago.
..... A significant added advantage is that these are college credits that can be transferred toward a bachelor's degree at four-year colleges, or sued to pursue a degree, unlike credits earned at unaccredited schools.
..... "Where Trades go gives our students a way to show employers what they can actually do," said Jon Connolly, acting dean of science and technical studies.

Need for skilled workers rising

..... The-three-year-old welding program at Passaic County Com unity College grew to 26 students this year [2026] from four in 2025, as careers in the trades have seen a resurgence. Interest in welding in particular has burgeoned in North Jersey, based on conversations with high school administrators who visit the college, Connolly said.
..... "The national phenomenon of the need for skilled workers is one of the things that is increasing the enrollment," Connolly told NorthJersey.com .
..... The growth of AI is driving up interest in trades, and community colleges that focus on vocational and trade programs have seen a spike in undergraduate enrollment, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Enrollment at these institutions grew by almost 20% between spring 2020 and 2025.
..... Adding Where Trade Go into the welding program lets students. document their progress from the beginning, as they complete welds, fabrication projects, certifications and other hands-on work. "this can follow them into employment, apprenticeships, or advanced training," Drucks said.
..... "Not only are we helping schools meet their goals and increase success for students, but we're decreasing the strain on the trades workforce at large - making it easier for new trades grads to break into the workforce at a time in which we desperately need them," he said. "We want to help the trades thrive."

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