Delta Faucet backs digital portfolios for Indiana trades students

Delta Faucet Company is sponsoring NFC portfolio cards for 100 Indiana plumbing, HVAC and pipe trades students through Indiana PHCC. The cards let students share projects, videos and certifications with employers at career fairs in a single tap, aiming to speed hiring into skilled-trades jobs.

Why it matters: - Indiana schools and contractors often meet only briefly at career fairs, which can make it hard for students to show hands-on skills. - The new cards give students a portable, digital way to present real work to employers and apprenticeship programs. - Indiana PHCC says the effort is meant to strengthen hiring pipelines for plumbing and HVAC jobs across the state.

What happened: - Indiana PHCC announced that Delta Faucet Company is sponsoring Thurgood NFC cards for 100 plumbing, HVAC and pipe trades students in Indiana. - The cards will be distributed to students at partner high schools across Indiana throughout the school year. - The program is part of Indiana PHCC's partnership with Thurgood Industries, a workforce platform for vocational and technical students. - The partnership is designed to help high school and post-secondary students connect with apprenticeship opportunities at PHCC member companies.

The details: - Each Delta-branded card uses near-field communication and links to a student's Thurgood profile. - Students can use the card to share projects, videos and certifications from a digital portfolio. - A tap on a recruiter's smartphone opens a candidate snapshot of the student's work. - Recruiters can save the student's contact details and portfolio without creating a Thurgood employer account. - New projects added to a student's profile appear through the same card during school and after graduation. - Card taps at career fairs are tracked so Delta Faucet and Indiana PHCC can measure how students and employers connect. - Indiana PHCC links the cards from its career website, indianacareers.org. - The more information page for the partnership is available at Indiana PHCC's announcement.

Between the lines: - Skilled trades demand continues to outpace supply, which makes employer-student matching more urgent. - Traditional resumes often do not capture technical skills such as soldering a joint or laying out a system. - Delta Faucet is using the sponsorship to support talent pipeline development in an industry tied closely to its own business. - Indiana PHCC is trying to give member contractors a longer-lasting view of student ability than a quick fair conversation can provide.

What's next: - Indiana PHCC plans to continue distributing the cards through the school year. - Students will be able to add new work to their profiles as they complete projects. - The partners will use tap data to gauge interest and improve employer-student connections. - Indiana PHCC and Delta Faucet will likely use the program to support more apprenticeship and hiring pathways if engagement grows.

The bottom line: - Delta Faucet is backing a simple recruiting tool that turns student work into a shareable digital portfolio and could make it easier for Indiana contractors to spot job-ready talent.