Trade Up: Goodwill’s free trades program helps North Florida students build new careers

A new set of skills can open doors to a career — and help fix a leaky sink along the way.Bruce Lee graduated from Northeast Florida Goodwill’s Good Trades program after completing a plumbing class. The tuition-free program gives adults hands-on training for careers in construction and the skilled trades.Lee, who is originally from Jamaica, said he has long enjoyed building things. Before enrolling, he ran an agriculture business and built structures on his farm. He was looking for trade-school options when he found Good Trades and learned the program was free.“The cost was a major factor for a lot of the trade schools,” Lee said. “You can’t really let an opportunity like this pass.”The program covers more than tuition, he said. It also provides instruction, hands-on practice, mentorship and support as students prepare to enter the job market.Goodwill President and CEO David Ray said students train in a setting designed to resemble real work, including building a replica home and instal