Be Pro Be Proud

We’re excited to welcome everyone attending the 2026 Be Pro Be Proud National Conference in July as we come together to shape the future workforce! 🤝

Attendees will have the opportunity to:

• Connect with industry leaders, educators, and workforce partners
• Share ideas and best practices from across the country
• Learn new strategies for student engagement and career exploration
• Experience immersive demonstrations and innovative technology
• Explore ways to strengthen workforce development in your community
• Build partnerships that create real opportunities for students

Together, we’re inspiring the next generation of skilled professionals and changing the conversation around technical careers.

Register for the Conference: https://beprobeproud.org/national-conference-2026

Congratulations to Meta on the launch of America’s Workforce Academy! This is a landmark moment.

Meta’s leadership here is extraordinary and this announcement couldn’t align more closely with what we’ve been building together since 2022. For four years, Meta Quest headsets have powered some of the most powerful moments we create for young people: to experience what it’s like to pull wire, run pipe, climb a pole, splice fiber, diagnose an engine issue — before they ever set foot on a jobsite.

That immersive moment of “I can and want to do this” has been one of the most powerful tools we have. And it’s been possible because of Meta’s commitment to this work. AWA is the natural next step in that continuum — from inspiration to credential to career.

We are proud to stand alongside Meta as this launches.

Be Pro Be Proud Arkansas is proud to partner with W&W | AFCO Steel, one of the nation’s leading structural steel fabricators and erectors. From bridges and stadiums to commercial buildings and industrial projects, their work helps build some of the most recognizable structures across the country.

With decades of expertise in engineering, steel fabrication, and construction, W&W | AFCO Steel continues to create opportunities for skilled professionals and inspire the next generation of tradespeople. Together, we’re strengthening Arkansas’ workforce and showing students the power of careers built with skill, innovation, and purpose.

We’re excited to introduce Josh Perkes, Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer at Union Pacific, as a featured speaker at the Be Pro Be Proud National Conference.

Appointed to his current role in 2024, Josh leads all human resources and labor relations functions and serves on Union Pacific’s senior leadership team. Since joining the company in 2002, he has held leadership positions across operations, logistics, marketing, sales, talent management, employee engagement, compensation and benefits, and workforce development. He also previously served as Vice President of Loup Logistics, helping deliver innovative transportation and logistics solutions nationwide.

We’re proud to welcome Josh and look forward to the leadership insights he’ll share at this year’s conference.

Learn more here: https://beprobeproud.org/national-conference-2026

The roads we drive, the buildings we work in, and the systems we rely on every day all depend on skilled professionals. 🛠️

Skilled professions are more in demand than ever as industries face workforce shortages, infrastructure growth, and major investments in clean energy. From welding and HVAC-R to electrical and construction careers, the need for trained professionals continues to rise. This creates incredible opportunities for the next generation of skilled workers.

At Be Pro Be Proud, we’re helping students discover rewarding career paths that build communities, power industries, and shape the future. 🤝

The momentum is REAL.
The impact is GROWING.
And the future is NOW.

Celebrate 10 years of Be Pro Be Proud at our National Conference and be part of what’s next. 🤩

The workforce is changing—and the need for skilled professionals has never been greater. 🙌

Partner with Be Pro Be Proud to help close the gap, support the next generation, and strengthen the future of your industry.

Let’s build what’s next, together: https://beprobeproud.org/national-become-a-partner

We’re grateful for partners like Meta who are investing in workforce development and helping connect students to real opportunities in technical professions.

Draft Day is about more than hiring. It’s about exposure, confidence, and helping students see what is possible for their future.

Thank you to Life at Meta and Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry for continuing to support this work and the next generation of professionals.

A recent CNBC article highlights a simple reality: while AI is reshaping many careers, skilled trades aren’t going anywhere. 🤷

These roles require interactive work, real-world problem solving, and people on the job. Things technology can’t easily replace. At the same time, demand is growing as experienced workers retire.

The gap is real and so is the opportunity.

Be Pro Be Proud is focused on connecting the next generation to these essential careers.

Read more here: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/08/jobs-apocalypse-ai-proof-skilled-trades.html«