January 8, 2017

HomeAdvisor, a digital home services marketplace and an operating business of IAC  has announced its support of This Old House Ventures, LLC’s new charitable campaign, Generation Next, whose mission is to empower and encourage young people to join the skilled trades. Generation Next will help raise money from companies and trade associations serving the home construction and renovation industry to support scholarships for students pursuing careers as carpenters, electricians, roofers, masons and plumbers.

The mikeroweWORKS Foundation will receive all funds raised by the Generation Next campaign, which will support the Foundation’s 2017 Work Ethic Scholarship Program. The Work Ethic Scholarship Program provides scholarships to people receiving training for skilled jobs that are in demand. As CEO of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, Mike Rowe started the Foundation to debunk myths about the skilled trades and work hard to help close the skills gap.

“The implications of America’s skilled labor shortage are far-reaching,” said Chris Terrill, CEO of HomeAdvisor. “Not only is the labor gap affecting our local and national economies and building sectors, but it is also stalling the professional progress of small business owners and threatening to impede the perpetuation of essential knowledge and skills. The Generation Next campaign helps ensure the continued sustainability of our housing economy and workforce for generations to come and HomeAdvisor is proud to be a supporter.”

Kevin O’Connor, the host of the Emmy-Award winning PBS series, “This Old House,” will interview three elite HomeAdvisor professionals at KBIS on Tuesday, January 10 at the conclusion of the Design Bites program at 1:15 p.m. The HomeAdvisor professionals who will share their success stories at KBIS 2017 are Sean Shapiro with Reliant Roofing, Josey Parks of Metal Roofs of Texas and Josh Downing of Direct Movement Group.