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Plumb/Square
Counselor toolkitFree resources

Put the trades
in the same room.

College has a script. The trades usually get a poster in the hallway. This is the counselor version of a real script: what to check, what to hand students, and what families need to understand.

Quick answer

The counselor job is not to sell the trades. It is to make the trade path as legible as college: requirements, costs, application timing, risks, and evidence.

Use with students

The toolkit.

Student readiness checklist

Grade-by-grade prep for algebra, transcripts, ID documents, transportation, test prep, and application timing.

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Trade match quiz

A fast way for students to compare work environments, physical tolerance, risk, patience, and money expectations.

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School report card

Federal outcome data for trade schools, plus debt, earnings, and public alternatives.

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Open apprenticeship tracker

Application windows, requirements, wages, and program status where PlumbSquare has verified data.

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Aptitude test prep

Free NJATC-format math and reading practice for students considering electrical apprenticeships.

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Parent guide

Conversation points for debt, safety, earnings, waitlists, and whether the student is ready for the trade environment.

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Readiness questions

Five checks before you call a student trade-ready.

01

Does the student understand the first-year wage drop and not just the top journeyman number?

02

Can the student get to a job site reliably before sunrise?

03

Does the target program require algebra, sealed transcripts, a driver's license, or an aptitude test?

04

Is the student comparing apprenticeship and community college before signing for-profit trade school loans?

05

Does the family understand that a waitlist is not rejection and that multiple applications may be smart?

Hand students

The student page.

It gives students the grade-by-grade path without asking them for an email or pushing a school.

Open student guide
Use with families

The parent page.

Debt, safety, first-year pay, licensing, and the conversation most families need before senior spring.

Open parent guide
Use with data teams

The school report card.

Federal outcome data is a stronger counseling tool than glossy enrollment material.

Open report card