Simeon Chappell spent a lot of time in his childhood being handy around the house. “If my dad was fixing something, I’d try and help, or I’d take measurements for him to cut wood,” said Chappell, 19, ...

In recent years, school districts have made a stronger push to gauge student interest in trade careers, extolling the virtues of the region’s technical schools and the wide-open job market for skilled ...