How Trade School Secrets Can Fix Your Hiring Problem and Add a New Revenue Stream

Hiring great people is still one of the biggest problems in the trades.

If you've ever thought, “I’d grow faster if I could just find good help…” you’re not alone.

In this episode of the OWNR OPS Podcast, I sat down with Hector Resendez, the founder of Trade School Secrets, who breaks down an unconventional (and frankly brilliant) business model that not only solves the labor shortage, but adds serious recurring revenue in the process.

We’re talking VR trade schools, federally-funded tuition, and a shortcut to training operators in-house.

Let’s dig into the key takeaways from our conversation.

The Problem: You Can’t Find Skilled People Fast Enough

Whether you’re in land clearing, tree work, home services, healthcare, or HVAC—finding reliable, skilled labor is brutal. Hiring takes time. Training slows down your lead operators. And staffing agencies eat up $50K–$100K+ annually.

Hector’s solution?

Stop looking for trained people—start training them yourself.

The Solution: Build Your Own Trade School (Yes, Really)

Hector helps business owners bolt on online trade schools to their existing companies. His programs are 100% virtual, often taught through Meta Quest VR goggles, and completed in as little as 100 hours.

And get this:
You don’t need to write a curriculum. You can white-label an existing course for as little as $500, slap your school’s name on it, and start enrolling students.

The Wild Part: There’s a Federal Grant That Pays for This

It’s called WIOA — the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. And if you’ve never heard of it, you’re not alone.

If someone is on food stamps, unemployed, or considered low income, this grant can cover up to $10,000 in tuition per student.

As the owner of the school, you get paid that tuition.

💰 Example:

• You buy a CNA course for $500
• A student applies for the WIOA grant and gets approved for $7,500
• You net a $7,000 margin, and you now have a certified, vetted hire in-house
• If you own a care facility, you just staffed up and got paid to do it.

It’s almost too good to be true, but it’s real, and it’s been around since 1994.

Use Cases Across Industries

This model isn’t just for healthcare or HVAC. Hector’s helped launch schools in:

• Dog grooming (high-ticket groomers, 2+ months booked out)
• Welding
• IT and tech sales
• Cybersecurity
• Forestry & Excavation (yes, even for VR skid steer operator training)
• CDL & logistics (simulated pre-trip exams)

The key is to solve a local demand problem with a low-barrier trade, and pair it with job placement, which is what the grant system wants to see.

What Makes This Model Work

Here’s what makes Hector’s model a game-changer:

✅ Shortened training: 100 hours vs. 1–2 years
✅ No in-person required: Online or VR training
✅ Massive margins: $500 course → $7,500–$10,000 grant
✅ Solves real business pain: You train and hire at scale
✅ Improves valuation: You build an additional revenue stream + staff pipeline

Every operator has two problems: where to get my next customer?… and where to find my next hire?

This model solves the second one—and adds 6 figures in profit.

Is This Legal? And What’s the Catch?

Hector says it’s a question he hears every time. “I thought someone was going to arrest me,” he jokes.

The reality is:
It’s 100% legal. It’s just underutilized. Every state has different rules, but the WIOA grant is federally funded and available nationwide. Some states (like Texas, Arizona, Georgia) are easier. Others (California, New York, Colorado) require more approvals and application fees.

Still, it’s doable—and wildly under the radar.

Final Thoughts: Should You Launch a Trade School?

If you:

• Own a business that hires tradespeople or technicians
• Struggle with hiring or retention
• Are looking for an extra 6-figure revenue stream
• Want to build a more valuable, scalable company

Then the answer is: yes.

You should at least explore this.

Even if you don’t want to run the school, you can partner with someone like Hector and license the model. Whether you’re in HVAC, cleaning, forestry, dog grooming, excavation, or even software implementation (think Jobber techs), there’s a path forward.

Final Note

If you want more playbooks like this, subscribe to the OWNR OPS Podcast and newsletter. Every week, we break down what’s actually working for trade businesses scaling to 7- and 8-figures.

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Work hard. Do your best. Never settle for less.

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