Quality Training Centers in southwest Las Vegas is rolling out plumbing and welding programs, expanding beyond HVAC and electrician training to help fill the city’s shortage of skilled tradespeople as construction keeps booming.
Las Vegas needs more skilled tradespeople. Construction is booming, but there aren’t enough workers to keep up. Quality Training Centers is stepping in. The school is expanding its campus and adding new plumbing and welding programs to its existing HVAC and electrician courses. The goal is simple: train more people for jobs that are in high demand. The Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation reports that the region added 7,000 jobs in August 2026. Unemployment dropped to 4.8%, the lowest in years. That puts even more pressure on the need for skilled workers, according to official state data.
These new programs are waiting on state approval. Chris Roth, co-owner and operator of Quality Training Centers, says the focus is on what local contractors need. The school wants graduates to be ready for work right away, able to contribute and earn from their first day. "We spend most of our time talking with the employer, who we view as our customer. Adding new programs — that comes from talking to contractors," Roth said.
Campus grows with hands-on training
The campus in southwest Las Vegas is getting bigger. There’s now a simulated residential home where students can practice in real-world conditions. Roth believes this hands-on setup will help students handle the demands of the job. Kodi Wilson, who leads the plumbing program, says the extra space means more students can train. That helps local contractors fill jobs and gives the community more stable career options.
Wilson has been meeting with plumbing contractors across Las Vegas to make sure the new curriculum matches what employers want. Roth explained Wilson’s approach: "We’re focusing … on the contractor, because that’s who we ultimately believe is our customer." The school’s strategy is built on direct feedback from the businesses that will hire its graduates.
Helping career changers see the cost of waiting
Many people thinking about the trades are considering a career change. To help, Quality Training Centers launched an online calculator. It shows how much money someone loses by waiting to start training. Roth calls it a way to show the "cost of indecision." The tool makes it clear that waiting months or a year to enroll can mean missing out on income. Tuition for a 12-week program is $8,900. The school frames this as an investment in a steady, in-demand job.
"People naturally ask what training will cost, and they want some help and some understanding of what it’s going to cost them financially, but very few people recognize the cost of actually waiting, and waiting has a price tag," Roth said. The calculator is meant to make that hidden cost obvious and push people to act sooner.
Skilled trades are still essential in Las Vegas
Las Vegas keeps building and maintaining new projects. The need for skilled trades is only growing. Roth points out that even as artificial intelligence changes other industries, jobs like HVAC, plumbing, and electrical work are still at the core. "The thing about AI is, AI doesn’t exist without power, HVAC or water," Roth said. These jobs aren’t being replaced by automation. In fact, demand is rising as technology advances. Job postings for HVAC Technician and Skilled Trades Assistant keep showing up from both private companies and city agencies, according to local job listings.
Wilson says the trades are stable because they’re essential. "All the trades provide our homes and our buildings. And so if we don’t have the trades, we don’t have the quality of life that we have. And that’s not going anywhere, because all of those buildings and homes need to be continuously maintained."
Room to grow and lead
Many experienced tradespeople are close to retirement. That means new graduates can find not just entry-level jobs, but also chances to move up and lead. Wilson says the industry lets people grow both on the job and personally. Some even go on to start their own businesses. "Trades for me … is one of the industries where you don’t just develop in the job or the task that you do at work, but you end up growing as a whole being," he said.
Las Vegas has seen a wave of business expansions and new openings in recent years. The growth of Quality Training Centers is another sign that the city’s building boom is driving demand for hands-on careers that can’t be outsourced or automated.
By adding plumbing and welding, expanding its campus, and investing in real-world training, Quality Training Centers is responding directly to what Las Vegas needs. As the city keeps changing, the need for skilled tradespeople is only getting stronger. For those ready to train, the path to a steady, upward-moving career in Las Vegas is clearer—and more urgent—than ever.
