Good work forms good people. Good people keep the world running.
Restoring dignity to skilled work by forming the next generation through mentoring cultures and character.
The Reality of Work Today
Across the country, something essential has been lost in how we understand work. Young people are searching for direction. Employers are searching for people who show up and take responsibility.
Skilled trades and manufacturing, work that quite literally keeps the world running, deserve more respect than they’re often given.
Craftsman with Character® exists to help bring that respect back.
After more than a decade of implementation in schools and workplaces across the country, we continue to see:
Students who realize they are needed
Employees who take ownership of their work
Organizations where pride replaces disengagement
This kind of change doesn’t happen overnight. But it lasts.
The Dignity of Skilled Work
The world does not function without people who know how to build, fix, maintain, and make things.
Machinists. Welders. Electricians. Toolmakers. Technicians.
Skilled work is not a backup plan. It is essential.
And when it is done well, it shapes character.
The Code That Guides us
Six principles shaped by decades of real work in the trades and manufacturing.
A Workforce Development Platform
Craftsman with Character® is a character-centered workforce development platform built to strengthen responsibility and pride in skilled work, from first exposure to lifelong career growth.
Our platform serves two primary workforce pathways:
Future Workforce
Student Program
Introducing high school students to skilled trades through real-world exposure and character development.
Current Workforce
Employee Program
Strengthening reliability, culture, and professionalism in today’s workforce through mentoring and guided discussion.
Passing It On
Craftsman with Character® was built on a simple belief: what we’ve been given is meant to be shared.
While our student and employee programs provide structure, the heart of this work has always been mentoring: experienced people taking the time to pass down what they know, how they work, and why it matters.
Not every organization begins with a program.
Sometimes it begins with a conversation.
A commitment to develop people, not just skills.
Founder Dave Hataj is available for select speaking engagements with organizations interested in building mentoring cultures and strengthening responsibility in the workplace.
Because the future of skilled work depends on what we are willing to pass on.
Passing It On, In Their Words
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“The Craftsman with Character curriculum made it easy and gave us the confidence to welcome high school students into our shop, allowing them to job shadow mentors and explore what a future in manufacturing could look like. The impact of this program has exceeded expectations—it's been just as rewarding for our team as it has been for the students, both personally and professionally.”
— Business Partner
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“Craftsman with Character was one of the most enjoyable yet educational experiences of my life, I really can't wait until every person in the U.S. has this opportunity!”
— Former Student
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“I cannot have a higher regard for the Craftsman with Character program. The companies that fund it, the personnel that lead it and the students that participate in it are ALL winners in guaranteeing our domain in manufacturing regionally.”
— Teacher
