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TV contractor Josh Temple has been critical to trades program comeback at Boys Town

Josh & Jeff

This article is written by Marjie Ducey, World-Herald staff writer. It was posted on Omaha.com April 10, 2018.

Television contractor and host Josh Temple fell in love with Boys Town five years ago.

He was in Omaha to do a house crash and taped a public service announcement for the organization while he was here. The relationship has remained strong and led to a rejuvenation of the high school's trades program.

"I love college, but it's not for everyone,'' he said while speaking last weekend at the Metro Omaha Builders Association Home Show, which was produced by The World-Herald.

He wanted to give the kids at Boys Town another choice when they left high school. For some, college is just too expensive or too difficult. The military isn't an option, either.

Temple has done media work, held a construction contractor round table to ask contractors what they are looking for when hiring, and arranged for donations of tools and equipment for the trades classes.

He's supported the after-care program for youths entering the trades as a career and christened it Trade Life. He's raised more than $20,000 himself.

"I'm trying to get the trades back in fashion,'' he said. "We are going to need plumbers and roofs over our heads. We are going to need lights. Our toilets are going to have to work.''

Temple also toured Metro Community College while he was in Omaha last weekend to see the work being done in the trades there.

On Monday, he and Jeff Devlin, host of "Stone House Revival" on the DIY Network, worked with Boys Town students on building a table that will be auctioned off at the school's booster banquet May 1.

Temple says there are just too many baristas and not enough plumbers.

"I think Omaha is a breeding ground for this kind of mentality. I appreciate it, and it's why I keep coming back,'' Temple said. "This has been my lane, and I'm really glad to be in it.''