Electrifying the trades. Empowering the future.
The home base for everything Spanky the Sparky — the podcast, the platform, and a mission to prove the trades are a career worth being proud of.
The man behind the brand
Built in the field. Forged on the line.
Before the trades, Noah earned a bachelor's degree from Ohio University — and grew two businesses by 621% with social media before selling and exiting them. He broke into electrical work non-union, then joined the IBEW: apprentice to journeyman to field superintendent on hyperscale data centers, picking up two electrical associate degrees during his apprenticeship. Somewhere between pulling wire and managing megawatts, he started filming. Today Spanky the Sparky is one of the most recognized voices in the trades.
Under the same current
One brand. Many pathways.
Real stories. Real trades. Real impact. Honest conversations with the people who build, wire, weld, and power the country.
Hear the podcast
Building pathways. Strengthening futures. A free platform connecting workers to 1,460+ union locals, apprenticeships, wages, and jobs.
Explore Union PathwaysLet's build something.
Brand partnerships, sponsorships, speaking, media, and podcast guests. Tell me what you've got in mind.
Work with meThe Platform
Every union trade, one current.
Building pathways. Strengthening futures. A free resource connecting workers to local unions, apprenticeships, wage data, and jobs across the building trades.
What's inside
Everything a worker needs to find their local.
Interactive locals map
Search 1,460+ union locals by trade and location, with contact info and jurisdiction details.
Apprenticeships
How to get in, aptitude-test prep, and resources for every major building trade.
Wage data
Real pay and benefit info so workers know their worth before they sign on.
Job board
Open calls and opportunities, including storm and travel work across the country.
Worker rights
Plain-language guides on organizing, the NLRB, and protections on the job.
Every trade
IBEW, UA, SMART, BAC, Iron Workers, Insulators, IUEC, IUOE, UBC, UFCW and more.
Find your pathway.
The full platform — map, wages, apprenticeships, and jobs — lives at unionpathways.com.
Go to Union PathwaysThe Podcast
Real stories. Real trades. Real impact.
Honest conversations with the people who build, wire, weld, and power the country — and the apprentices coming up behind them. No fluff, no corporate polish, just the trades told straight.
What we get into
The work, the money, and the future.
Career paths
How people got in, leveled up, and built a life in the trades.
Apprenticeships
Getting started, surviving year one, and turning out as a journeyman.
Data centers
Hyperscale builds, liquid cooling, and where construction heads next.
Organizing
Unions, the NLRB, and why labor power matters more than ever.
Money & pensions
Pay, benefits, and building real wealth from a trade.
AI in the trades
What's hype, what's real, and how it changes the work on the ground.
Got a story worth telling?
Tradespeople, organizers, contractors, and apprentices — if you've lived it, I want to hear it.
Pitch yourself as a guestLet's build something
Work with Spanky.
Brand partnerships, sponsorships, speaking, media, and podcast guests. Tell me what you've got in mind and I'll get back to you.
- SponsorshipsReach a highly engaged trades audience, 168K+ strong.
- Podcast guestCome on Spark The Trade and tell your story.
- SpeakingEvents, panels, and appearances on the trades and their future.
- Media & pressInterviews, quotes, and collaborations.
Connect
Find me everywhere.
Follow along for daily content on the trades, the job, and the people who build, wire, weld, and power the country.