Chuck Knapp

Follower of Christ, Husband, Dad, KU Grad, President/CEO of Jobs for America's Graduates-Kansas, Tweets are my own.

[Chuck Knapp @chuckknapp]

We are excited to bring the GenUS competency to credential framework to all 125 @JAG_Kansas programs next year!

Maine Has a New Way to Prepare Teens for Jobs. Other States Are Noticing @The74 https://t.co/RUKMTTJjs4

[Kansas Sports Chatter @KSportsChatter]

Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Chairman Jeff Bollig @JeffBollig went over the busy summer coming up with 3 separate induction ceremonies. @kshof

- July 18 (Legends Field)
- July 25 (Kansas Star Casino)
- Aug. 16 (Sporting KC)

Watch the full show on YouTube⬇️
https://t.co/TfSMYBFS2E

[Kansas Sports Chatter @KSportsChatter]

Kansas Sports Hall of Fame @kshof Chairman Jeff Bollig @JeffBollig brought up 2026 inductee Diego Segui of the the Kansas City A's and Seattle Mariners @Mariners.

"He pitched in the first game for the Seattle Pilots. Many years later when the Mariners came in, he pitched in their first game as well."

Watch the full show on YouTube⬇️
https://t.co/K723aJ7ChX

[Kansas Sports Chatter @KSportsChatter]

Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Chairman Jeff Bollig @JeffBollig went over the 3 induction ceremonies this summer honoring 32 individuals. @kshof

Watch the interview on YouTube⬇️
https://t.co/hEzNXTIEWC

[Chuck Knapp @chuckknapp]

It was wonderful hosting our friends from GenerationUS last week as we prepare to roll out verified digital credentials in all 120 of our @JAG_Kansas programs next year. GenUS has developed an amazing competency to credential framework that will benefit our students and schools.

[Chuck Knapp @chuckknapp]

Countdown to the 2026 @JAG_Kansas State Career Development Conference. Top finishers will qualify for National CDC in Salt Lake! #JAGKSuccess

[cody foster @codygfoster]

It’s hard to believe it’s been five years. I often think about all the memories Josh has missed out on over those five years.

Do me a favor today and check on someone that you haven’t checked on in awhile. Make sure they are ok

[Chuck Knapp @chuckknapp]

Region 2 @JAG_Kansas CDC at @washburn_tech. Great career fair and competitions!

[Chuck Knapp @chuckknapp]

It was Region 1!

[Chuck Knapp @chuckknapp]

It’s the season for @JAG_Kansas career development conferences! Thank you Barton Community College for hosting our Region 2 event. #JAGKSuccess #ksleg

[Chuck Knapp @chuckknapp]

Looking for an artist? https://t.co/aBKdf71uvF

[Chuck Knapp @chuckknapp]

We had another great @JAG_Kansas Day at the Capitol! 400 students and staff thanking the @ksleg, @GovLauraKelly and @DavidTolandKS for their strong support.

[Chuck Knapp @chuckknapp]

We had another great @JAG_Kansas Day at the Capitol! 400 students and staff thanking the @ksleg, @GovLauraKelly and @DavidTolandKS for their strong support.

[Chuck Knapp @chuckknapp]

@Kotelnicki Welcome home!

[Chuck Knapp @chuckknapp]

@KFlahertyKCSN I hate what has happened to college sports.

[Chuck Knapp @chuckknapp]

Cheering for Topekan @BrooklynDeleye and her team today!

[Kentucky Volleyball @KentuckyVB]

This is for it all.

#WeAreUK x #BBN

[BBN Tonight @BBNTonight]

"To see her compete at that level, it just warms your heart"

@MaggieDavisTV visited Brooklyn DeLeye's hometown to learn how the UK star built her work ethic, and competitive fire just an hour from Kansas City.

https://t.co/bJpCxnR50L

[Maggie Davis @MaggieDavisTV]

Topeka girl!! Brooklyn DeLeye hung a banner for her high school team in 2022

Coming up on @BBNTonight, I sit down with her HS head coach to talk about her start with the sport, the work she’s put in, and what it would mean to him to see her hang another one, this time for UK 🏐

[Chuck Knapp @chuckknapp]

If the #ksleg approves our FY 2027 budget request, more Kansas students will have an opportunity to be part of @JAG_Kansas!

[JAGKCEO @jagkceo]

The partnership between @JAG_Kansas and Hays USD 489 has helped numerous students prepare for successful futures. The district and school administrators have embraced the value of our program!

https://t.co/t1Unb6shjO

[Keira Connolly @keira_con]

Wise words

“My name’s Frank. I’m 64, a retired electrician.
Forty-two years I spent running wires through houses, fixing breakers, making sure people had light in their kitchens and heat in their winters. Never once did anyone ask me where I went to college. Mostly, they just wanted to know if I could get the power back on before their ice cream melted.

Last May, I was at my granddaughter Emily’s school career day. You know the drill — doctors, lawyers, a software guy in a slick suit talking about “scaling startups.” I was the only one there with a tool belt and work boots.

When it was my turn, I told the kids, “I don’t have a degree. I’ve never sat in a lecture hall. But I’ve wired schools, hospitals, and your principal’s house. And when the hospital generator failed during a snowstorm in ’98, I was the one in the basement with a flashlight, keeping the lights on for newborn babies upstairs.”

The kids leaned forward. They had questions — real ones. “How do you fix stuff in the dark?” “Do you make a lot of money?” “Do you ever get zapped?” (Yes, once, and it’ll curl your hair.)

When the bell rang, one boy hung back. Small kid, freckles, hoodie too big for him. He mumbled, “My uncle’s a plumber. People laugh at him ’cause he didn’t finish high school. But… he’s the only one in the family who can fix anything.”

I looked that boy in the eye and said, “Kid, your uncle’s a hero. When your toilet overflows at midnight, Harvard ain’t sending anyone. A plumber is.”

Here’s the thing nobody told me when I was young — the world doesn’t run without tradespeople. You can have all the engineers you want, but if nobody builds the house, wires the power, or lays the pipes, those blueprints just sit in a drawer.

We’ve made it sound like trades are what you do if you can’t go to college, instead of a path you choose because you like working with your hands, solving problems, and seeing your work stand solid for decades.

Four years after high school, some kids walk away with diplomas. Others walk away with zero debt, a union card, and a skill they can take anywhere in the world. And guess what? When your furnace dies in January, it’s not the diploma that saves you.

A few weeks ago, that same freckled kid’s mom stopped me at the grocery store. She said, “You probably don’t remember, but you told my son trades are important. He’s shadowing his uncle this summer. First time I’ve seen him excited about anything in years.”

That’s the part we forget — for some kids, knowing their path is respected changes everything. It’s not about “just” fixing wires or pipes. It’s about pride. Purpose. The kind that sticks with you long after the job’s done.

So next time you meet a teenager, don’t just ask, “Where are you going to college?” Ask, “What’s your plan?” And if they say, “I’m learning to weld,” or “I’m starting an apprenticeship,” smile big and say, “That’s fantastic. We’re going to need you.”

Because we will. More than ever. And when the lights go out, you’ll be glad they showed up.”