Support Center

KinTrades™ is a skills-first hiring platform for the skilled trades — connecting workers with employers through photo and video profiles, automated matching, reliability scoring, and built-in hiring benefits guidance.

For Workers: Build your profile in minutes with photos and videos of your actual work. Get matched with employers hiring in your trade and area. Second-chance friendly — your skills speak for themselves.

For Employers: Browse worker profiles with skill photos and videos. Our match algorithm ranks candidates by skill, reliability, and location. Built-in hiring benefits — bonding, training reimbursement, and tax credits (up to $25K+ in benefits).

For Partners: KinTrades works with workforce boards, training programs, community colleges, nonprofits, and faith-based organizations to drive placement outcomes, support grant compliance (GO Virginia, WIOA), and connect graduates with employers.

We support 53 trades across 12 trade families — construction, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, welding, heavy equipment, transportation, energy, facilities maintenance, and more.

Yes! KinTrades is completely free for job seekers. You can create a profile, browse jobs, apply to opportunities, and communicate with employers at no cost. KinTrades is free for employers too.

KinTrades accounts are for two groups only.

Workers: individuals 18 or older seeking skilled trade work for themselves.

Employers: companies and contractors hiring workers for their own business. This includes staffing and labor-provider firms when they employ the worker themselves and put them on their own payroll, even if the work happens at a client's site.

Not account holders: workforce agencies, training providers, schools, nonprofits, reentry and job-readiness programs, and third-party recruiters who refer candidates to another company. That holds whether the account is created for the organization or on behalf of someone it serves — and we remove accounts we find. Participants who belong here create their own accounts, in their own names, and control their own profiles.

Working with us instead: programs that need to refer participants, track outcomes, or report to a funder work with us through KinComply under a signed agreement. Those services are open to employers and non-employers alike, and holding a platform account is neither required for them nor a route to them.

Partnership opportunities: partnerships@kintrades.com — outcome tracking, funder reporting, employer network access, and collaborative programs. Full detail is in our Terms, Sections 3.2 and 3.3.

Help Buddy is KinTrades' built-in support widget — it's the floating button labeled "Need Help?" in the bottom-right corner of every page.

Click it to:

• Report a bug — tell us if something isn't working right
• Share a suggestion — help us improve the platform
• Ask a question — get answers from our team
• Send general feedback — we're always listening

Help Buddy can capture a screenshot of exactly what you're seeing, so our team gets the full context. Every submission creates a ticket that goes directly to our team — no automated bots, no runaround.

Try it now! Look for the "Need Help?" button in the bottom-right corner of this page. Or click here to open it.

KinTrades launches April 2026 across Virginia, D.C., Maryland, and North Carolina, with further expansion coming later in 2026.

Workers and employers in these regions can:

• Create skills-first profiles with photos and videos
• Post and browse second-chance friendly jobs
• Access built-in hiring benefits — bonding, training reimbursement, and tax credits
• Connect directly based on skills and readiness to work

Create an account on our homepage to get started.

Outside our launch region? Email signup@kintrades.com and we'll notify you when KinTrades is available in your area.

Create an account by:

1. Clicking "Sign Up" on our homepage
2. Providing your email and name
3. Verifying your email with a secure passcode (no password needed—we use Microsoft Entra ID authentication)
4. Completing your profile with work experience and skills

The entire process takes about 10-15 minutes.

No. KinTrades follows "Ban the Box" principles. You are not required to disclose criminal history upfront. Employers transparently identify which roles are second-chance friendly, and your criminal record is private until you choose to share it.

We believe your skills and qualifications should be evaluated first.

That's okay! Many employers are willing to provide on-the-job training. You can still create a profile highlighting:

• Hands-on experience (even informal work)
• Skills you've learned (tools you can use, tasks you've completed)
• Training programs you've participated in
• Willingness to learn and get certified

Partner organizations can also connect you with training and certification programs.

Yes! We provide guidance on:

• Choosing the best photos to showcase your work
• Recording effective skill demonstration videos (20-30 seconds)
• Highlighting certifications and completed projects
• Writing compelling work experience descriptions
• Preparing for employer contact and interviews

Note: KinTrades focuses on skills-first profiles with photos and videos, including work experience, photos, and proof of work.

Need more help? Click the "Need Help?" button in the bottom-right corner to reach our team through Help Buddy.

KinTrades helps you find skilled trade workers faster. Benefits include:

• Skills-First Profiles: See proof of work through photos and videos—plus real work experience and proof of skills
• Automated Matching: Get matched with workers based on skill alignment with your roles
• Reliability Signals: See worker dependability indicators to make informed decisions
• Direct Contact: Reach workers immediately via email or phone—no platform middleman
• Transparent Hiring: Mark roles as second-chance friendly to access additional talent pools

Yes. KinTrades doesn't conduct background checks—you maintain full control over your hiring process.

Workers create profiles with photos, videos, skills, and references. You can contact them directly to verify qualifications and conduct background checks per your company policy.

For roles you mark as second-chance friendly, eligible hires may qualify for Federal Bonding Program protection (no-cost fidelity bonds up to $25,000).

Nothing. The hiring marketplace is offered at no cost — posting jobs, searching workers, receiving applications, contacting people and making a hire. No credit card, no subscription, no per-post charge, and no fee when you hire. Separate services such as outcome tracking, funder reporting or dedicated recruiting are optional, sit under their own agreement, and never affect how your jobs or candidates are ranked. Questions? Email employers@kintrades.com.

KinTrades provides:

• Automated matching based on skill alignment with your posted roles
• Reliability signals showing worker dependability
• Skills-first profiles with photos, videos, certifications, and references
• Direct contact access to reach workers immediately via email or phone
• Transparent second-chance options to clearly mark roles as second-chance friendly
• Hiring benefits guidance — identifies Federal Bonding (up to $25K), WIOA OJT (50-75% wage reimbursement), VA Customized Job Training, and WOTC eligibility with step-by-step instructions to claim each
• Deadline tracking — 28-day WOTC filing reminders and pre-filled IRS Form 8850 + ETA 9061

Yes. We take privacy and security seriously:

• All data encrypted in transit and at rest
• Hosted on secure Microsoft Azure infrastructure
• Strict access controls and monitoring
• Compliance with privacy laws (CCPA, GDPR where applicable)
• Regular security audits

Read our full Privacy Policy for details.

You control your profile visibility:

• Public: Visible to all employers (default)
• Private: Only visible to employers you choose to contact

You decide what information to include in your profile and who can see it.

Yes, at any time. When you delete your account:

• Your profile is immediately hidden
• Most data is deleted within 30 days
• Some data may be retained for legal compliance (e.g., transaction records)
• You can request a copy of your data before deletion

See our Privacy Policy for full details on data retention.

The fastest way is through Help Buddy — the floating widget in the bottom-right corner of every page. Click it, select "Bug" or "General," describe the issue, and optionally attach a screenshot. Your report goes directly to our team.

You can also email support@kintrades.com for safety concerns or sensitive issues you'd prefer to report privately.

We take all reports seriously and investigate promptly.