Founder and editor
Damon Leslie
Researches and edits TradeCert's career, apprenticeship, wage, and occupational-licensing guidance.
September 2, 2026
Role and scope
Damon Leslie founded TradeCert after seeing how difficult it can be to turn scattered career and licensing information into a clear next step. He researches the site's reporting using licensing agencies, official applications, statutes and rules, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Department of Labor, and other primary sources.
Damon is not a licensed tradesperson and does not present himself as one. For questions about day-to-day practice, the site distinguishes documented occupational information from first-hand practitioner experience and encourages readers to speak with current workers, employers, and program sponsors.
Editorial responsibility
- Chooses the decision each page should help a reader make.
- Checks material requirements against the linked primary source.
- Separates national occupational information from state and local rules.
- Does not change a review date without rechecking the underlying content.
- Records material corrections publicly.
Why the archive was removed
In 2026, Damon removed TradeCert's generated licensing archive after identifying quality and verification problems. The rebuilt library grows one reviewed resource at a time.