A complete blueprint for the members-only social network that replaces social media — and the NCCER certification engine that turns peers into credentialed tradespeople. Concept, features, every trade discipline, the design system, and the full build plan.
8
Core Systems
12
Trade Tracks
4
Build Phases
Social Layer
A closed network for driven tradespeople — no algorithm, no comparison traps.
Certification Engine
NCCER practice tests plus every credential a trade career requires.
Trade Toolbox
Calculators, code references, safety library, and a living glossary.
Replit Blueprint
Stack, schema, routes, and phased build order — plus the design system.
Young tradespeople lose months of momentum to platforms engineered to keep them scrolling — not building. The Circle flips the model: a closed, moderated network where every member is a trainee, graduate, instructor, or employer inside the academy.
Membership is tied to enrollment and alumni status. You are never shouting into a crowd of strangers — you are comparing notes with people in the same building, on the same schedule, chasing the same certification.
No follower counts. No public like tallies for clout. Status comes from certifications earned, attendance held, and work shipped. The only scoreboard is skill.
The habit of reaching for a phone doesn't disappear — it gets redirected. Open the app, drill a practice module, answer a question in your trade group, then close it. Minutes become credentials.
Reentry-sensitive membership. Real names to staff, handles to peers, moderated channels, and no public discovery. Dignity is the default setting.
Eight core systems. Each one replaces a habit that social media currently owns — and returns it to the academy's purpose.
Chronological, cohort-first timeline. Wins, questions, project photos, and announcements. Newest first — always.
A channel per discipline — Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC, Welding, Carpentry — each moderated by an instructor and a lead graduate.
Graduates never leave the network. A matching system pairs each trainee with a working alum in their discipline.
Partner employers post directly to the Circle before listings ever go public. Members apply with a verified skills profile.
Friendly competition on practice-test accuracy, attendance streaks, and workshop output. Rewards discipline, never popularity.
Every member has a build-log profile: photos of completed work, weld coupons, wiring panels, framing. A living résumé.
Small 5-person groups that check in daily. Study goals, wake times, module completion — peer pressure pointed right.
Human moderation, a clear code of conduct, and escalation to Agape Network clinicians when a member needs real support.
What it replaces
The endless scroll becomes the endless build.
Practice is the product. Unlimited question banks across the full NCCER Core Curriculum and every Level 1–4 trade track — plus the adjacent certifications employers actually ask for.
The foundation every trade shares — required before any Level 1 credential.
JSA, PPE, hazards
Measurement & conversion
Selection & safe use
Plans & specs
Slings & hand signals
Jobsite & teamwork
Résumé & interview
Storage & inventory
Levels 1–4 · Ohm's Law, conduit bending, NEC code, motors & controls, grounding, transformers.
Levels 1–4 · DWV systems, water supply, fixtures, soldering, code, backflow prevention.
Levels 1–4 · Refrigeration cycle, airflow, brazing, electrical controls, load calculations.
SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, FCAW · Electrode selection, positions, inspection, symbols & blueprints.
Framing, layout, roof systems, stairs, finish work, cabinet installation, materials.
Precision alignment, rotating equipment, conveyors, pumps, vibration analysis, rigging.
Pipe layout, offsets, isometric drawings, valves, supports, hydrostatic testing.
Block & brick laying, mortar, reinforcement, formwork, placement, finishing, curing.
Excavation, grading, soil types, compaction, trenching & shoring, equipment safety.
Duct fabrication, layout & development, seams, insulation, HVAC integration.
Process control, loop calibration, transmitters, P&ID reading, safety systems.
PV system design, mounting, inverters, battery storage, commissioning & code.
Adjacent Certifications & Safety Credentials
OSHA 10 / 30
Construction safety
EPA 608
Refrigerant handling
Forklift / Aerial
Powered equipment
Flagger / Signal
Traffic control
Randomized banks — every attempt pulls a fresh set so you learn, not memorize.
Answer explanations — every question teaches the "why," not just the letter.
Readiness score — a live readiness gauge per module based on accuracy history.
Timed mode — simulate real exam pressure before it counts.
Missed-question review — auto-built study deck from every question you missed.
Cohort challenges — instructor-run timed drills pushed to your trade group.
The Circle isn't just a place to talk. It's the reference desk, the calculator, and the safety manual a tradesperson reaches for every day.
Purpose-built field calculators — the math you actually do on the jobsite.
Plain-language explainers of the code books, plus quick-reference sheets you can pull up on site.
Jobsite safety as a habit, not a poster. Toolbox talks, hazard libraries, and incident learning.
1,000+ terms across every discipline — searchable, with pronunciation and diagrams.
Auto-pulls certifications, attendance, and portfolio work into an employer-ready trade résumé.
Short instructor-led videos on the moves that matter — from conduit bends to TIG technique.
Pay scales by trade, region, and level — plus the path from apprentice to journeyman.
Version 2.0 shifts to an editorial luxury palette: warm ivory paper, deep emerald, and antique gold — with a refined serif for display type.
Display — Cormorant Garamond
Aa
All headlines and section titles. Light weight (300), generous size, italic used for emphasis words.
H1 · 72px / 1.02 / 300
H2 · 60px / 1.05 / 300
H3 · 24px / 1.2 / 400
Body & UI — Jost
Aa
All body copy, labels, buttons, data. Light (300) for paragraphs; Medium (500) for labels. Wide letter-spacing on micro-labels.
Body · 16–18px / 1.7 / 300
Label · 10–11px / 0.42em / 500
Button · 12px / 0.2em / 600
Legacy — Work Sans
Aa
Still used on the v1.0 page and legacy components. Safe fallback when Cormorant/Jost aren't available.
Aboreto — v1.0 headings
Work Sans — v1.0 body
Google Fonts import (v2.0)
https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Cormorant+Garamond:ital,wght@0,300;0,400;0,500;1,300;1,400&family=Jost:wght@300;400;500;600&display=swap
Deep Forest
#152A22
Emerald
#1B4332
Antique Gold
#B99B54
Ivory Paper
#EFE9DF
Linen
#F7F3EB
Warm Charcoal
#4A4A42
Muted Taupe
#7A7566
Sand Border
#e2dbcd
Legacy site palette (still active)
Semantic status
Buttons
Answer option
Post card (feed)
M. Reyes
Electrical · Level 2
Panel rough-in signed off today. 4 hours, no rework.
Radii & spacing
Buttons 6px · Cards 16px · Panels 24px · Pills full · Image frames 32px. Grid lines at 90px. Section padding 96–128px.
The Circle needs a real backend — accounts, a database, and access control. This site is the marketing front door; the portal lives at app.tradeworksacademy.com. Here is the full blueprint.
1 · Recommended Stack
2 · Route Map
3 · Data Model
Foundation
Auth, roles, invite codes, user profiles, and the design system ported from this draft.
Practice Engine
Question banks for Core + all Level 1 trades, quiz UI, scoring, explanations, missed-deck. Reuse the module picker already live on the home page.
Social Layer
Feed, trade groups, comments, portfolio build logs, leaderboards, and moderation queue.
Career & Growth
Job board, mentor matching, pods, toolbox calculators, résumé export, employer dashboards.
Environment variables — set in Replit Secrets, never hard-code
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL · NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY · SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY · CLERK_SECRET_KEY · NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY · DATABASE_URL
Keep all secret keys server-side only. Client code must never expose a service-role key. The marketing site links out to the portal subdomain — it does not host the portal itself.
Two pieces of this draft are already built and working on the home page. The rest is ready to be handed to a developer in Replit.
Six-feature social layout — peer feed, trade groups, alumni mentors, job board, leaderboards, and privacy — positioned exactly as the network that replaces social media.
View the sectionFully interactive quiz with six trade modules (Core, Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC, Welding, Carpentry), answer explanations, progress tracking, and score results.
Try the practice testAccounts, database, feed, pods, portfolio, job board, toolbox, and expanded question banks — spec'd in Section 06 above and ready to build.
The Bottom Line
A trade career shouldn't be built alone — and it shouldn't be built while doom-scrolling.
The Circle gives every trainee a peer network worth scrolling, a practice engine that turns minutes into certifications, and a toolbox that makes them dangerous on day one.