Candice Boyd

Candice Boyd serves as Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist at Amentum in Fort Worth, Texas, where she has spent 21 years recruiting for skilled trades, manufacturing, and heavy manufacturing roles. She began her career as an office manager before stepping into recruiting and quickly developed a passion for the field after her first assignment sourcing a sub-arc welder, which introduced her to manufacturing opportunities. Boyd has built her expertise by managing talent acquisition across multiple sites nationwide, from C-suite to entry-level positions, while prioritizing community involvement to position her organization as an employer of choice. She actively collaborates with the Skilled Trades Council, SkillsUSA, and numerous advisory boards to develop apprenticeship and work-based learning programs that connect students in high schools, junior highs, colleges, and trade schools with career pathways. One of her proudest achievements came during her time at Paladin Attachments, where she established a successful apprenticeship program in Chattanooga, Tennessee, that engaged over 50 students from a high-poverty county and resulted in 25 full-time job offers. Boyd's approach emphasizes research, data-driven decision making, and mentorship, and she advises emerging professionals to know their book of business thoroughly, ask hard questions, and find their voice respectfully. Her long-term goal is to expand her focus on youth engagement and skilled trades education, potentially through consulting or dedicated program development.