This is just a thought I had, wanted to share see what other people thought.
You would be blind if you haven’t seen a lot of people talking about the trades and how the trades are a great way to make good money, this can fluctuate and depends on the trade, but regardless of the economy construction and other things like that have been moving consistently since the pandemic. I have a lot of friends in the industry. For example my friend who just got journeyman electrician is clearing 40 bucks an hour with benefits and everything, he worked hard to get there. I thought about doing this several times.
But here’s the context, I went to college, got good scholarship, academic and athletic, worked hard for it, team player, hard worker. Even was able to get a graduate degree, simple MBA, Did it because in undergrad I got half a degree, then years later before the pandemic was like I need to finish this because why would I leave something half done. So now I’m here working on a job that definitely underpays me, and yes I am looking for other work. 30 years old
The trades though is this little soundbite that I keep hearing all the time over the Internet.
Here’s the meat of my take, the trades require experience and someone showing you how to do the job the right way, and lots of hours to prove and license and make sure you are “qualified “. Well I know it’s very important to know everything about being an electrician, don’t want the building to burn down, why do I need three years of on the job training? Or other trades like carpentry. Like if I’m very smart and very capable then why isn’t there a Fastrak. I’m not trying to cut corners, I’m just not trying to be paid A low wage because I just haven’t put as much time in as other people. I see it all the time do the trades, don’t go to college. sometimes those people for that lack of a better word won’t even be smart enough to go to college. However I respect they found a trade, where their skills overtime make them worth the amount they’re paid.
I see people saying “the trades are dying “, but I think the trades are not adapting to people who think they might want to do it, maybe got higher education and still think hey I can actually probably make something work here, but I have a college degree, debt,and I’m not saying pay me more in an aggressive fashion, I’m just saying there is this disconnect where it’s like I’m not going to make under 20 bucks an hour to work in the trades as a lackey for 1-3 years and later make good money, when yes obviously I have college debt. But I saw my friends go through this gauntlet of not making a lot of money, and then eventually they made a lot of good money.
“If I went to electrician school, or a trade school, that would be me just pulling on more debt to my business degree, in an industry that shamed academics, which makes me feel like it was useless. Damned if I do damned if I don’t”
So this is just a random thought wanted to throw it into the void