Posted on Apr 26, 2018
High-Paying Trade Jobs Sit Empty, While High School Grads Line Up For University
4.1K
20
16
11
11
0
Employment
Jobs
College
Education
Responses: 7
3
3
0
I remember back in the 80's you could get out of High School and go to a trade school to learn a trade and get with a union - in the 90's the 4 year colleges went on a spree to shut down the trade schools because they wanted the money; they made a feeble attempt to teach trades at the traditional 4 year institutions - currently where I live they offer a two year welding certificate at the local college - from speaking with the students they spend 95% of those two years learning theory and only about 5% actually practicing how to weld - then they come out to get jobs and can't pass a basic welding test.
They need to bring back trade schools that actually teach a trade and not just the theory of a trade.
They need to bring back trade schools that actually teach a trade and not just the theory of a trade.
(3)
(0)
2
2
0
It can be just as difficult to get into some trades programs as it is to gain acceptance to law or medical school.
(2)
(0)
SGT (Join to see)
You are correct. The 1st step in getting in to my apprenticeship was a saturday with 600 other people taking a test very similar to an SAT. 60 were called back for mech aptitude testing, further testing and interviews culled it to 20. My class was the 1st of a new discipline that in recent years is now called mechatronics(classes are now available at a lot of community colleges). Going to your local IBEW or Millwrights union hall and signing up to be an apprentice isn't as difficult. Being Multicraft I make roughly$10 more an hour than just a straight electrician or Millwright and I work indoors, most of the time. Factories want multicraft/mechatronics techs.In my lifetime I've been trained to fix everything from satellite receivers to commodes, I suck at carpentry.
(0)
(0)
1
1
0
This trend has been present for awhile. Kids wanted to be webpage or game designers, and ignored the skilled trades. The union scale for a master electrician in Manhattan is $45 - 52/hr. It's not what it once was, because industrial electricians tools now include a laptop for programming PLCs. With overtime this and similar trades can make well over $100,000/yr. Training is cheap at vocational/tech schools, so virtually no college debt. There are many others to consider - master mechanic, nuclear certified welder/diver, millwright, HVAC etc. Ever paid a plumbing bill lately and you know.
(1)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google