Posted on Apr 26, 2018
High-Paying Trade Jobs Sit Empty, While High School Grads Line Up For University
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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.
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It can be just as difficult to get into some trades programs as it is to gain acceptance to law or medical school.
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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.
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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.
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