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I worked the Trades in Florida for over 26 yrs doing new construction and light commercial work, 80's to 2008.
I got in just out of high school, volunteering to work with anyone, working lots of days for free or just lunch. I hooked up as a subcontractor for a company when they lost one of their good men to retirement. The supervisor gave me a chance because he told me i was mature for my age and willing to work. I outworked guys with more experience then I had and when I was 24 made enough money to buy my first house. Florida is not know to pay "high wages" but I didn't let that stop me from making money. By the time I was 30 i was making over 50K a year. When I hit 40 i was over 100K till I was forced out with the 2007 recession. My wife and I raised two kids and put them both through college. We went on at least two family vacations a year and now we get to spoil our grand kids. The trades have changed a lot over the years. Very tough to remain competitive for work when some crews work with an advantage of illegal crews. I enjoyed my time in the field.
I'm hearing a lot lately about job openings in "the trades", and how there are a shortage of qualified workers and that many trades jobs pay well. Off hand I'm thinking of plumbers, electricians, jobs in construction... what other trades jobs are there and if you work in one of those do you enjoy it to a reasonable degree?
Thanks!
My son has been trying to obtain an electrician apprenticeship for months. Last resume he sent in was amongst 90 others. This has happened several times. Must not be much of a shortage here.
My son has been trying to obtain an electrician apprenticeship for months. Last resume he sent in was amongst 90 others. This has happened several times. Must not be much of a shortage here.
Here in northeast Jacksonville, Florida they have been advertising for entry level electrical positions.
If you are located near any of the US Navy's shipyards they are definitely looking to fill their apprenticeships.
Here is a link to an older article, but they are still hiring. All the yards have been hiring (Pearl Harbor, Norfolk, Peugeot and Portsmouth NH). Our apprenticeship in Saint Mary's Georgia will be open in June of this year.
Who got those safety laws passed? Who is still advocating for the worker, the boss? The ownership class is well organized against the workers interests and there's no shortage of proof on that issue, in light of that fact the question remains as to why workers shouldn't be organized at least as well as the bosses. "Companies that had to declare bankruptcy," many businesses have had to take a financial bath, and most intelligent people understand the vagaries associated with BK law, mostly utilized as a legal way to stiff your creditors.
Unions were hated from their infancy, the business class was not going to accept the workers right to organize, even though federal law required them to do so. They kept beating down the union's attempts to organize the worker because they simply wanted to pay what THEY wanted not what was fair. Lastly: Your foolish attempts to paint Florida as an example of a workers paradise is even more humorous than your assertions of corporate greed being something akin to a historical issue out of the past.
I guess some people have had negative experiences with unions.
I've been on both sides of the table so to speak. I was a union member waaay back and was a maintenance helper then a machinist apprentice. I also spent several years as a UAW union steward so have a pretty good understanding of how unions work from the union's point of view.
I am a division HR manager now based in a unionized shop. The union is not difficult to work with as long as I give an explanation as to why the answer is 'no'.
This particular union has been helpful in working with me to develop an in-house state recognized apprenticeship program for several trades. So far we have apprenticeships for electrician, tool and die maker, HVAC technician, and are working on our state certification for machinist. The union members already in these particular trades helped with developing the hands-on training and curriculum development for classroom training. Definitely a big help considering we are having a LOT of retirements coming up in the next 12-24 months among the skilled trades group; a lot of them have their 30-35 years in at the company and are ready to go.
This union can be hard-headed but it can also be helpful
My son has been trying to obtain an electrician apprenticeship for months. Last resume he sent in was amongst 90 others. This has happened several times. Must not be much of a shortage here.
Just because there's a shortage doesn't mean anyone with a heartbeat is going to get hired.
A company or union makes an investment when accepting an apprentice; in most recognized programs, there is both hands-on and classroom training provided. And they want to make sure the candidate has both the aptitude and the fortitude to succeed.
Has your son looked at trade school or certification programs for the electrical trade? Does he have any experience with other trades? Does he have other relevant work experience?
He's still applying for a position, and he has to beat out the other 89 applicants to get the spot.
Just because there's a shortage doesn't mean anyone with a heartbeat is going to get hired.
A company or union makes an investment when accepting an apprentice; in most recognized programs, there is both hands-on and classroom training provided. And they want to make sure the candidate has both the aptitude and the fortitude to succeed.
Has your son looked at trade school or certification programs for the electrical trade? Does he have any experience with other trades? Does he have other relevant work experience?
He's still applying for a position, and he has to beat out the other 89 applicants to get the spot.
If there are 90 applicants for one position, then there’s not a shortage.
If there are 90 applicants for one position, then there’s not a shortage.
I have no clue how many positions were available. Do you?
What I do know is that he would have been able to fill one position, and he still has to compete for it. It could very well be that there were 150 positions available, 75 were filled, and the 15 remaining applicants were deemed unacceptable for hire.
I once spent 3 months trying to fill 2 positions for technicians. It took over 200 applicants before I found people that I could hire and be fairly confident that they would show up, do the job, and not kill anyone in the process.
Just because there's a shortage doesn't mean anyone with a heartbeat is going to get hired.
A company or union makes an investment when accepting an apprentice; in most recognized programs, there is both hands-on and classroom training provided. And they want to make sure the candidate has both the aptitude and the fortitude to succeed.
Has your son looked at trade school or certification programs for the electrical trade? Does he have any experience with other trades? Does he have other relevant work experience?
He's still applying for a position, and he has to beat out the other 89 applicants to get the spot.
Electrical apprenticeships are designed for people with no experience. The first year you are doing very basic work.
Electrical apprenticeships are designed for people with no experience. The first year you are doing very basic work.
Not necessarily, at least not anymore. While the work might still be basic, a kid straight out of high school with no additional experience or schooling isn't likely to get picked up.
If two applicants are applying for the position and one has already gone to trade school, has a few certificates from the local CC, or has a bit of experience, who do you think is going to get the spot?
My current shop requires either a trade school diploma or 2 years direct experience in order for them to enroll a person in the apprenticeship program in our local union. Our electrical union is the same.
And what we often see here in NYC is guys with years of experience in nonunion shops applying for union apprenticeships in order to join the union.
I have no clue how many positions were available. Do you?
What I do know is that he would have been able to fill one position, and he still has to compete for it. It could very well be that there were 150 positions available, 75 were filled, and the 15 remaining applicants were deemed unacceptable for hire.
I once spent 3 months trying to fill 2 positions for technicians. It took over 200 applicants before I found people that I could hire and be fairly confident that they would show up, do the job, and not kill anyone in the process.
You did. You said he had to beat out 89 other applicants to get “the” spot, meaning 90 applicants are vying for “the” (one) spot. If there are more applicants than positions there is not a labor shortage.
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