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Craftsmanship in the construction trades has been pushed so far, the labor is a commodity, not a skill.
Thanks to the exploited illegal labor from all parts south of the border.
The going rates 3 years ago when I last bid any construction work, was less than I was bidding jobs in the late 1970's and I was still getting out bid on price.
There is no way I was going to work 16-18 hours a day, to make what I use to doing the same thing, I did in 8-10 hours 7 days a week and still barely making it in a very high taxed and cost of living City.
I have tried to get technical and shop classes back into High School here, but that is not in the budget.
Yep pretty much this. Trade jobs are a dime a dozen because it's a low skill endeavor with a low barrier to entry. Pretty soon they're going the way of the buggy whip and will be mechanized and outsourced to cheap labor.
I'm a non-union electrician been at it now for a few years and I enjoy what I do, not all the time granted but I still enjoy it. I'm not wealthy, I'm not even middle class I generally am paycheck to paycheck but I would not give up this type of work. In fact I wish I would've gotten involved earlier in life but it is what it is. I've been hearing plenty of contractors from the fb groups I'm subscribed to how hard it is to find help nowadays and can't help but think if school funding wasn't routinely slashed wed be able to have more shop classes. I remember in highschool when I lived in vegas we had a woodworking shop, and auto don't think we had much else. Perhaps if we did I would've been more interested.
It won't help... There will always be a segment of society that looks down their nose at the guy they call to fix their toilets. At the same time lamenting their MBA in basket weaving won't help them get a job ....
Well, let them look down their nose because I don't care.
I am a high school graduate who has a Level IV certification to design fire sprinkler systems that is probably the most highly regulated field in the construction industry.
80% of my time is spent at a CAD station.... the other 20% is spent traveling to job sites and doing surveys. Our CAD is not the normal AutoCAD... it's different from your normal high school CAD.
Pay is good where a high school graduate can and does earn as much as someone with a Masters degree.
Pretty close to what is real. I don't know anyone in Atlanta that earns less than $75k. And yeah, you can live better on $75k in the Atlanta area than you can on $130k in the San Francisco bay area.
As far as employment if you have certification and are not working it's only because you don't want to. Our unemployment rate is zero.
There are a number of opportunities that do not include college but that doesn't mean a person with ability is relegated to cleaning toilets.
Let me tell you a secret, the amount of money some people earn by testing concrete for bridges and roads would knock your socks off if you didn't already know about it.
Yep pretty much this. Trade jobs are a dime a dozen because it's a low skill endeavor with a low barrier to entry. Pretty soon they're going the way of the buggy whip and will be mechanized and outsourced to cheap labor.
Starting out maybe a low skill thing once you get into calculating loads to size the proper service and wiring for a residence, office, and what have you can get rather difficult. That and troubleshooting is not for the stupid it takes skill and a brain to figure out switching or say why does the breaker trip or the lights strobe.
Tucker Carlson has been doing a lot of segments and interviews with Mike Rowe who teaches and promotes trade skills big time. His foundation gives scholarships to get people trained for good trade jobs that make way more $$ than most college degrees, and are jobs that are in high demand. About the Foundation « Profoundly Disconnected
Not until elitist democrats/liberals stop labeling blue color/trade workers as deplorables from flyover country and as despicable Trumpkins will we see them get the respect they deserve.
Blue collor workers used to support the D party until it turned into the bigoted self-righteous elitists more concerned with the working welfare of illegals than of Americans.
Trades associated with construction and housing are subject to boom and bust cycles associated with real estate supply and demand. This is not for the faint of heart. Feast or famine is not an easy way to live.
Feast or famine can happen to you in white collar jobs. It can happen in the trades AND the white collar jobs. Nowadays there is no guarantee of staying with the same company until you retire. Job security is rarely a guarantee unless you are a doctor or lawyer.
Well, let them look down their nose because I don't care.
I am a high school graduate who has a Level IV certification to design fire sprinkler systems that is probably the most highly regulated field in the construction industry.
80% of my time is spent at a CAD station.... the other 20% is spent traveling to job sites and doing surveys. Our CAD is not the normal AutoCAD... it's different from your normal high school CAD.
Pay is good where a high school graduate can and does earn as much as someone with a Masters degree.
Pretty close to what is real. I don't know anyone in Atlanta that earns less than $75k. And yeah, you can live better on $75k in the Atlanta area than you can on $130k in the San Francisco bay area.
As far as employment if you have certification and are not working it's only because you don't want to. Our unemployment rate is zero.
There are a number of opportunities that do not include college but that doesn't mean a person with ability is relegated to cleaning toilets.
Let me tell you a secret, the amount of money some people earn by testing concrete for bridges and roads would knock your socks off if you didn't already know about it.
So what you're doing is comparing yourself (an outlier) to the median of a population. Shall I explain why that is not a statistically sound methodology? The median (50th percentile) high school graduate salary is $718/week. The median advanced degree holder's salary is $1,451/week. That is more than double. The 90th percentile HS graduate salary is $1,489 compared to the 90th percentile advanced degree holder's salary of $3,156. Once again, more than double. So do you now see why comparing your salary which is probably in the top 10th percentile to the 50th percentile of advance degree holders? https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2017/hi...nd-quarter.htm
Let me tell you a secret, the amount of money a neurosurgeon makes by cutting open your brain would knock your socks off if you didn't already know about it.
From 4 years ago... It's only going to get worse folks.
"When I was a kid in high school, everyone suggested that any kid who could, go to college bound courses. It was the right and smart path to "success."
30 some years later, we are handing out our "brain based" jobs like pez to any foreigners who will get on the boat and come get them.
If I were to advise any kid today as to what path to take, I think I would recommend any direct hands on skilled job that has to be performed on-site at a nearby home,office, or shop."
From 4 years ago... It's only going to get worse folks.
When I was a kid in high school, everyone suggested that any kid who could, go to college bound courses. It was the right and smart path to "success."
30 some years later, we are handing out our "brain based" jobs like pez to any foreigners who will get on the boat and come get them.
Yep. There's certainly nobody coming from south of the boarder to come get the "muscle based" jobs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by blktoptrvl
If I were to advise any kid today as to what path to take, I think I would recommend any direct hands on skilled job that has to be performed on-site at a nearby home,office, or shop.
Yeah like an automotive assembly plant worker at GM. That would be some good advice.
Tucker Carlson has been doing a lot of segments and interviews with Mike Rowe who teaches and promotes trade skills big time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by boxus
Lol, he is a college graduate.
Tucker Carlson is also a college graduate -- liberal arts, to be exact. It's funny how many conservatives out there actually have these liberal arts degrees which they claim are absolutely useless.
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It's only going to get worse folks.
