The trades.
 

I have a couple of electricians at home installing a Tesla charger.

I would estimate both of them in their mid-20’s. Maybe late 20’s. Hard working, tidy, articulate. I imagine they are doing well salary wise. They told me they are booked up at far as they can see This is a bigger local company.

Man. In my 20’s I was broke. I heard the trade jobs are dwindling. Same in your area?

There’s probably still a tax credit available to you for that.

Plenty of kids in my circle of friends and on my street that don't want to go to college and end up in the trades. Most are doing it right, getting hooked up with a union and getting trained. You can make a very decent living for sure and often beat the college educated that are in non-technical areas, say a teacher.

G

Drywallers, electricians, plumbers, anyone who can swing a hammer and show up every day.

They are all busy around me.

All are busy around here. It amazes me that some go into major debt attending college only to get a degree that takes them nowhere.

Mike Rowe Works can get you a scholarship and apprenticeship and have you making $75k in no time...

https://www.mikeroweworks.org/

I think starting union electrician jobs are in the $30 an hour range, yes, they are doing better than most of their college graduate friends with less stress, and less required hours !

My son's set of friends from HS is about a 50/50 split, college and trades. But Maryland has an excellent Vocational Program for HS kids, at least here.

My son, after four years of college and three years of law school, passing the Virginia Bar, etc, is just now making $100k, what his best friend from HS has been making as a Lineman for quite some time.

Now, the ratio will change but, as I mentioned in another thread, I do his best friends taxes and wear him out about savings and getting into management.

Here is the other thing, the most simple part of being a parent: Learn to say no to Art F'ing History Degrees...don't pay for it or allow them to go into debt.

The trades.
 

+1

Well said. I am amazed at the number of misguided kids who go to college because “it’s expected”, but then choose a degree program that’s either something they like as a hobby (and will earn no income), or a non-science degree. Even a Business degree is questionable if a person has no real desire to be a business LEADER. You don’t need a business degree to WORK at a business.

It’s also amazing to see young people who have talent, drive and personality making good money via their own YouTube channel. They plan, script, record, edit and publish their own content, producing high quality results.


-rb

I was in the flooring trade but after a bit of time I started my own business. I made my two sons work during holidays and summer. I did well but mostly because my wife handled the money and invested in real estate. My boys called it prison work. They are both Doctors now.

They are doctors because you forced them to do convict labor. Motivated them to study, I guarantee it. Good job.

If I had my time again I'd be an engineer. One of those guys who goes to a house renovation job and says "Yep, a beam across there. 300mm x 150mm x 3 meters." "That's $1,000 thanks."

While I have a 4 year degree, and two of my three children will have one as well, it is a big lie that you need a 4 year degree to be successful.

I counsel anyone who will listen that a person needs either a career or a trade. I am very active on the local HVAC trade association.

I agree and strongly advocate for trade education. I had the benefit of taking wood shop in HS. What a gift. My dad had a full metal shop and has a Lathe obsession. I am very fortunate in that way. I look down on folks that are handicapped without being able to fix anything. My buddy just geeked out on a table I made. He made himself a similar one. I had to lend him tools because he didn't even have a F'N SANDER.

Rant over.

Issue I see with most trades is that the body gives out eventually. How many carpenters, drywallers, plumbers, auto mechanics still able to work full time in the field at 50? 60? Sure, some will have their own sub business by then, but obviously the great majority won’t. They need to be saving and investing. But AFAIK these jobs don’t tend to have 401k plans and employer matches - I could be wrong. Trade education should include financial classes.

Trade labor is getting more difficult to find. Hard labor was done by immigrants and technical trade by white guys. Now, immigrants do it all and kicking ass.

My electrician is hiring at $45 per hour. He can’t find anyone with two brain cells.

That's because our boys are taught doing trades type work is below them for the past 25 years in school. I also thing many of us are getting lazier then ever. Try getting some 25 year old motivated with a few bucks. The fold. Only some, a hand full will shine through.

If we chose auto shop, carpentry, or sheet metal shop we were looked down on. The shops were down a dingy hallway. This was in the 70's.

Yep, the narrative was always only those that were not smart enough for college went into the trades .

I hope you are correct about kids going into the trades, friend of mine who is a contractor says no young kids to be found around here that want to work (a hard days work) as such none in the trades. If you need anyone in the trades around the Atlanta area good luck, this is from my own first hand experience and a brother in law who has worked in the trades his whole life. Most times no one will even return a call, if they do and they are any good expect a 3 month wait. If they are available any sooner don’t hire them, they are crap.

Might be decent money but so many tradesmen I know look 20 years older than they are, have back problems, knee problems, joint issues, respiratory issues, and on and on. I'm sure health and safety in that industry has come a long way but it sure makes it hard to suggest that route to youngsters.

Of my two future SILs, one is an Electrician that will end up taking over his father's business in less than 10 yrs and I couldn't be happier. The other is a civil engineer with PGE. He started out as a welder, working construction, decided to get his BS, with him, I also couldn't be happier.

Both young men are respectful, hard working and I love them both. Did I mention I couldn't be happier for my daughters?