This past week I had the pleasure of encountering a few craftsmen who make a big difference with their work. The first was a fireman who arrived when my HVAC outside electrical system caught fire. The second was the HVAC repairman, who came to fix it the next day. The third was a plumber who specialized in clearing drains. So he called himself a drain man.
I have also hired a landscaping guy who is steadily replacing our grass and doing a few more tasks. Then there’s the masseuse I visited this weekend who has superb skill in reaching every muscle in my shoulders and neck.
Each has a significant skill set that is quite valuable. None of them have a college degree. This article talks about the career path for tradesmen, from vocational training to apprenticeships. But first, it addresses learning about the world of work and finding your vocation.
The World of Work
Examining the unemployment statistics will reveal that teenagers have the highest level of unemployment. Of course, they have the lowest level of skills to bring to any job. Plus, with the minimum wage laws in effect, only some businesses can afford to hire them. But a few lucky ones find jobs and start learning about the world of work.
I was fortunate to begin working with my father and grandfather in a grocery store at 5 or 6 years old. That continued in my high school years at a larger supermarket. I could earn money, buy and maintain a car, and pay for a few activities. It was an introduction to both work and living as an adult.
Finding Your Vocation
Those early jobs taught me a great deal about working and provided perspective when looking at other possible positions for my vocation. I also did a great deal of study of potential jobs, from searching through several reference books to taking a career interest survey.
And my hobbies guided me as well. I enjoyed listening to shortwave radio broadcasts and building a receiver with some of my first grocery store earnings. I also observed closely when mechanics worked on my car or when I encountered other professions.
Looking back over a long career across several industries and jobs, I feel it’s important to realize that any career path constantly changes over time based on opportunities, industry or organizational disruption, and even evolving personal interests and goals.
Vocational Training
I grew up in an era when shop class was a given. It was mandatory in 7th and 8th grade and rotated each quarter between wood shop, metal shop, electrical shop, and drafting. Optional shop classes followed that in high school. I attended an electronics shop in the 10th and 12th grades with a metal shop in the 11th grade. These early classes were an introduction to hands-on trades or hobbies, followed by vocational training in high school.
I’m a big fan of junior and senior high vocational training. Today, you’re more likely to see computer or robotics training. I also greatly value community colleges and trade schools. The best provide rock-solid training and link up with local industry to guide any needed curriculum changes and provide a path for students into valuable jobs.
After high school, I didn’t go to community college. Instead, I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and had almost continuous electronics training and hands-on experience through my four years of duty. I also took a home study course to prepare for the FCC 1st Class Radiotelephone license, which set me up to work in broadcasting after leaving the Air Force.
Later in my career, I taught electronics at a community college, established an industry advisory committee to update our training, and went on to write a few home study courses. That was followed by developing products for vocational schools. Then I worked as director of education for a chain of trade schools providing training in medical and technical careers. So you can tell that vocational training was and remains a personal passion.
Apprenticeships and Skilled Trades
Here are some of the data for the skilled trades I recently encountered. You can find more information and jobs in the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook. I recommend this resource for further research.
- Firefighters. Pay is $50,700 per year, 326,000 jobs in the US, and an expected growth rate of 4%.
- HVAC Technicians. Pay is $48,630 annually, 395,000 jobs, and 5% growth.
- Plumbers. Pay is $59,880 annually, 469,000 jobs, and a 2% growth.
- Massage Therapists. Pay is $46,910 annually, 149,900 jobs, and 20% growth.
You can tell these are good-paying jobs and often at or above salaries expected when completing a bachelor’s degree. Plus, no debt is usually accumulated from low-cost community colleges or apprenticeship programs.
When searching for apprenticeship information, an excellent place to start is the U.S. Labor Department’s website ApprenticeshipUSA. It provides detailed information on the benefits of choosing an apprenticeship and offers an online Apprenticeship Job Finder.
Another approach is to test your Google search skills by entering “apprentice” and the trade you seek. Again, you’ll find many options that require more digging to determine whether they fit your career goals. Yet another resource is the Trade Foundry which provides a great deal of information and resources on skilled trades and apprenticeships.
University Degrees
I didn’t mention the dental hygienist that recently worked on my teeth in my opening. The stats say a median pay of $77,810 per year and 214,000 jobs with an expected growth of 9%. The requirements are an associate degree.
There are quite a few jobs that either require an associate degree or where a degree can give you a real leg up on getting hired. Plus, it’s only a two-year investment of time and usually relatively low tuition.
Bachelor’s degrees are often focused on more general studies. That includes psychology, English, history, etc. Landing a job with that degree requires making personal connections and persuading the hiring manager that your broad skill set can make a difference for their business.
Finding the career you’d like and the necessary training that lines things up for employment after graduating is far better. Look at accounting, engineering, etc. Plus, the tuition at universities continues to increase, and debt accumulates. Think carefully about what programs make sense for your career, not just the four or six years after high school.
Lifetime Learning
It is wise to start your career with the assumption that you’ll always need to be learning. That can include on-the-job learning, seminars, study leading to certifications or licenses, and wholesale changes.
While my career spanned 1968 to the present, and the job marketplace was more open to those who had updated their skills, it can still serve as a model. I started high school in the U.S. Air Force, picking up electronics training and experience. I also studied for and passed the FCC 1st Class Radiotelephone license exam.
That set me up for working in television broadcasting as a technician. Then, with further study, I earned 60 semester hours in electronics and math via home study. That was leveraged into working as an electronics instructor. Finally, writing articles and a book prepared me to work as a home study course writer.
At that point, I realized that lifetime learning required bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Fortunately, by that time in the 1980s, there were adult degree completion programs that helped. With those degrees added, I started working in management for training development, publishing, and communication. Learning never stops.
Craftsmanship in the 21st Century
That’s my brief insight into what I call craftsmanship in the 21st century. The bottom line, there are more ways to be gainfully employed than going to college. Many of those jobs pay exceptionally well, and you’ll have a trade where your experience and expertise grow over time. Good luck.
Links for further thoughts on today’s world of work:
Regulating Work and Destroying Jobs https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/regulating-work-destroying-jobs-jim-wilson/
Finding Job Security in a World of Robots and Regulation https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/finding-job-security-world-robots-regulation-jim-wilson/
Adjunct Faculty — For Better or Worse https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/adjunct-faculty-better-worse-jim-wilson-mba/
