A common piece of life advice I see is "work in trades" instead of going to college, and while I think there is certainly some value in exploring alternative paths rather than going into debt for a dime-a-dozen degree, I do wonder how the advice of working in trades proliferated. It is career advice that sounds good on paper, but is also not as cut-and-dry as the comments would have you believe.
I'm sure it started from hearing random folks who supposedly work in trades are making great money, but the concept of working in trades becoming pushed more and more by the redpill community seems a bit suspicious to me. When did the sentiment of working in trades start to become more common? Was there a particular person or organization who made it more popular?
I think it is important to understand the origins of "popular" sentiments in order to truly determine whether there is an ulterior motive. For example, the common idea of "there aren't enough people in STEM" isn't really true, it's just a claim made by industries to pressure Congress into allowing them to import more cheap labor.
Could there potentially be a larger interest pushing the idea of working in trades as being a lucrative career path? Perhaps it is far-fetched to assume that there are greater forces at play who have an interest in convincing people to work in trades, but trades play a crucial role in maintaining a functional society, and without these people, the current status quo would fall apart. Glorifying trades would upset the status quo of "intellectualism," but appealing to male pride and honor and appealing to the men who see the futility of modern society is a viable means of ensuring that men remain working for a system that thinks lesser of them.
I'm not saying that working in trades is bad or that going to college is better. Working in trades is very admirable, but it is also important to be mindful that there is no surefire pathway to wealth or a fulfilling life. Neither STEM or trades may be the gateway to success that is pushed on the internet, and it is important to consider the path you take based on the circumstances you have been given.
About 20 years ago when it became obvious that there would be a shortage.
And now today, there IS a shortage.
You're reading way too much into it, and I'm guessing you're in your mid-late 30's and thus about 15 years older than the intended audience. It's not advice for you, it's advice for people who still have choices to make.
And the circumstances a 20 year old has been given right now is that if they become a plumber or an electrician, they can make bank about ten years faster than their college educated peers.
Tradesmen are more certain of their progression. Basically, their life gets better and they get paid more the longer they work.
Office NPCs are lucky to get cost of living raises.
Yes, building houses in your local community is "breaking your back for globohomo"
I make lawnmower gearboxes for an American company who primarily sells in the US, Canada, and Mexico, working in a shop that has been owned by the same family since it was founded.
I am a slave to globohomo, please send help.
Office NPCs used to get paid better than tradesman with raises and everything. Maybe not all of them but enough. You legit would do better by working in an office. Wages have gone to shit. But the demand for trades has been there enough that their wages are relatively better than office jobs now.
I'm not the intended audience, at least not anymore, that is true. I think it is important to ask who does the appeal to work in trades really benefit? Opportunities to move out of trades is limited if so desired, and recommending someone to dedicate their life to such a physically demanding career in a society that views trades so poorly is perhaps something that needs to be analyzed further.
The intended audience.
I don't think you understand just how critical the backlog is going to get in the next two decades. There will be electricians making a hundred an hour in 2030 even with no inflation. They'll be making more, with just journeyman training, than most lawyers.
Because you can't build mcmansions without electricians. And in some midwest cities right now it's a six month wait to get one for a new build.
The Canadian government currently has plans to build over a million houses over the next five years; how many lawyers do you figure they'll need :p
As many as the lawyers say they need. I think I saw a turtle in that development zone, so you're going to need to wait for us to figure out how much it's going to cost you to proceed.
Completely wrong.
Consider someone in their 40s who's worked in trades since they were 16 and spent their money at least somewhat responsibly.
Yes, their body may be starting to fail, but that means nothing if they're moving into any sort of office job.
They also have at least one vehicle, probably a house (mostly or completely paid off), and savings.
They understand the needs of employers, how to work in order to acheive results, and usually how to operate a small business.
In what way is this person at any sort of disadvantage compared to the average spoiled brat just out of high school?
I know several people who moved out of blue collar work (not just trades, stuff like trucking as well) with no issue.
Edit: And consider the opposite; have you ever met a desk jockey who decided to get into trades at 40?
I've heard several people express this desire. I hope it works out. Lots of uh talent flooding certain office jobs.
Not precisely. I do know a desk jockey who started a homebuilding company past 40 after having only done amateur work in the mean time. But no, not someone who just up and decided to be an electrician.
If you mean "really wishes he had picked up the trades instead of what he did"? Yeah, that'd be me. But actually do it? No. I'll just stick to farming on the side.
Trades require managers who know the trade. That's a pretty clear path if you ask me.
you don't need to be in your 20s to launch a new career. I would argue the stability of a trade job gives the person more opportunities to shift life trajectories than the student debt-ridden jobless liberal arts grad at the same age.