As tech jobs melt, the trades beckon

[tom baker]

I retired as a Master Electrician. My High School Guidance counselor wanted me to go to college. Eventually I did get a degree using the GI Bill, my BSe degree is in Workforce Education, and I taught hundreds of classes for thousands of electricians.
But I am the most proud of being an electrician.
Read about the money to be made in the trades here

As tech jobs melt, the trades beckon. This Tacoma plumber makes $140K+.

You don’t need a four-year degree and massive college debt to make a very comfortable living. Around Seattle, jobs — and money — are waiting in skilled trades.

www.seattletimes.com

 

[electrofelon]

It would be so satisfy to have one of these (former) brogrammers working under me as an apprentice!

 

[Ken_S]

I'm with you, I'm proud to be an electrician and proud of my accomplishments. As it's been said here before the trade career path has for the most part been abandoned by guidance counselors. Many parents have also been brain washed into this way of thinking. Many schools no longer even have a shop class that would expose kids to a different career path. However, the contracting world is also to blame, sadly while there are many great high paying jobs, there are as many or more low paying no benefit jobs where you will get abused, and taken advantage of.

 

[Dzboyce]

Tom, there's starting to be a change finally in high school counseling and career guidance. In Washington for many school districts only about 35% of high school graduates continue on to college. High schools have woefully unprepared the other 65% to enter the work force. Additionally less than 50% of college graduates end up working in a job related to their degree.

High school pre-apprenticeship programs are starting to be offered, there was a bill presented to the Washinton legislature this session for increased funding. One of the school districts that gave testimony at a hearing for this bill was from the Vancouver area. Their program teaches real world math! The students are constructing tiny homes which expose the students to all the building trades. The tiny homes are sold and self fund the program. Another pre-apprentishship program is in the Edmonds-Marysville area. I can't remember exactly which school district. Problem is there are only 50 slots for 9 high schools. These programs need to be supported and expanded statewide.

As you are aware, the requirements for becoming a commercial/industrial (01) electrician are changing in June here in Washington. All 01 trainees will have to join an approved apprenticeship program to be eligible to become an 01 journey level electrician. There are only 13 approved programs in the state. They all have waiting lists to enter them already.

 

[ptonsparky]

The bigger school system in this area built a new school. No shop until one of the local business man donated it. It's been a few years and hopefully they are getting their heads back into daylight. Neighboring schools have.

 

[tom baker]

Tom, there's starting to be a change finally in high school counseling and career guidance. In Washington for many school districts only about 35% of high school graduates continue on to college. High schools have woefully unprepared the other 65% to enter the work force. Additionally less than 50% of college graduates end up working in a job related to their degree.

High school pre-apprenticeship programs are starting to be offered, there was a bill presented to the Washinton legislature this session for increased funding. One of the school districts that gave testimony at a hearing for this bill was from the Vancouver area. Their program teaches real world math! The students are constructing tiny homes which expose the students to all the building trades. The tiny homes are sold and self fund the program. Another pre-apprentishship program is in the Edmonds-Marysville area. I can't remember exactly which school district. Problem is there are only 50 slots for 9 high schools. These programs need to be supported and expanded statewide.

As you are aware, the requirements for becoming a commercial/industrial (01) electrician are changing in June here in Washington. All 01 trainees will have to join an approved apprenticeship program to be eligible to become an 01 journey level electrician. There are only 13 approved programs in the state. They all have waiting lists to enter them already.

In my classes I didn’t get many apprentice grads, but they were the most knowledgeable. The residential electricians (2 year) are nearly all trained on the job, the first time passing score is around 25%. Trainee electricians other than those on apprenticeship programs, are required to get 24 hours per year of classroom instruction, that has made little difference on the exam passing score.

 

[infinity]

sadly while there are many great high paying jobs, there are as many or more low paying no benefit jobs where you will get abused, and taken advantage of.

I see the trend moving that way which is the opposite of what's being reported in some of the news media. Maybe it's a regional thing but I'm tired of hearing about there not being enough skilled tradesman for all for these unfilled "high paying" jobs. In NYC the local IBEW hall has about 1400 journeyman who are currently unemployed with an 11-12 month wait for a new job. Get laid off today and you won't return to work until 2024. If you're looking to hire electricians for $15/hour there might be a shortage of workers but I wouldn't call the workers in that category highly skilled.

 

[__dan]

Yes Thank You, that's it exactly.

You can get all the guys you want and highly skilled highly motivated ones at that. It is all a matter of price. We all want to work and it would be nice if the pay covered the expenses of living, you know, more than breakfast at Mcd's, cigs, and the interest payment on the CC.

I see so much crazy stuff on a big job. Subs stop putting down gravel and ashphalt in the parking lot because they know the GC is twirling their pay paperwork around. Subs bus in travelling crews who bust their butt for nothing. Saw the GC short the porta potties and the mountain of brown stuff in there that approached the seat was something I had never seen before, nor do I want to see again.

 

[letgomywago]

In my classes I didn’t get many apprentice grads, but they were the most knowledgeable. The residential electricians (2 year) are nearly all trained on the job, the first time passing score is around 25%. Trainee electricians other than those on apprenticeship programs, are required to get 24 hours per year of classroom instruction, that has made little difference on the exam passing score.

If it makes you feel better I was a just CEU trainee and got my 0-2 card and 0-1 administrators both on 1st shot. It's doable but I studied hard and if I hadn't it wouldn't have gone well. How the CEUs are taught I feel makes a difference some of them are a joke and some of the instructors can open up a section and really make its application understood.

 

[letgomywago]

I see the trend moving that way which is the opposite of what's being reported in some of the news media. Maybe it's a regional thing but I'm tired of hearing about there not being enough skilled tradesman for all for these unfilled "high paying" jobs. In NYC the local IBEW hall has about 1400 journeyman who are currently unemployed with an 11-12 month wait for a new job. Get laid off today and you won't return to work until 2024. If you're looking to hire electricians for $15/hour there might be a shortage of workers but I wouldn't call the workers in that category highly skilled.

That must be regional on the west coast they're still giving new hires bonuses.

 

[brantmacga]

The bigger school system in this area built a new school. No shop until one of the local business man donated it. It's been a few years and hopefully they are getting their heads back into daylight. Neighboring schools have.

What I’ve witnessed in my area is that we don’t have anyone to teach the shop classes. The pay and opportunity outside the school system is too much to pass up. The school i graduated from can hardly keep an ag teacher because they’re all getting consulting and ag sales job, and it’s the ag teachers there that also cover all the shop/welding/trade classes.

 

[packersparky]

What I’ve witnessed in my area is that we don’t have anyone to teach the shop classes. The pay and opportunity outside the school system is too much to pass up. The school i graduated from can hardly keep an ag teacher because they’re all getting consulting and ag sales job, and it’s the ag teachers there that also cover all the shop/welding/trade classes.

I agree. There is only one college in my state that offers a Technical Education teacher (shop) major. A number of years ago there was 4 or 5 graduates with that major in one year. On the other hand, those that do have that degree can for the most part dictate what they get paid.