The Trades

[curtintex]

I’ve got two grown daughters and two going to college next year. Admittedly, I’m a college dropout, but I wanted to extend a little advice to you dads with kids, especially sons, coming of age.

I’m the father of four girls. I own a few construction-related companies and employ a few hundred amazing people. I know the industry and the market. I see trends and make my living off of them. I’m not overly intelligent nor do I work any harder than most. But, I pay attention!

There are many trades in the world that don’t necessitate a college degree. For example, I have a Texas A&M Mayes Business school dropout daughter that makes six figures cutting and coloring your wive’s hair.

However, my expertise is in the construction realm. Our industry has a huge shortage of qualified EVERYTHING! Plumbers, electricians, welders, masons, trims guys, equipment operators, etc. are in great shortage and decline, not to mention DEMAND!

If your son, or daughter, has some intellect and a propensity for hard work, they can spend $100,000 grand on a ANOTHER business degree, or marketing, or theater arts or underwater basket-weaving, or they could learn a trade that many shy from and make that much per year.

Please don’t be afraid to steer your kids towards the trades. Soon, plumbers, electricians, heavy equipment operators, HVAC guys, and the like will be naming their own price. I hire college educated “project managers” (they don’t know **** when they get here), for way less than I can hire a good heavy equipment operator, surveyor or a licensed plumber.

The whole goal of college is “Get a degree to make more money”. In some cases, that is true, but it’s not a blanket solution. America has sold our kids on the fact that college is required to be successful, but nobody ever takes the time to define success. College is a business, and we’re being FLEECED!

So....if you have a son, or daughter, that wants a comfortable lifestyle and willing to work for it, please consider the trades. They’ll make more than all of us in coming years, simply due to supply and demand.


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[Pineywoods]

Agreed. I've been saying the same thing for a while. I don't have a college degree but had a brain between my ears and new how to work hard and have done as good or better than friends with Masters Degrees. I wish more high school graduates would consider dedicating themselves to learning a trade.

[CBHunter]

The Trades

I've heard the same thing from plumbers and electricians. Seems there are a lot of people that don't want to work at all, much less doing manual labor anymore.

My nephew did not want to go to college, so he chose a trade. He is an electrician and is making very good money.


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[Burnadell]

Solid advice!

[alec73065]

I could not agree with you more Curt ! I came out of high school in 1983 and was a machinist, I had the desire to always do more so went from Manual machining to CNC machining to owning my own CNC machine shop. Friends from high school that went to college and graduated with high dollar degrees I probably made more than them 30 years ago than what they do today. I worked every minute of OT, took every free class offered and that is what got me to the career and salary that I have today in running Datacenters and facilities. I have reached out to many community colleges and set up several apprentice programs in the last few years for HVAC & Electrical to do my part in building the bench of typically Blue collar trades. 2 of my 3 children went or are going to college and owe $60-$100 K in student loans. My daughter that graduated recently is making $30K a year with a marketing degree and almost $100K in student loans. I have several young people, not college educated, working in the trades that will make over $120K this year with OT. There should be more vocational schools available to our youth, I was able to take machining in my Jr & Sr year in high school since I had all the credits I needed, except for English, in my Sophmore year of HS. At that time the vocational school was located right on the school campus.

[thegrouse]

I have a son graduating HS and I have mentioned this to him. He does not want to work outside in the heat. I did a few years in the trades. What I saw was many that wore their body out far too early. I was making a ton of money at 21 but there was a ceiling unless I wanted to start my own business. There were many late nights and the on call was not ideal. I went back to school. I have advised my boys that ideally you would learn the trade, then start a business with the skills you have learned. Sky is the limit in that case, I just didn't want to put in the hassle and time of owning a business.

[curtintex]

I have a son graduating HS and I have mentioned this to him. He does not want to work outside in the heat. I did a few years in the trades. What I saw was many that wore their body out far too early. I was making a ton of money at 21 but there was a ceiling unless I wanted to start my own business. There were many late nights and the on call was not ideal I went back to school. I have advised my boys that ideally you would learn the trade, then start a business with the skills you have learned. Sky is the limit in that case, I just didn't want to put in the hassle and time of owning a business.

Learn the trade and then start a business with what you learned.[emoji106]


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[Gumbo Man]

Great advice Curt. I too pay attention to the changes of our environment and think that a fleet of Taco stands would be very lucrative. LOL. On a serious note I find it strange that welders are in short supply. I made my living for 30 years as a pipe welder and fabricator. I left the industry in 2008 and they were everywhere. Some could even pass both a welding test and a drug test.

[Drycreek3189]

I agree 100%, but the problem as I see it is fewer youngsters want to get their hands dirty. I made a **** good living running equipment until I got to be a foreman, then an owner, then a consultant. Probably made less money for the hours worked when I was a foreman, but that too, was an educational experience. I ate a lot of dirt to be able to make the kind of money I made in the last half of my career and never regretted it. Never regretted my ninth grade education either !

[Texas452]

I’ve got two grown daughters and two going to college next year. Admittedly, I’m a college dropout, but I wanted to extend a little advice to you dads with kids, especially sons, coming of age.

I’m the father of four girls. I own a few construction-related companies and employ a few hundred amazing people. I know the industry and the market. I see trends and make my living off of them. I’m not overly intelligent nor do I work any harder than most. But, I pay attention!

There are many trades in the world that don’t necessitate a college degree. For example, I have a Texas A&M Mayes Business school dropout daughter that makes six figures cutting and coloring your wive’s hair.

However, my expertise is in the construction realm. Our industry has a huge shortage of qualified EVERYTHING! Plumbers, electricians, welders, masons, trims guys, equipment operators, etc. are in great shortage and decline, not to mention DEMAND!

If your son, or daughter, has some intellect and a propensity for hard work, they can spend $100,000 grand on a ANOTHER business degree, or marketing, or theater arts or underwater basket-weaving, or they could learn a trade that many shy from and make that much per year.

Please don’t be afraid to steer your kids towards the trades. Soon, plumbers, electricians, heavy equipment operators, HVAC guys, and the like will be naming their own price. I hire college educated “project managers” (they don’t know **** when they get here), for way less than I can hire a good heavy equipment operator, surveyor or a licensed plumber.

The whole goal of college is “Get a degree to make more money”. In some cases, that is true, but it’s not a blanket solution. America has sold our kids on the fact that college is required to be successful, but nobody ever takes the time to define success. College is a business, and we’re being FLEECED!

So....if you have a son, or daughter, that wants a comfortable lifestyle and willing to work for it, please consider the trades. They’ll make more than all of us in coming years, simply due to supply and demand.


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I agree.
A college degree does open more doors. But I have done well in construction without a college degree.
If you become good at something,show up for work,pay attention and learn, work hard,you will get paid.

[Burnadell]

Learn the trade and then start a business with what you learned.[emoji106]


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This happens often and is the reason I always recommend college students take some finance and accounting courses to make them better prepared in case they go into business for themselves.

[Tony Pic]

I spent 35 years in heavy electrical construction, made a dang good living and learned an awesome trade. The wife and I raised three sons who are now 29, 27 and 25. Not one entered my trade. My oldest rebuilds Rolls Royce/GE turbine engines for a defense contractor, my middle boy is a police officer and youngest is a full blown CPA working for a huge accounting firm. I had dreams of all of them coming into my trade when they were young. But they sought their own path and became successful in their own right. I just made sure they knew how to use tools and handle simple home owner tasks that many can be taken for a ride for if they have no knowledge of how things are done.
But I understand your frustration Curt. It is very hard to find good reliable people wanting to get dirty, work and learn a trade.

[lilavidhunter]

Fantastic Advise.

[Leemo]

Yep

[Preacher Man]

Caught a little bit of the Michael Berry show this morning. He was talking about this. He mentioned some recent statistics that indicate fewer males are attending college.

Don't recall if Michael gave any opinions as to where the young men are going. My suspicion is the trades.