There is entirely too much emphasis placed on college educations. Started work in the family business at 12 (first credible year for SS) of sheetmetal and HVAC. While in HS became a journyman at 14 and a foreman at 16. Migrated into all aspects of refrigeration including large industrial plants. That lead to being a industrial pipefitter and welder. 26 years working for the Navy CS in Quality Assurance, facility planing. maintenance, and contracting. Concurrently spent 33 years in the Navy Reserve retiring as a W4. Toward the end of my working years worked as a Construction Project Manager and Quality Control Manager.
Never any college. Always made above average salaries and my wife did not have to work.
Raised 5 kids, only 2 went to college (their choice). All were offered bed and room, access to a car, and some $. All are doing above average financially, except one is a high achiever. He quit high school, followed the crowd till a serious accident (almost killed him) woke him up. Took a special exam at UW and qualifies as an incoming freshman. Several scholarships and PEL Grants kept him away from the loan sharks.
Degree in geology. Poor starting pay, applied for an entry level job for a high tech company. 30 years later he is making $250K/yr working for Intel as a supervising software engineer. No further college.
After Civil Service moved up in the construction world as a technical and business savvy manager until engineers and architects with only 3 years of work experience in construction became a requirement contractually for government contracts. That was considered by contractors as an entry level job with starting pay of $45-60K. I was making $130K and all of a sudden was out of work. Started a consulting business and did very well for 10 years helping those same contractors get through the morass of government contracts with project management and quality control assistance to their inept new college graduates they were forced to hire. We the tax payers are now paying more for that public work due to the degree featherbedding. Further, a lot of good technician level jobs went down the drain.
In closing, the construction trades are crying for help as the demographics of retirements are way and above exceeding the input of apprentices. Maybe good may be bad but now the drive is to more manufactured assemblies, automation, and other technical solutions. That then creates a shortage of technicians to install and repair the high tech solutions. More technical immigrants are going to be required (if congress gets off its duff) and a change in society over schooling.
Ron
