Talk to your kids about their future jobs

[foggy1111]

Just to play the devils advocate here.....there are some vocations that at one point appeared to be sound but hardly exist today....such as electronic repair. You don't see many TV repairman living off the fat of the land these days. Same could be said for lots of Information Tech jobs. Choose vocations wisely.

 

[CinderSchnauzer]

In many cases a basic college education, for example, an Arts Degree, is next to useless. For many jobs it has become the bare minimum for entry, but chances for significant advancement are often reserved for those who have gone on to graduate work or completed the requirements for a professional designation.

Many in skilled trades make significantly more $$$ than many with college degrees. As others have eluded, when choosing a skilled trade be careful what you pick. Look for something that is difficult to outsource to India / China and appears to have an ongoing future. Tool and die trades are ones that seem at risk to offshore competition, whereas electricians, HVAC, carpenters may be at risk to shifts in the economy, BUT, when your A/C unit quits and it's 90 degrees - the HVAC guy is not coming from China.

I know two people who are master electricians and their income far exceeds that of many of their friends who went to college and then into the job market.

 

[Taylortractornut]

I ll also agree with this post. When I was growing up my grandparent God rest them All wanted my younger brother and me to go to college and be doctors an lawyers and so forth. My grand father was a machinist and welder and mechanic from the 30s. After WW2 he worke for Gore truck lines urin g the day and plowed snow at night. My grandmother did odd jobs. Later they moved down here and ran a repair shop when Grandfather retired. THe moved here and ran the local marina and did boat repairs. My grandmother tol us always how to be like my uncles a Chemist for Dupont or and accountant for Author Anderson, But dont be a dirt mover like your father. That always hurt a little and I always wanted to run eqquipment after being raised around it.

At an early age with m grandfather I worke and in his shop cleaning tools and tinkering. When I was 8 or 9 da let me river the Allis Calmers B around by my sel and I was hooked later about 10 or so I spent the day hanging on the rops of a D8K with ad and the hook was set. My gran parents did put me 8000 dollars away for college. WIth da being an operator he was away alot and times were thin some times but we always had food and a good house.

My dad didnt finish grade school but at 14 he was putting i nseptic tanks with the first TLB in this area. He moved onto an IH TD14 dozer and had a knack for building house lots and roads.

I never did real well in school I was bright but had trouble keeping up writing and trouble applying math the way my teachers taught it. I was too bright for remedial classes to slow for math. Iwas sent to Lebohneur Childrens hospital for IQ tessts. The doctor told us that I was bright but bored with school and suggeseted for the school to help me with math. Dint work out I struggle to keep up. Long story short I had an alcoholic Guidance counsellor that told my parents and others I wasnt trying.

I made it to HS and Votech to metal trades some thing I was interested with metal work I learned from my grandfather. I did wel lin delding and machining. My teacher said something that really stuck with me that first year. That in my classes life time That a good job would be a skilled labor job. Wether it be building welding Mechanics, or construction. I took this to heart. Later I had a teacher in the HS tell me that Vo tech should be canceled. At the end of the year Vo tech students got 2 days to stay all day in there classes that were from the main schools.

My teacher told the HS teachers his thoughts. I learned more math from my shop teacher than i did in the whole school . I was able to apply and figure math. I even started welding for te public at 14. I also that year started running a scraper for dad at the land fill and the dozer and running a dump truck. When I was 16 I helped dad put in a septic tank for a friend and dad bought an old TLB. We put in tanks and suc throughout HS. In my last year of HS I met my fisrt girl friend and he favorite teacer was one of my worse ones. She looked down on blue collar workers. She even went as far to tell my GF that she should find someone else.

I was there to pick her up one time and she was talking to the teacher. I heard the same you should find some one esle thats better. Istood around the corner and listened My GF told her Taylor could leave the house on a saturday morning in an old 74 Ford dump truck with a 75 Ford backhoe and in in 4 hours come back with 600 dollars in his pocket.

After HS I went to JR college and took 2 more years of Machinist training. I even trained up to program CNC machines. I worked inside at Gear Tek based on a money descision instead of being happy with what I did. Big mistake I hated it after they didnt hold up there bargain about what I going to be doing. I quit and worked that winter for myself till the first of the year. I went to work as a laborer for Huffman COnstruction on a treatment plant. I worked my way up by working on broken equipment and running a 3 stick Case Hoe. I learned Concrete work and layout skills. When the winter came I my other skills kept me on the company pay roll. Welding mechanicing, hydraulics, and other skills.

By this time in my life I realized what the old shop teacher told me. Most of the old furniture plants are gone, all the garment plants gone, Nasa didnt stay, Most mobile ome plants left. All thats here are welding plants, a few construction companies and lots of trucking companies. I run a land fill and my job is pretty stable, plus I have a few other things to fal lback on. ALot of my friend that went to scool and looked down on me for not going to Ole \Miss or MS State are working at the local wally world.

 

[MarkV]

High tech trades are where I would head today. Something like laser repair tech for the medical industry. Lasers are being used for more and more medical applications and are less likely to be affected by ups and downs in the economy.

MarkV

 

[Will_C]

I am a school principal, and I couldn't agree more with idea of encouraging kids to explore the trades. It is frustrating that we are short changing vocational education in the pursuit of test scores, but that is how we are evaluated by the state and federal education departments.

College and grad school has worked well for me, but it is not the answer for all. Maybe it is my blue collar upbringing, or the fact that my brother and many close friends work in the trades, but I have always been envious of those who build and repair things.

Will

 

[Wacky]

I am a school principal, and I couldn't agree more with idea of encouraging kids to explore the trades. It is frustrating that we are short changing vocational education in the pursuit of test scores, but that is how we are evaluated by the state and federal education departments.

College and grad school has worked well for me, but it is not the answer for all. Maybe it is my blue collar upbringing, or the fact that my brother and many close friends work in the trades, but I have always been envious of those who build and repair things.

Will

Well said.. I am trying to instill this in my son. He is only 5 but loves to help me "tinker".

 

[Ford tractor]

i did a year and a half in college and then went to trade school. It was the best thing for me. What i find sad is that all the trade schools in my area have turned into 2 year community colleges.

No, what's sad is that 90% of the kids starting community college have to take remedial math and reading. And 75% of the kids that GRADUATED from community college still needed 3 months training at the factory to be able to do "check book" level math and have 6th grade reading comprehension. Of them, half or more were gone in a year because it was "too hard" to understand.

The problem (as I see it) is that the kids are taught that they are "all special" and that they "deserve" all the nice things in life --> but have never had to actually work for them. When reality slaps them in the face, they nearly all fold.

 

[brain55]

No, what's sad is that 90% of the kids starting community college have to take remedial math and reading. And 75% of the kids that GRADUATED from community college still needed 3 months training at the factory to be able to do "check book" level math and have 6th grade reading comprehension. Of them, half or more were gone in a year because it was "too hard" to understand.

The problem (as I see it) is that the kids are taught that they are "all special" and that they "deserve" all the nice things in life --> but have never had to actually work for them. When reality slaps them in the face, they nearly all fold.

Luckily for me, I had 2 parents that set an example. They went to work everyday, sick or not. They never gave me a sense of entitlement. I was taught that if I want anything in this life, I'm going to have to go out and work for it, nobody is going to hand it to me. I was amazed by how much smarter my parents became after I moved out on my own the first time. When I went to trade school, they didn't pay my way, I had to get a job so I could pay my rent, and buy things, like food. I learned real quick that if I blew all of my money on booze or other recreational substances, I wouldn't have money for food, so early on, I missed some meals. After I finished trade school I had a job within a few days. And when I lost that job because of my enjoyment of those recreational substances, I got another one. And when that job was in jeopardy, I checked myself into rehab at 23 years old. I have been sober ever since, and I believe I got sober and stayed sober because I didn't have anyone bailing me out when I got in trouble, it was all me. Nobody to blame, no excuses. I have a real sense of personal responsibility that many don't have today, and I hope I can pass that down to my daughter. I hope I didn't get too far off on a tangent.

Brian

 

[CinderSchnauzer]

Another plus for skilled trades is that many have on the job apprenticeship where the student actually earns $$$ during training.

Often with college / university upon graduation the student is saddled with a huge loan WRT room / board / tuition if the parents have not paid the shot.

Guess you could say skilled trade could be a bonus for the parent as well!

 

[Gator6x4]

I don't think a lot of parents or teenagers realize more is required than just obtaining a degree. A lot of teenagers today are coming out of college with what I call a degree in basket weaving and floral arrangement and then when wonder why they can only find employment at a Burger barn. One father I know who was seperated but paying school funding was shocked when he asked his son who was in his last year of college what his major was, and received the reply, I haven't decided yet. It took a trip through court to get the mother and son to realize college was not a four year beer party paid for by someone else.