The Trades

[miket]

For those who have done this, how did yall go about getting started? Did somebody give you a shot to learn on the job or did you take a class at a community college without knowing the full ins and outs of that particular trade?

Having the desire to get started is one thing, but getting that opportunity is another. Or how about people who are trying to change careers. Maybe the first one isn’t working out or their industry is drying up. Experience is everything in trades but how do you gain it when nobody will let you earn it.


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Im in a different trade ( not construction) but IMO the key is to start young when you can live on less money as you build your skills. About 15yrs ago I looked into getting out of machining but soon came to realize it was too late. Had a wife and kids and couldnt start from the bottom again.

Maybe its different now, but starting pay for OJT in most trades was very low. Gotta learn to earn.

[Mayhem]

Yessir. We do have an internship program and have hired several great people from it. The guy that now runs our estimating department was our first intern. We also are partnering with the local ISD to get kids interested in construction. We are helping to write curriculum for trade-based studies as well.


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This is what I like to hear. I would like to steer Barrett in this direction. He is really good with math and loves the idea of building things. He loves legos and figuring out how things go together.


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[IowaHunter]

I’ve been preaching the same for the past ten years. That’s a route for independence!

[Gumbo Man]

This is a great thread with a lot of life experience and common since attached to it. I believe that a good personality and work ethic can supersede lack of experience and lack of education and open many doors. Sell yourself and be that person that sticks out. I just hired a dish washer that brought in a resume for the job. Believe me that’s not the norm and he will do well in life.

[jdg13]

Civil Engineer here. I work with a lot of home builders and other contractors. Right now business is booming like crazy. I enjoy being able to sit in a comfy office and design things, but I could be making just as much money doing the actual building, and probably be less stressed mentally. There's times I'd love to be in a trade wherein I can go to a job, do it right, and it's DONE, instead of the countless design iterations on a computer. We've filled kids heads with this idea that they can get their interpretative folk dance PhD and make bank. Reality bites them hard. A degree doesn't mean anything unless it's marketable, and even then you've got to want to work, be it with your brain or your hands.

[Chew]

One of my sons works for Curt, one is a lineman for Centerpoint, one for Union Pacific, and one is an elevator mechanic. All make very good money with no college degrees. One is making 10K a week right now in Louisiana.



And just to help you out Curt, yes the elevator business has its ups and downs.

[Gumbo Man]

One of my sons works for Curt, one is a lineman for Centerpoint, one for Union Pacific, and one is an elevator mechanic. All make very good money with no college degrees. One is making 10K a week right now in Louisiana.



And just to help you out Curt, yes the elevator business has its ups and downs.

And it all started a long time ago at home. Good job Dad.

[big_smith]

I question my life choices regularly. A close friend of mine has a son who is now 23. He took as many dual credit classes he could and was able to get his 2year process technology degree one year post HS graduation. The kid is making about $50/hr now and nocked down over $100k his first year. He still lives at home with virtually no bills and is banking away his check to pay cash for a house.

[brrdnk]

Very well said Curt. I own a controls company- Building automation work. I went to trade school for mechanics and air conditioning. Learned about building automation on the job.
It’s very hard to find a good controls guy. I will say there is not an out of work good controls person. We do a lot of in house training and send our employees to classes. The trades can be very rewarding and can develop skill sets for life.

[Slew]

My son hates school and wants to be a fishing guide. Hard to fault him there. I've told him he should find something to do for when he's not fishing! I hopped roofs for 15 years on the road and gave that up with kids and don't miss it! Worked in construction and on tugboats summers in high school and college and I still remember a captain telling me I would miss that job later in life! Those captains make great $$ and wake up on the water every day! I haven't figured out what I want to do when I grow up yet but I am going fishing the next 3 days so life isn't too bad!

[3whunt]

Tell my kids this every stinking day. Wish someone would have told me this. I have a masters degree in finance and hate waking up each day to work for corporate America.

[Dale Moser]

Also, tell them to vote Republican.

[FLASH_OUTDOORS]

I was a horrible student. BARELY graduated high school. In 2000 at 15 I started working summers as an electrical apprentice in my dads residential new construction electrical company. Even at that time it was all illegals and alcoholic 50yr olds. I learned Spanish quickly and learned how to work. Started on plugs and didn’t learn switches until I was as fast or faster than the lead guy at doing plugs. That lasted two summers.

My junior year I was eligible for work program and would drive to jobs in my own vehicle during the week and work full time on weekends.

When I graduated I went in full time.

21 yrs later I am a master electrician. Passed the test first try. I run an manage 4 crews for my dad and run my own electrical company on the side.

Sometimes I swear I never want my boys in this industry and then I do a few jobs for myself and get it.

The only people we have to hire from is felons, drug addicts, workman’s comp job hoppers, illegals, and burn outs. Not a single kid straight out of high school has walked in the door looking for a job since 2000. And we are literally 1/2mile away from Tomball high school.

I speak English, I show up, I say yes ma’am and no ma’am, I can literally charge what I want. If it keeps going this way we won’t be able to afford to build homes anymore.

I think after typing all this, I will teach my kids the trade, but also teach them to get to work for themselves ASAP.


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[Let's go Brandon!]

Sound info and advice

[TxHamJello]

Another big plus, it is very difficult to outsource the trades to people in other countries.