Pub. 1 2018-2019 Issue 3

19 by an increase in population – demandwill continue to grow for all associated trades, including construction managers, elec- tricians, metalworkers, and crane oper- ators, among others. There are 600,000 jobs for electricians in the country today, and about half of those will open up over the next decade. With so many boomers retiring from the trades, the U.S. is going to need a lot more pipe-fitters, nuclear power plant operators, carpenters, welders, utility workers, and so on - the list is long. And not enough young people are consider- ing a career path that involves training in these skilled professions. Why is this happening? As a result of the pressure for completing a university edu- cation, young people are too often signing themselves up for truly staggeringamounts of toxic debt and delaying their entry into theworkforce even though the cost of that education has increased dramatically. Then there are those who either cannot or will not choose to go to a university in order to continue their education. Income inequality in the U.S. is a reality, and it is getting worse over time. Pushing stu- dents in the direction of something they don’t want or can’t afford is not just short- sighted; it is wasteful. The better alterna- tive is using the last couple of years of high school as a time to prepare for some kind of skilled trade instead. Using the time this way increases the options students have after graduation. No one is hurt by learning how to work at something that is purely practical. If they want to return to a uni- versity later in life, they can. Many workers later in life start their ownbusinesseswithin the field, using their knowledge and expe- rience to create more jobs for others. In the meantime, they have real-world skills that canmake going back to school much easier when and if that becomes some- thing they want for themselves. Keep in mind, having multiple directions for students to investigate does not mean the smart students who work with their hands, andwho decide to forego a univer- sity education completely, are somehow less valuable. In 2004, and again in an updated 2014 version, a man namedMike Rose published an important book called TheMind atWork: Valuing the Intelligence of the American Worker. He argues not only that it is wrong to undervalue peo- ple’s worth based on their job descrip- tion, doing so creates a significant social penalty. He’s right. Like many other industries, the construc- tion industry is currently struggling with a limited supply of workers. Clearly, the U.S. needs more of its young people to decide to go into the skilled trades, which includes the construction industry. When weighing a career in the trades, as opposed to four-year college career path, the obvious, that has been overlooked is this: trade school is cheaper, shorter, and has serious job potential and room for growth in the coming years. You can take your chosen trade as far as you want or even take the plunge and start your own company. And where there’s demand, there’s opportunity to make a whole lot money, and secure a future career path that provides stability. 3 When weighing a career in the trades as opposed to four-year college career path, the obvious, that has been overlooked is this: trade school is cheaper, shorter, and has serious job potential and room for growth in the coming years.