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Start here? Trade school ???
Posted on 5/5/23 at 1:05 pm
Posted on 5/5/23 at 1:05 pm
I have a 19 yo that is 1 year into local CC, he is struggling to decide what he would really want to do. The topic of trade school came up, HVAC, electrical or plumbing. What are the thoughts of the masses on this?
is there one better than the other?
INFO: this kid does not have much exp with tools or wiring or building things. Sports kid that would help with projects around the house, but nothing that involved him to do it by himself or too complicated.
is there one better than the other?
INFO: this kid does not have much exp with tools or wiring or building things. Sports kid that would help with projects around the house, but nothing that involved him to do it by himself or too complicated.
31
Posted on 5/5/23 at 1:11 pm to TTU97NI
If he doesn't mind getting dirty plumbing is the way to go! Most plumbers end up owning their own business within 10 years and I've never met a plumber that didnt have an awesome house and drive a nice truck.
Posted on 5/5/23 at 1:13 pm to TTU97NI
P tech degree and become a plant operator
Posted on 5/5/23 at 1:20 pm to TTU97NI
I'm a GC now but my first construction job was in flooring. Over the years just branched off and learned more and more. Fortunately I don't have to do any labor any more, just all the headache stuff.
Outside of taxes, workers comp, and a few bonehead employees, nothing is more head scratching than a HVAC bill.
Of those three, if I was 19 I'd try for HVAC first, then electrical or plumbing (based solely on pay). With none of them being a bad way to make a living.
With all three of them you can eventually run your own business if you stick with it and make really good money.
I can't speak on the pros and cons of trade school though. I know certain HVAC, electrical, and plumbing companies hire with no experience but I'm sure trade school would open up his options a bit.
Outside of taxes, workers comp, and a few bonehead employees, nothing is more head scratching than a HVAC bill.
Of those three, if I was 19 I'd try for HVAC first, then electrical or plumbing (based solely on pay). With none of them being a bad way to make a living.
With all three of them you can eventually run your own business if you stick with it and make really good money.
I can't speak on the pros and cons of trade school though. I know certain HVAC, electrical, and plumbing companies hire with no experience but I'm sure trade school would open up his options a bit.
This post was edited on 5/5/23 at 1:23 pm
Posted on 5/5/23 at 1:27 pm to iwyLSUiwy
Girl I work with's husband went with industrial maintenance at CC. He's getting $30+an hour plus any overtime and works 4 days a week normally. That gives him time for side work his days off for extra.
Not bad for 2 years of school and only a few years out of that.
Not bad for 2 years of school and only a few years out of that.
Posted on 5/5/23 at 1:38 pm to Lesalli
My opinion is why pay for trade school when most companies are glad to hire someone . You get on the job training , paid while you work, don’t owe any tuition. Lots are just scams!
Posted on 5/5/23 at 1:52 pm to TTU97NI
quote:
this kid does not have much exp with tools or wiring or building things
Welding, because it's a lot of repetitiveness. Just make sure he doesn't stay a welder. Eventually, he needs to work his way up to a welding inspector and beyond.
Posted on 5/5/23 at 1:58 pm to TTU97NI
He needs to get in the workforce and see if that’s the trade he wants to do. It only took me a couple of days working with my uncle as a diesel mechanic helper to decide that wasn’t for me. My brother did the same thing and now he’s a mechanic and makes 125k$ plus a year working half the year.
Everyone is hiring and and either one of those trades will be in demand for a long time, my son is currently attending CC for instrumentation/electrical and I tried to get him to to take some hvac but he said he didn’t want o be in hot attics like some of his friends are.
Everyone is hiring and and either one of those trades will be in demand for a long time, my son is currently attending CC for instrumentation/electrical and I tried to get him to to take some hvac but he said he didn’t want o be in hot attics like some of his friends are.
Posted on 5/5/23 at 2:03 pm to TTU97NI
quote:
Start here? Trade school ???
HVAC - he can make bank doing this, its better to run your own business after spending a year or two working for a company. this allows you to learn what things you want to concentrate on as a business. installation is a PITA so my business i only did repair work and if an inside system needed replacing, i told them to call someone else i recommended for that work. that let me avoid having a bunch of employees and i could hire 2 or 3 service guys to do the work on maint and repair. for health reasons i had to retire but i made $200-$250k after tax income doing it just by my self and no other employees. i recommended my nephew go into HVAC and he and his friend who went to school together to learn it now have a business that makes right at $1 million a year, but they do everything and have several employees and trucks.
electrical - this is something i would avoid, its much harder to make really good money doing it, vs what you invest, but you can do it if you work very hard, its just most jobs are real PITA stuff
plumbing - this is another one where its easy money and you can make bank doing it, but, its literally a very shitty job unless you only do new construction and dont do maint repair work. think long and hard if you want to be on your knees working on other peoples toilets and clogged sinks all day.
quote:
is there one better than the other?
HVAC for the win here, but those attics in august take a toll on your body and can be brutal to put up with.
Posted on 5/5/23 at 2:20 pm to TTU97NI
He really can’t go wrong with either of them if he can get in a plant after school. Our plant has I&E techs and HVAC techs employed by the plant and they make really good money. HVAC seems to be the best because you hardly ever see those guys. Seems like they’re mostly just on standby. We only have 1 plumber on site but he’s an in house contractor. He has really good job security though lol
Just from knowing people that work for smaller companies, and seeing the guys in those fields at the plant, I would definitely prefer the plant route. No traveling to different job sites everyday or climbing into hot arse attics in the summertime, or dealing with customers, because people with no AC or a plumbing issue, generally suck and you still have to be professional and friendly to them while you’re trying to do your job.
Just from knowing people that work for smaller companies, and seeing the guys in those fields at the plant, I would definitely prefer the plant route. No traveling to different job sites everyday or climbing into hot arse attics in the summertime, or dealing with customers, because people with no AC or a plumbing issue, generally suck and you still have to be professional and friendly to them while you’re trying to do your job.
Posted on 5/5/23 at 2:43 pm to TTU97NI
Plumbers make good money. But he'll have to deal with a lot of people's crap
Posted on 5/5/23 at 3:26 pm to purpleguy2
quote:
If he doesn't mind getting dirty plumbing is the way to go! Most plumbers end up owning their own business within 10 years and I've never met a plumber that didnt have an awesome house and drive a nice truck.
A buddy's dad used to tell him plumbing was a good career choice because people will pay you a lot of money so they don't have to put their hands in shite.
Posted on 5/5/23 at 4:02 pm to Shexter
quote:
Welding, because it's a lot of repetitiveness. Just make sure he doesn't stay a welder. Eventually, he needs to work his way up to a welding inspector and beyond.
Screw that. Welders that aren't worth a frick become inspectors and then think they know more than the welders they inspect. I know because I work in the pipeline construction side and have tons of these prima donna welders working for me and have to deal with their inspectors.
The real money with being a welder in our business is becoming a Welder Foreman or a Fabrication Foreman. That is going to take a good 20 years and lots of mudholes to sweat in but it is very rewarding. You can shed the hood if you want and it becomes more like a full time gig rather than going from job to job like a nomad.
Posted on 5/5/23 at 4:03 pm to TTU97NI
Navy Seabees. Not sure if they still do but they used to train a lot of their own. Me being one. Now this was way back in the late 60's, early 70's. I learned a lot, made some lifelong friends and got paid doing it and got to go places. Not for everyone...
Posted on 5/5/23 at 4:20 pm to MWP
quote:
The real money with being a welder in our business is becoming a Welder Foreman or a Fabrication Foreman
That was what I meant by the "working up to something beyond" part.
Posted on 5/5/23 at 4:35 pm to TTU97NI
He could continue the CC route AND pickup weekend shifts with a trade that is always looking for someone that can work a weekend, pass a drug test, is legal, pass a background check, and show up on time. Instead of a part time job at a pizza place or uber etc, try to get part time weekend work at one of the above mentioned trades. Contractors also love part timers because they don't have to pay benefits. At the bright young age of 19, having a blend of college work and hard work at the same time will provide him with plenty of experience and insight going forward. Your job as a parent isn't to plan out the rest of his life, as much as you want to. You can only set him up as best you can.
Posted on 5/5/23 at 4:36 pm to TTU97NI
My brother earned his hvac tech certification in prison 14 years ago and now has a 4 million dollar hvac company.
His techs earn $24-$30/hr for what it’s worth.
His techs earn $24-$30/hr for what it’s worth.
Posted on 5/5/23 at 4:39 pm to TTU97NI
HVAC for sure. Tell him to get a associate degree at least. Take some basic business classes, personal accounting, basic finance.
I&E as well is something he could look at.
I&E as well is something he could look at.
Posted on 5/5/23 at 5:59 pm to TTU97NI
My son, instead of going the CC trade route, got a job with one of the largest electrical contractors in South Louisiana (non union). He started as a helper working on a large commercial job. In this company if you tough it out about 6 months and don't screw up, they send you to journeyman classes that meet two nights a week, all for free. To complete the whole course it takes 4 years. He's in his last semester, and fixing to take the journeyman test. And right now he's still technically a helper but makes $28 an hour. Has health insurance, disability, etc.
And before he started with the electrical company, he worked for 2 months with a HVAC company and didn't like it.
He also does some small side jobs for friends and family. I know last Saturday he did a job adding a circuit for a freezer being installed at a bar, and he told me he had 3 hours in the job and charged them $250 plus the cost of some materials he needed.
And before he started with the electrical company, he worked for 2 months with a HVAC company and didn't like it.
He also does some small side jobs for friends and family. I know last Saturday he did a job adding a circuit for a freezer being installed at a bar, and he told me he had 3 hours in the job and charged them $250 plus the cost of some materials he needed.
This post was edited on 5/5/23 at 6:20 pm
Posted on 5/5/23 at 7:22 pm to TTU97NI
HVAC is rocking right now.
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