re: WSJ: The High-School Juniors With $70,000-a-Year Job Offers

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They will have made $275k during the 4 years that their college peers were obtaining a degree only to fight for a $50-60k job and end up in six figures of debt...

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Let's be honest, you are comparing a "best" case to a "worst" case.

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The skill set required to run a business, especially one in a highly competitive field with little to no finances in the early days is soooooo far removed from what most tradesmen do well it is like night and day. The fact that some do indeed manage to make it work is a testament to the human trait of simply refusing to quit and take no for an answer. For everyone who makes it past 5 years there are hundreds that did not make it a month and thousands who never gave it a serious thought. It is foolish to consider it as a possibility when considering learning a trade....one would be far better off going to business school, getting a degree in business, and BUYING and existing trade related business....

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very true words, my dad was pretty big general contractor in La. for decades, and I still keep in touch from friends in that field, his office should have had a revolving door on it from all of the people that worked for him that thought "why should he be making all of that money? I'm the one doing all of the work!" went out and tried it, my dad even helped/advised some of them, most all of them would always find their way back, some of them multiple times, the friends that I keep in touch with in that industry me that that part hasn't changed

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same for finance, law and many other button up jobs

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The compensation attracts a significantly different crowd. This is indisputable and the culture is far worse than the white collar flag bearers even know.

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it's a message board full of mostly college grads who presumably can provide a better education and life for their kids

That doesn't mean you can't look at the macro trends in society and say we'd be better off if we steered more people into the trades

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The trades are HORRIBLE, the most ideal place for any non-specific degree or non-degree is SALES and its not even close. Theres no minimum education requirement and theres no limit on your income and you dont have to break your back.


I wouldnt encourage anyone to pursue the trades unless its literally that or prison.

The people here encouraging the trades are borderline malicious. Especially when you dont even have a clue what its like outside of the backend of a multi-million dollar business sale or some 5 minute Mike Rowe clip from foxnews.

Its bizarre.

The trades pay shite, youre around shite people with shite lives and shite attitudes, you have shite health, shite benefits, travel a shite ton and it doesnt provide any stepping stone to higher pay or better working conditions.

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That doesn't mean you can't look at the macro trends in society and say we'd be better off if we steered more people into the trades

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I’m not sure this is even true in absolute terms, much less the way it’s framed on this site

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gain, instead of lobbing insults, refute the argument. Young white men gain little (other than debt) in going to college right now.

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College graduates out earn non college graduates in all classes, and that doesn’t even factor in tangible and intangible benefits.

There you go….


fricking retard

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Is this a common sentiment of tradesmen about Rowe?

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Yes. I do not know a building tradesman...and I know a BUNCH of them....who will not hold forth on the obvious con job that Mike Rowe is in the midst of. I will promise you that he is on the pay roll of both the building trades councils (union shops) and ABC (non union shops). The trades are a way to earn a living. Thats all they are. When compared to many options, especially ones that expose the individual to the risks involved, they are not particularly good options

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College graduates out earn non college graduates in all classes, and that doesn’t even factor in tangible and intangible benefits.

There you go….


retard

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Back to the original point I made when I first responded to you, the world now is vastly different than it was when you got out of college. The cost of university is many magnitudes more expensive than it was when you went, the income potential is significantly weakened, and job prospects are worse.

Glad you "got yours." World's different now.

You're painfully out of touch with the current market.

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Mike Rowes is EXACTLY the wrong person to be touting the trades as an option to college. 

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Honestly I don't care if you like him or not. That is really not the point. He is just a host of a show that brought up a good topic and that's why I brought him up.

But, his guest are good (real business owners, trade people,.economist, etc) He talks to blue collar and white collar individuals about real issues their business and our economy face.


Even if you don't like the messenger, don't ignore the message. There are not enough trade people to make our economy work. Especially with the direction Trump is taking us. We either train some trades people up or have to bring in immigrants to fill trade and manufacturing jobs of the future.

I'm surprised how much hate the trades are getting as a career path in this thread. Is it perfect for everyone? Of course not. But a percentage of our labor force just wants to get paid good and be able to afford to live.

Another percentage wants to be Dr's, Lawyers, Engineers, Sales People, Managers, etc and want to put in the grind to be earn big money.

It's ok to have both in our economy.

I think we can all agree what's not ok is selling every kid on college, running up student loans for unaffordable Universities, just to graduate and not be able to find a job or find a job where they are just able to get by.

Long story short, College is the best choice if it results in specific training needed to have a great career that pays a lot. STEM type degrees.

It's the wrong choice if it just results in high debt and no employable skills.

It's also ok, to have trade or manufacturing options for the people who don't want to or can't go to college.

Our economy needs and will need trade and manufacturing employees so it's also ok to give students better options to go that route.

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Need more of these types of programs in high schools for kids who aren't on track to go to college.

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College isn't for everyone