re: Why aren't kids getting into the trades anymore?

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making pretty good money

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Define "pretty good money."

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Offer a starting pay of $20-30 per hour

I will be there in the morning. With my experience I expect the higher rate.

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Proving my point. If he wanted skilled help he would be offering that range. He wants a kid to carry his toolbox and take abuse for minimum wage.

Probably why the OP can't answer the question.

In my area in NJ, they have recently built several tech high schools that offer a full hs education including STEM but where the technical trades are emphasized. A lot of kids like it, especially as an alternative to the city high schools. You get top notch trade schools and have employers recruiting you but also get a good college prep ed if you go that route.

I was all set to follow my Dad into being a pipefitter, but my parents wanted me to go to college, they would pay most of it, so I said, ok, it's your money!
Well, I ended up getting a degree and a profession in Insurance, just retired over a year ago. But today, as I have already told my oldest grandson- forget college, learn a trade! If I was coming out of H.S. in today's era, no way would I waste my time on college.. it's not what it used to be. They hand out degrees for liberal arts bullshite like Women or Afro-American studies! A college credit for Beyonce's dance moves?! I guess next they will have a major for 'woke' studies! A degree is becoming more and more worthless while we suffer with no skilled workers in this country!! I will say this- here in Houston, 80% of auto techs, plumbers, welders, etc. are all Mexican. They are the smart ones! Meanwhile, white skilled workers are becoming rare and black skilled workers are almost non-existant here- what do men do for work nowadays?? Really is perplexing...

For about the last 40-50 years there has been a stigma created against blue collar work. The last 3, 4, 5 generations have been conditioned to believe that attending college is the ONLY way to get a well paying job and that anyone who doesn't is essentially "lower class". That's why we now have millions of highly educated deadbeats and a low supply of blue collar workers.

Case in point. I have a 21 year old nephew who graduated HS and immediately went to work with his dad (my brother) at the local electric company. I also have a 22 year old brother in law that is currently in his 4th or 5th year of college.

I recently overheard a conversation between my nephew and brother discussing that my nephew made nearly 6 figures last year working as an electrician once all the overtime he worked was added in. Yes, he worked hard. Nights, weekends, etc. But he's earning a pretty good salary at 21.

On the other hand, my BIL (a great kid) is seemingly nowhere close to graduating college despite being there for 4-5 years. I assume he will graduate in the next year or so. Even then, he'll likely be starting a job somewhere in a saturated market with a fairly average salary (well below what my nephew is earning). All, while the company my nephew works for his desperate for GOOD young employees because the pool of applicants they are generally getting is terrible. People who can't pass drug tests. Don't want to work weekends...overtime, etc. My nephew is doing better than he probably should be simply because he is reliable and willing to work

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1) No young people out there looking for any of these jobs

2) 6 of the kids we did hire either failed drug tests, couldn't handle the work and waking up, or had terrible attitudes.

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Sounds like yall need to hire some Mexicans.

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Offer a starting pay of $20-30 per hour

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What we offer in terms of salary isn’t based on what you feel you deserve. It’s based on your experience, and whether what you are doing allows us to maintain a profit. If you’re getting paid x dollars an hour, but only generating x dollars an hour, then you’re being paid too much.

More should. My son didn’t want to go to college. Hired on as a plumbers helper right out of high school. Owner was impressed with his work ethic and is paying for his apprenticeship program. Has been gradually bumping his pay as time goes on. He will get his journeyman’s card this coming January and already has been told his pay will increase to $25/hr and get his own truck. Will be 22 when this happens. Not too shabby.

I think as time goes on, more people are opting out of having to do a career of physical manual labor.

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What we offer in terms of salary isn’t based on what you feel you deserve. It’s based on your experience, and whether what you are doing allows us to maintain a profit. If you’re getting paid x dollars an hour, but only generating x dollars an hour, then you’re being paid too much.

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How much pay someone will accept is based on what they think they are worth. They may be wrong, but if you can't find someone to reliably fill a position at the rate you are hiring, then you are wrong.