How To Find Great Trade Workers: Part 1 of 3
December 10, 2015 Part 1 of tips for employers So far this blog has been devoted to advice for aspiring trade workers. I’m going to switch gears for a while and speak to their employers, many of whom also follow this blog. I know most
How Do You Enter a Trade?
November 10, 2015 Apprenticeship has changed from the old days. Following in your father’s footsteps has a long tradition in the skilled trades. Many if not most of today’s trade workers entered the field because that’s what their father or some other family member did
College Is Not Worth the Cost!
October 27, 2015 So say recent college grads A consistent theme of this blog has been that debunking the myth that you have to go to college to achieve financial success. I’ve written about the lack of jobs for most college graduates in the fields
A New Look at Apprenticeships as a Path to the Middle Class
July 21, 2015 By Nelson D. Schwartz From NYTimes.com NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — With its gleaming classrooms, sports teams and even a pep squad, the Apprentice School that serves the enormous Navy shipyard here bears little resemblance to a traditional vocational education program. And that
Women Have Great Trade Prospects
Attitudes have turned around. Most estimates peg females as only about 2% to 2.5% of all skilled trade workers and the percentage is not going up significantly. That’s too bad, because most skilled trade employers would be happy to hire females if only more would
Welders Are Worth A Lot
April 8, 2015 Few trades suffer such great a shortage. A consistent theme of my blogs is that skilled trade workers are in short supply in a number of industries. Few trades have a shortage as desperate as that of welders. According to the Bureau
What Do Electricians Do?
March 5, 2015 “Smart homes” help to expand the trade. Electricians are among the most crucial trade workers in modern society, and their work is expanding thanks to the trend of computerized building automation and so-called “smart homes.” Electricians install and maintain electrical power, communications,
Tools of the HVAC Trade
February 20, 2015 Various electronic gauges and instruments are required. As with any other trade, an HVAC technician typically owns his personal set of hand tools that goes with him wherever he may be employed. At the most basic level these include hammers, screwdrivers, pliers,
What Do HVAC Mechanics Do?
A large range of work leads to specialization. HVAC may be the most complex of the skilled trades. An HVAC mechanic can be responsible for the installation and maintenance of a wide range of commercial and residential heating and cooling equipment, including heat pumps, furnaces,