How To Get Rich
July 29, 2015 The trades offer a path to wealth. Maybe a career isn’t all you’re thinking about. Maybe you know successful people who own multiple homes, drive fancy cars and are able to afford a bunch of luxuries the average person can only dream
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
If The Military Turns You Down
If the military turns you down …You probably are disqualified from the trades. Last year I read an article in the Wall Street Journal saying that 71% of American youths between the ages of 17 and 24 would fail to qualify for the U.S. military
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
Character Counts in the Trades
April 22, 2015 Youthful mistakes can haunt you for life. Many prisons have programs designed to teach inmates a trade that will translate to an honest living when they get released. This is an admirable effort at rehabilitation, but not a place I would recommend
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
Driving In Style
March 26, 2015 By Todd Goldmeyer Trade professionals are highly mobile, meaning they don’t spend a lot of time sitting around in an office, twiddling their thumbs from boredom. Instead, workers in the trades are always on-the-go, heading from one job to the next. It’s a
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,