Blog

As your child begins thinking about their future, odds are they’re starting to make decisions about their career path. Attending a four-year university after high school isn’t the only option your child has. There’s a considerable need for a skilled labor force, and a four-year degree is not the...

A huge demand exists for people in the trades, especially the skilled trades like HVAC, electrical, plumbing, etc. Almost every trade employer cites a shortage of workers as one of the main problems facing the business. Pay scales are high and going up. The Bureau of Labor Statistics(BLS)show average...

The headline reflects a goal that has served as a rallying cry for feminists. Various studies show a large discrepancy in pay scales for women versus men for similar types of jobs, but I recently came across an article that opened my eyes. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, across...

Next step? College. That’s the pathway for many high school students. Most of us at this age are excited by the change and the challenges it will bring. We’ve watched enough television to form an opinion that it’s an amazing new adventure. And it is an amazing new adventure, but the picture painted...

A growing number of high school students aren’t waiting until they graduate to start training for a career. You’ve probably heard all about high school advanced placement courses that let you earn college credits before actually being enrolled. Now, it’s becoming easier to find entire high schools...

Recent news caught my eye that has large meaning for the trades. On February 18, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded nearly $100 million to 28 public-private apprenticeship partnerships to support the large-scale expansion of apprenticeships through the federal government’s Apprenticeship:...

I had a grandfather who never made it past third grade. But he read a newspaper every day and could carry on intelligent conversation about current events. He wrote me letters when I was serving in the U.S. Army. He didn’t know any fancy words and expressed himself in simple language, but most of his...

In my last blog I pointed out the decline of home ownership in America, caused in part by enormous levels of student debt that are preventing people from saving enough to afford a home, or ruining their credit because they aren’t making student loan payments. Another trend is taking place that’s...

A growing number of states have legalized marijuana for recreational use, in addition to a long list of states that have approved it for medicinal purposes. Even if you don’t indulge, it’s almost certain that you have been around people who do. One poll found that more than half of all Americans...