The Top Benefits You Need To Know About Apprenticeships
Certain careers – like those in the plumbing, electrical, and HVAC industries – have highly specific educational requirements that just aren’t met with a traditional four-year college degree. These are high-paying jobs that are more suited for an alternative approach. Apprenticeship programs have been a proven way for people to train and become plumbers, electricians, […]
Soft Skills: They’re More Valuable Than A Degree
Stop for a moment and consider this: You can get a four-year college degree and still not have the skills that will land you a job in your chosen field. It doesn’t matter what industry. Employers are scrambling to find people who can demonstrate competence in what are known as “soft skills.” This is because […]
Top Five College Majors
For the last 35 years, the Princeton Review has been in business to help high school students get into their dream colleges. It’s safe to say that they have insight into the most popular college majors their high school-age clients are choosing. What’s interesting is that the Princeton Review points out that choosing one of […]
College Students Say They’re Not So Sure the Experience Is Worth It
Considering the staggering cost of a four-year college degree, many young people and their parents are asking themselves if it’s worth going into debt. A recent report from Ascent Student Loans shows that current college students say they’re paying more than they expected for their education. As a result of the higher-than-expected cost – and […]
Is There A Trade School Trade-Off? Yes, But Only Benefits!
It’s college’s “ugly stepsister.” Many students don’t even consider trade schools as a next-step after high school. Even parents register concerns due to completely misplaced ideas and stereotypes about career opportunities after completion. The truth is that trade schools are ideal for some students – especially when the career path they choose to follow includes […]
Trade Work Will Not Grow Obsolete
Recently I read an article about razor blade companies suffering sales declines due to the popularity of beards in our culture. That got me thinking about so many businesses and professions that are no longer around due to new technologies or cultural changes. Think about how demand shrank for blacksmiths, stable hands and wagon makers […]
Addressing The Skilled Labor Shortage
A recurring theme of this blog has been the dire shortage of skilled trade workers. The news media is filled with reports of this shortage and how it has been holding back construction projects and service companies from doing even more work, like this one. Here’s more. http://www.constructionweekonline.com/article-49977-spotlight-on-mideast-gen-z-as-global-youth-reject-construction-careers/ https://www.curbed.com/2018/1/23/16910310/construction-homebuilding-labor-shortage-jobs-vocational-training https://jobsite.procore.com/narrowing-the-construction-skills-gap http://www.peyton.k12.co.us/career-technical-education-facility/ https://www.wsj.com/articles/young-people-dont-want-construction-jobs-thats-a-problem-for-the-housing-market-1533029401 http://gobuildalabama.com http://www.hbi.org In […]
How To Get Rich
Different people may have different ideas of what it means to be wealthy. To some people, it may mean being worth billions of dollars, like Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos or other high-tech entrepreneurs. To reach that level, you need to invent something most of the world wants to buy or start a revolutionary new business. […]
The Trades Offer Plenty Of Room For Advancement
When you think about a career in the trades, don’t think that means turning wrenches for the rest of your working life. The skilled trades offer plenty of opportunity for advancement in positions that challenge your intellect, as well as managerial and leadership abilities. As you gain experience in a skilled trade, new opportunities constantly […]
What’s Your Passion?
A long time ago, I taught essay writing at the University of Illinois in Chicago, my alma mater. Like other instructors, I held office hours for individual student consultations. One day I was meeting with a young man who was the worst student in my class. He had trouble stringing two coherent sentences together. I […]