No Trade Experience? No Problem
I had a conversation with a young man recently who expressed interest in exploring the plumbing or HVAC trades. He had no experience in those trades, though he was mechanically inclined and always working around the house fixing and building things. But he had a full-time job and a family to support, and neither the […]
What’s The Difference Between A Job and a Career?
It’s your lucky day. For the TLDNR (‘too long, did not read’) among us, the answer to the question posed by the article’s title can be boiled down to this: Jobs are the building blocks of a career. Interested in exploring this a little deeper? Read on. Beyond the Words We all should be comfortable with […]
The Alternative To College Degree And The Debt That Comes With It
The tide has turned. Students preparing to graduate from high school are no longer exclusively looking at a traditional four-year college degree as their default option for advanced education. And for good reason. You’ll find the details in this recent post, but the scary financial reality is that a four-year liberal arts degree quickly turns […]
What Actually Matters Many Years After College
“Where did you go to school?” asks best-selling author Seth Godin. In a recent blog post, the well-respected marketer suggests that the question really only matters for a short period of time. Godin is known for his super-brief blog posts. He’s “old school” in that there aren’t any bells and whistles to his website. It’s […]
Trade Labor Shortages Continue To Worsen
Hardly a week goes by when I don’t come across and article like this one reporting on the labor shortage playing out nationwide. In this case, a survey reports that 70% of remodeling contractors are saying they can’t find enough help, especially skilled workers. Many of them have to turn down jobs because of it. […]
Lowe’s the Latest to Address Trade Labor Shortage
A bandwagon is rolling across the country. It’s exemplified by this website and many other organizations that are devoting time, effort and money to address the nationwide shortage of skilled labor. In late February, Lowe’s Companies, Inc., the parent company of the country’s second largest home improvement store chain, announced Track to the Trades, a […]
A Registered Apprenticeship: Why The Designation Matters
Last year, both the federal government and private industry stepped forward to push the growth of apprenticeships in the United States. On the private side, it came from none other than Salesforce CEO Mark Benioff. He called for creating five million apprenticeships in the next five years. Silicon Valley companies are known for measuring success […]
What’s The Difference Between An Internship And An Apprenticeship?
Hands-on training. That’s the benefit of an internship and an apprenticeship—but it’s pretty much where the similarities end. In terms of career benefits, an internship might be expected if you’re college-bound—but there’s seldom any assurance that you’ll be able to use it to guarantee a job. On the other hand, an apprenticeship is almost a […]
The Benefits of Lifelong Learning
Are you in a hurry to finish school? Looking to start making your mark on the world? If you said ‘yes’, then take some advice from the world’s most successful leaders: The learning never stops. Don’t be disappointed by that if you don’t like school or the formality of education. Some of those who have […]
C’mon Women, You’re Welcome Too!
As I’ve written about numerous times, our nation suffers a severe shortage of skilled trade workers. The main reason has to do with social pressures and propaganda about the importance of college degree, a belief that this blog has also poked holes in. Another big reason is the reluctance of women to enter the trades. […]