The Trades & AI
The news media is filled with stories about the wondrous achievements of Artificial Intelligence, usually shortened to “AI.” AI is the most advanced form of computer technology, with the machines programmed to adapt and learn things not included in the original computer coding. Some experts regard it as the initial step for computers to become […]
College Degrees Continue To Lose Their Luster
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal caught my attention. It described laws enacted in 10 states during the past year to do away with the requirement of a college degree for government jobs. Georgia, Florida, Colorado, Maryland, New Jersey, North Caroline, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah and Virginia now are able to fill state […]
College Continues To Lose Luster
A trend that has played out for more than a decade continued last year as the college enrollment rate for U.S. high school graduates fell to 62%, down from 66.2% in 2019 and well below the all-time high of 70.1% in 2009, according to data from the U.S. Labor Department. (Data has not yet been […]
Physical Traits of Trade Workers
Like many of you, I’m a sports fan and in my youth was a fair to middling athlete. Never a star but usually better than half of my teammates. That’s also a fair description of the physical traits needed to become a skilled trade worker. You don’t have to have a body builder’s physique or […]
20 Reasons To Explore The Trades
1. More than one in six skilled tradespeople end up owning their own business and another 20% become partners in a business. 2. 30% of small business owners have no more than a high school diploma. 3. Construction is the most popular profession for people who own their own businesses. 4. The average cost to […]
Earth Day and The Trades
For the last several decades April 21 has been marked on many calendars as Earth Day, dedicated to environmental protection. Many communities schedule programs and festivities on that date to draw attention to environmental problems and solutions. One problem in particular stands out. If you’re not dead, you’ve probably heard about climate change and the […]
Skilled Trade Workers Are Out Of This World
I was about to submit a different insight for this month’s first blog, but during my daily online reading, an article about the importance of skilled workers as we enter a new phase of space exploration caught my eye. “ … Many different launch and crew vehicles, private space facilities, and other types of hardware […]
Construction Workforce Shortage Tops Half A Million
The construction industry will need to attract an estimated 546,000 additional workers on top of the normal pace of hiring in 2023 to meet the demand for labor, according to the Associated Builders and Contractors, a construction industry trade association. “As the demand for construction services remains high, filling these roles with skilled craft professionals […]
How To Nail a Job Interview
You’re young, you’re inexperienced, your school grades were poor to middling, and you haven’t accomplished much in life beyond earning minimal wages in a few low-skilled part-time jobs. Yet, you’ve managed to somehow wiggle your way into an interview for a trade apprenticeship program or an entry-level position with the promise of on-the-job training (OJT) […]
Demographics Favors The Trades
“Demographics is destiny,” goes an old saying. Demographics refers to the makeup of a population in terms of age, ethnicity, income, etc. The most significant of these is the average age of a population. Only a large influx of immigrants can change this factor. Otherwise, the age of a population enables you to deduce various […]