Find Out If You’re Cut Out For The Trades
In my last blog I wrote about the importance of having an enthusiastic attitude when applying for an entry-level trade position. Change one letter in that word and you’ll discover one more all-important trait any employer will demand. That’s aPtitude. Do you have the mechanical skills required to succeed in a skilled trade? If you […]
100% Effort in the Plumbing Trade
Like many young men in high school, Gabe played sports and hoped that his athletic talent would be his key to a college education. While he didn’t know what his major would be, he was sure of one thing: he had no desire to sit at a desk or spend his days in an office. […]
A Secret To Landing A Job In The Trades
Some of you may never have interviewed for a job. Or, maybe it was a simple session for a low-level, part-time position where the main issues were: Are you willing to work for what we’re willing to pay? And, when can you start? The skilled trades are more than a job. Learning a trade is […]
The Skills Gap Means Opportunity
The shortage of skilled trade workers is a global problem, not just limited to the U.S. and our North American neighbors. Manpower Group is an employment organization that conducts an annual survey with some 14,000 participants in 15 countries. Their latest survey, conducted last year and covering 2019, showed that an all-time high of 54% […]
Keep Your Eyes Peeled For Recruitment Bonuses
The shortage of skilled tradespeople has gotten so bad all over that many companies are offering recruitment bonuses to employees for referrals and to experienced trade workers to come to work for them. Many surveys show that upwards of 75% of construction and construction service companies are looking to hire more skilled trade workers. This […]
Can Robots Do Trade Work?
When I was a kid growing up in the 1950s, the far-off world of today was filled with wonders to come. Homes would be heated by nuclear-powered boilers and, thanks again to nuclear energy, electricity would be too cheap to meter. People would be getting around in flying cars. Robots would do away with household […]
At Your Service
This Covid pickle we’re in has cost many jobs and disrupted many businesses. Think of all the restaurants that have gone under or are barely getting by, and all their bartenders, servers and other food service workers who have been laid off or working diminished hours. How have the skilled trades fared through it all? […]
College Enrollment Is Down
Written by Jim Olsztynski Recent data from the National Student Clearing House indicates that undergraduate college enrollment is down 4.4%, although that’s probably understated. Many colleges aren’t releasing their numbers publicly and an official at the Department of Education said it would be at least two years before data becomes available. More timely indication of declining […]
Give Your Parents A Christmas Gift That Lasts
Your Mom and/or Dad are special people. They have sacrificed many personal interests and spent a lot of hard-earned money to raise you, and in many cases are still supporting you with a place to live and food to eat. Some of you with money to spend are looking to reciprocate a little of their […]
A Dire Forecast of Trade Worker Shortage
Think our lives have been disrupted by Covid? We’re living in Paradise compared with life without enough skilled trade workers to build and maintain the mechanical systems our modern world depends on. Do you really want to go back to a time when wood stoves were the only way to keep warm in winter and […]