Why Gen Z is Ditching College for the Trades
Generation X and Millennials largely agreed on the path to adulthood – graduate high school, attend college, rack up student debt and attempt to pay it off by slaving away at an office job. Increasingly, we’ve seen a different approach among Gen Z. One of the defining Gen Z traits is not settling for the […]
College vs. Trades: Why Not Both?
Some of you may be debating about whether to go to college or embark on a trade career. In fact, it is not an either-or proposition. It’s not unheard of for college students or even graduates to find out they like working with tools better than whatever white-collar job their education landed them. It happens […]
How To Promote Trades Work in High School
We tell high school students time and time again: they have their entire lives in front of them. They indeed have the time to wander and explore if they so choose. Some will continue their education in college while others are not as sure about what their next pursuit will be after graduation. This makes […]
A Guide to Trade School: What Parents Should Know
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 only path that leads to success […]
Are You Job-Ready? – Part 4
December 6, 2016 Act like a professional This will be my final blog on the subject of job readiness. The topic is professionalism. What does professionalism mean? One dictionary defines it as “the skill, good judgment, and polite behavior that is expected from a person who is trained to do a job well.” That’s a […]
Are You Job-Ready? – Part 3
November 29, 2016 You must get along with people Some professions are typically characterized as a “people business.” Certainly anyone who sells for a living falls into that category. Public relations, politics and other fields also require advanced social skills on the part of their practitioners. Yet to my way of thinking virtually every way […]
Are You Job-Ready? – Part 2
November 15, 2016 Great work requires focus and concentration Are you really ready to hold down a responsible job? You need more than technical ability. The ultimate sign of readiness is productivity coupled with excellence. Can you produce value commensurate with the pay you receive? If not, nobody will want to hire you. In any […]
Are You Job-Ready? – Part 1
Time is of the essence. Your success in a trade career depends on several elements. One is mechanical aptitude, coupled with relevant technical education and/or experience. You must be trained or trainable, and able to do the work. In the next several articles I will address another element, which I’ll call “job readiness.” Many of […]
How Do You Enter a Trade?
November 10, 2015 Apprenticeship has changed from the old days. Following in your father’s footsteps has a long tradition in the skilled trades. Many if not most of today’s trade workers entered the field because that’s what their father or some other family member did for a living. Often Dad owned the business and it […]