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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...

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,...

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/...

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...

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 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...

I keep throwing around the term “skilled trades,” and some of you might be thinking: don’t all jobs require skills? To some extent that’s true. But some skills can be acquired pretty easily. The working world is filled with jobs that can be learned well enough for a new hire to perform productively...

If you’re on the brink of adulthood, you’re probably hearing a lot of people say that you’ll know what you want to do for a living when you “find your passion.” It turns out they might have this just a bit wrong. They’ve got the “passion” part right. But, new studies suggest that you...

There is absolutely nothing wrong with you if you’re about to finish high school and you’re still unclear about a career choice. It’s a tough decision – especially with the constant changes in the world. Will a steady job in a particular industry be a sure thing 15, 10 or even five years down...