In a world full of uncertainty, people under 21 years of age — along with their parents and probably their grandparents — might wonder what careers these young kids can get into that will provide a stable job and a good living.
Legendary NASCAR driver Richard Petty and custom motorcycle builder Billy Lane have a good suggestion: “We need more people learning trades,” said the headline of a column they wrote Aug. 24 on The Washington Post website.
As a matter of fact, we do need more young people who like to build things and fix things. They can get well paid for doing it, and the likelihood of getting and keeping that kind of job is high.
Petty and Lane believe that “the trades” have been diminished in the public mind, replaced by jobs best obtained with a four-year college degree. They’re correct: Not too many parents encourage their kids to skip a college education in favor of learning how to be a mechanic or an electrician.
But a business degree isn’t for everyone. There are plenty of other options available — something in the world of technology that perpetually keeps coming up with new tasks and assignments; or something more familiar like a career in the medical field or education.
Petty’s and Lane’s message: Don’t overlook the trades.
“While people in offices or cubicles dream up the next big thing, they’re always going to need someone to build it,” they wrote. “Today, however, nearly 25 percent of the manufacturing workforce is 55 or older. As these workers age out, there will not be enough young people to take their places.
“Statistics show that for every five Baby Boomers retiring, there’s only one person to take their position. The welding industry, for instance, is looking at a projected shortage of nearly 400,000 workers by 2027.”
As for pay, wages in these fields have increased 15% to 20% in the past two years. If shortages of skilled workers persists, you can expect pay to keep increasing in order to attract workers. An experienced tradesman can realistically expect to earn as much or more as some people with a college degree.
Petty and Lane say 58% of young people today report that they’ve never had a serious conversation about a career in skilled trades. Again, this is understandable because of the successful decades-long effort to get more high school graduates into college.
But if there’s one thing working against college, it’s the undeniable fact that too many people are coming out of school with supersized amounts of student loans that often take years to repay.
This makes a good-paying blue-collar job that much more appealing.
Ultimately, each student must choose their own path. The point is that opportunities are out there. Petty and Lane provide a public service by pointing to one that’s often overlooked.
Jack Ryan, Enterprise-Journal
