Shortage Of Tradesmen

RenaissanceR

There's a book out called "Blue Collar and proud of it", which mentions the lack of people going into the trades, and the shortage of said people. Today's generation has been called "the Nintendo" generation or the "I'm entitled to it!" generation.

I grew up, and both of my parents came from the work hard, don't take any BS school of work. Mom worked for a grocery chain for 30 years, they went chapter11, and she got zippo, no pension, nothing. Dad worked for a bus company, same thing. They both passed away in a nursing home, with nothing in the end to show for it, all their savings and the sale of the estate going to the nursing home. I got zippo.

I worked in hi-tech for 20 years, got tossed out, and decided to run my own life, period.

I've had the "why am I doing this?" scenario a few times, and have had family members tell me the same thing. My response is the work I do takes time, and craftsmanship. And I can drive by a project and show my 4 year old nice I did that and she'll say "wow, Neat!". And know that 10, 20 years from now, that work will still be there. Even sign all my work, as a "kilroy was here" statement.

I guess it's a pride thing also.

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Zinsco

<rant>

Everyone here is waxing nostalgic about how great it was to be in construction 30 years ago and how today the kids are lazy and unwilling to do menial labor. Reality Check: Construction is the employer of last resort, in today's world, construction attracts only the stupid and uneducated.

I'm 52 and remember when it really meant something to be a Journeyman. But let's face facts, construction ain't what it used to be. Get over it. If you want workers who will show up and take their job seriously, get Mexicans.

From what I see on a daily basis, the white guys run the show and the brown guys do the work. This is what our industry has become. Yeah, I miss the good old days, but wake up and smell the coffee, the golden age of construction is over.

And it's not just construction, any blue collar job that was desirable 30 years ago is a living hell today. People with options don't chose blue collar jobs, a blue collar job is what happens to you when you didn't plan your career properly.

Women with no plan become waitresses, men with no plan become construction workers.

If you are reading this post I don't consider you stupid or uneducated, so don't get all offended by what I'm saying. There are 100 guys employed in construction who are reasonably smart and these are the same 100 guys I see posting on all the construction forums. I'm talking to you. There are 100 guys who account for 99% of all posts on all construction forums. Not a very large group of people considering the size of the entire construction industry.

So I'm not referring to you 100 guys, I'm referring to the great unwashed masses that comprise the bulk of the construction industry. Don't deny it. Own it, accept it. Our industry is chiefly populated by clueless dullards.

Don't be surprised when dullards respond to your help wanted ads.

</rant>

woodtradesman

Damn, thats a pretty high horse you're riding there Zinsco

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Zinsco

Yeah, I'm sorry if I sound too harsh, I'm not too optimistic about the construction indistry.

woodtradesman

Zinsco, I just busting your b@lls a bit

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Zinsco

W00t! I just got a phone call, have to look at a 5000' house (new construction) next Monday. Suddenly, I'm not so pessimistic!

Cheers!

IHI

Get back to us when your twice as high as the next guy who does it on the side...let us know how opptomistic you are then

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Frank P

So if Im a brown guy do I have to get black guys to work for me? Or do they just have to be darker then me?

Zinsco

I was describing what I see currently in the local construction scene. As far as what you "have to" do, if you're looking to me for guidance, you're really not in charge of anything.

DCPP

I think one of the biggest issues facing the industry today, is that as a young person straight out of high school, has 2 reality choices.

1) Do what mom and dad want and go to college, get that degree and hopefully land a job that will make enough money to pay off all that debt you accumulated. However the way I see it, with million or people out of work, those jobs are few and far between, so you end up with highly educated people with tens of thousands of dollars of debt at Mc Donalds who are pissed off at the world because the job market sucks.

2) The OTHER reality, one that is shunned upon. Given, construction doesnt require book smarts, but it does require common sense and brains, the ability to think on the fly, to solve problems the right way and to get the job done ahead of schedule and under budget. Anyone can build a shed, but can they build the shed under budge and ahead of time with little to no screw ups? THAT is where the common sense and brains come into play.

With in the passed 20years schools have shunned the trades and the current thinking is that the trades is where you go when nothing else works. Truth is, the trades require alot of work - like college, alot of thinking - like college, and the test comes when something doesnt fall into place... again, like college.

The IS money to be made in the construction industry, serious money, much of which can be made with out Uncle Sam stealing half of it.

We all know the problem: Todays kids dont want to learn, they dont have the ambition, and they lack the interest.

I dont know about the rest of you, but pick up any 18year old and wave $1000 in cash in front of them and say 'You can make this in a week end' and I'll gaurentee you will have their interest.

4 years at college, and you MIGHT and thats a big MIGHT get a decent paying job...

4 years in one trade and your gaurenteed to be making good money.

However, today's society is all about the 'office' and crap, pick a sitcom, movie, you name its about 'office work' heros based out of 'offices'

When your toilet overflows on the second floor, leaks to your dining room cieling then to your dining room table... Who do you call? you call a tradesman cause all you know how to do is operate a keyboard. the Painter or plasterer will charge at minimum $500 for a days work. refinish that table? well you carpenters can figure that one out? another $500?


Thats $1000 not including tax.

The problem as I see it today is that the contractors are in the 'yesterday' mode of dealing with people. They need to move forward into 'today' forget 'tomorrow' deal with that when it gets here.

The other issue is weeding out the real losers from the sincere winners, and that I believe, has to come from our communities... catch these kids while their still in high school and give them a summer job. give them a taste of the money that can be made, and also saved by not needing a gym membership.

The work is there, and the man power to do it is going un tapped, as contractors, we need a method of sorts, to show them that college isnt a goal, but merely and option.

Frank P

Im just messin with ya, you got it right.

I do think that after this "big flush" of business that wont make it, jobs that really dont produce anything and everything else that is BS, we will all be just fine.

matthewcims

I have to agree with DCPP

Im 3 years out of high school and been working construction since 16. Have my own framing crew under me now. There all kids from school that I guess youd say arent "bright" but are good workers.

But on subject. All high school does is push college onto kids and 85% just drink that whole 4 years away and end up with a degree that MIGHT get you a job later down the line. But hey I love what I do and Really i love making money but really? i love waking up working making my own hours busting my ass etc etc.