The TRADES!

Regular readers of these posts might recall that my son works in the trades as a heavy machinery mechanic for a huge construction machine rental company in Guelph. As additional information, he decided on the trades fairly early in his school life, thanks largely to the influence of a great man and good friend, Craig Shaw, Barrie Central's long time auto mechanics teacher. After working in the automotive repair part of the industry for a couple of years, he made the move sideways into heavy machinery a few years back, and will tell anyone who asks, he hasn't regretted the switch for a single second. 

Is it a tough job?

Yep!

Is it a dirty job?

Yep!

Is it challenging, rewarding, and interesting?

Yep, Yep, and Yep!

Is it a career that is presently in a crisis due to a lack of youngsters entering?

YEEEEP!

Is it something that anyone can do?

NOPE!!

If you don't already know, you should be aware that gone are the days of 'grease monkeys', the stereotypic high school drop out who spends a lifetime on the end of a wrench. Even though I definitively believe that was never the case because those students were simply tremendously smart in ways not measured by the traditional school system, that stereotype couldn't be further from the truth these days as all manner of machinery is now computer assisted, Uber engineered, finely manufactured wondrous creations that require a keen intellect, 'out-of-the-box' thinking, and deep technical understanding to keep the contraptions of the world whirring. 

Even the most inept 'Bungalo Bill' has to admit that without those working in the trades, our stuff would be in a dismal state of disrepair because Joe Public generally doesn't have the knowledge, skill, or tools to deal with our stuff when it stops working properly. We need folks like my son to bail us out when the bump in the road is daunting!

A friend from my days in an ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) classroom posted the following little snippet the other day, and it immediately grabbed a hold of my heart, prompting an intense desire to share. 

CLIENT – How much will it cost to do this job?
CONTRACTOR - $2,800 dollars.

CLIENT – That’s too expensive for this job!
CONTRACTOR – How much do you think it should cost?

CLIENT – $800 max! It’s a simple job!
CONTRACTOR – I can’t do the job for so little.

CLIENT – People in your line of work wants to make a huge profit!
CONTRACTOR – I’m sorry you feel this way. Why don’t you do the job?

CLIENT – But, but, I don’t know how to do any of that.
CONTRACTOR – For $900, I can teach you everything you need to know to do the job. You can then use $800 to do the job, and you’re still saving $1,100. Also, you will obtain all the knowledge and the experience for the next time you need to do this job.

CLIENT – Deal!
CONTRACTOR – Great! To start, you need to buy tools. You will need a chipping hammer, a nail gun, a laser, a drill, a mixer machine, PPE, and some other things.

CLIENT – But, I don’t have any of those tools and I can’t buy all that for just one job!
CONTRACTOR – Ok. I can rent you my tools for another $300. You’re still saving $800.

CLIENT – That’s cutting my savings, but I will rent your tools.
CONTRACTOR – Perfect! I’ll be back Saturday and we can start.

CLIENT – Wait! I can’t Saturday. I only have time today.
CONTRACTOR – I’m sorry, I only teach others on Saturdays. I have to prioritize my time and my tools needs to be on other jobs I have during the week.

CLIENT – Ok then. I will sacrifice my family’s plans on Saturday.
CONTRACTOR – Right, me too! Oh, I forgot. If you’re going to do the job yourself, you need to buy the materials. There’s a high demand nowadays, so your best bet is to get a truck and be at the hardware store by 6am before other contractors get there.

CLIENT – AT SIX IN THE MORNING? On Saturday? That’s too early for me. I don’t even have a truck!
CONTRACTOR – I guess you’ll have to rent one. By the way, do you have some helpers to help you load the truck?

CLIENT – You know what? I’ve been thinking. Probably is better for you to do the job. It’s better to pay you to do the job right and not having to go through all that hassle.
CONTRACTOR – Good thinking. Sign here and let me get to work.

This is the truth! People are not just paying for a job, they are paying for knowledge, experience, tools, time, family sacrifices, and other things you bring to the table.

~Unknown Author

Hey, I like to hold onto my money as much as the next guy! 

The reality of our society is that we need talented, smart, dedicated youngsters to embrace the Trades as a viable career lest we relegate the industry to imported talent from other parts of the world, the common practice right now. From my soapbox, we old farts need to change our perspective to embrace Tradespeople as vital cogs in the gears of society, and divest ourselves of the opinion that they are somehow 'less' than other careers. What many don't realize, those in the Trades can make a healthy living, often times above six figures, especially if they venture out on their own as an entrepreneur.

Every family should have a guy (or gal) ... or guys (gals)! 

Every family should promote the Trades so that their guy (or gal) is a part of their family!

Spread your arms wide and give 'em all a hug!