How to learn more about the trades?

[Porridge]

We know a young man who is currently working in the restaurant industry, but wants to transition into a career with a more family friendly lifestyle. He isn't a book / study person. He said, "I want to do some kind of trade work" and says he likes to work with his hands. He also hopes to earn enough to one day be able to support a family of his own.  He's not originally from the US, though I think he did high school here.  However, he isn't very familiar with the trade industries, or how to get exposure to those industries, or how to get training to transition into those kinds of fields.

Does anyone have recommendations for how he could learn more about various trade industries, and how to get training for those types of jobs?

If he was in community college, he could access their career counseling, but he's not a college-type. 

He's a great kid- very sincere with a big heart-  I hope he can get some good guidance to help him in this decision.

[Arcadia]

19 minutes ago, WTM said:

 

Does anyone have recommendations for how he could learn more about various trade industries, and how to get training for those types of jobs?

If he was in community college, he could access their career counseling, but he's not a college-type. 

E.g. https://foothill.edu/apprenticeships/

“Is a Trade Apprenticeship Right for You?

An apprenticeship is an excellent career choice if you

like to work with your hands

are willing to serve an apprenticeship for up to five years, depending on the trade 

have dexterity, mechanical ability, problem-solving skills and the ability to work collaboratively with a team

want to earn a living wage and good benefits

want the opportunity to advance in your career

Our Programs

Earn your degree or certificate in one of our apprenticeship programs.

Select a trade listed below or view a list of all apprenticeship programs for an overview of those that include an associate in science, certificate of achievement, or career certificate.”

[Rosie_0801]

The trades generally aren't too family friendly. Could he be a dentist or dental assistant? I asked my last dentist why she decided on that career and she said it was because she liked working with her hands. Where I live, dental assistance is a traineeship.

[Arcadia]

10 minutes ago, Rosie_0801 said:

The trades generally aren't too family friendly.

It depends. The plumber that services my condo complex and a few other buildings works normal office hours. He gets paid overtime if there are urgent stuff outside normal hours. The maintenance crew that worked for the rental apartment complex where we stayed for months gets to stay rent free on premises as part of employment benefits. So while wages aren’t high, not having to pay rent helps. Besides they get overtime pay for evenings and weekends if a tenant needs urgent help.

[elegantlion]

Agreed that certain trades are not family friendly. That's one of the things I would research first. Which have jobs that allow typical work. My ex's work was either feast or famine - like 14 hours days or no work, depending on season and economic atmosphere. 

Mike Rowe has a trade program. I think it's called Mike Rowe works that might be a place to start. 

Another consideration if he has the aptitude is auto mechanic. I just had a bunch of work done on a car and the body shop man lamented that many aren't going into auto mechanics in our area because it's becoming more technical in nature due to computer systems. 

Look at program available at the nearest community college because even if he isn't "college material" he may need certification and CCs can be an effective way to get that training. 

For some trades, particularly carpentry, it's also important to have a long term back up plan. It's physically hard work and by the mid 40s even the most healthy person is wearing down. The inability to transition from the trades to a different job for ex dh- (long story)- tanked his physical and mental well-being. Note that mid-40s is about the time raising a family is in full swing. 

[bookbard]

24 minutes ago, elegantlion said:

Another consideration if he has the aptitude is auto mechanic. I just had a bunch of work done on a car and the body shop man lamented that many aren't going into auto mechanics in our area because it's becoming more technical in nature due to computer systems. 

It's a dying trade due to the rise in electric cars. I don't know that I'd encourage anyone to be a mechanic. Very physically taxing too. 

I don't know that I'd call it family-friendly, but working in the restaurant industry certainly isn't (late nights, weekends etc). I hear that people don't get paid vacations so much in the USA anyway so maybe running your own business would be more family-friendly; you can close the doors when you choose. But it's certainly not 9-5, five days a week. Often seven days a week, often long hours. And as I've said before, it can be very hard on the body. What happens when your back gives out?

 

 

 

[Guest]

Several trades still require some college, or certification through a technical school that is virtually the same thing. 
 

The young man could look on the Department of Labor website for his state. Under Occupational Licensing, one can find out how one earns a plumbing license, for example. My son got his apprentice plumbing card because he was working for my dh anyway, so I figured he might as well accrue the hours. 
 

I whole-heartedly agree with what @elegantlion said about planning for a transition by 40-50. Every tradesperson I know over 50 has some physical issue, often multiple, from the sometimes-abusive physical punishment of trade work. When he was young, my dh gloried in his better-than-average muscular strength. But you can only carry so many cast iron tubs up three flights of stairs before that takes a toll. Even in my legal work with workers’ comp claimants, the proportion of tradespeople is high. 
 

Having a disability umbrella insurance policy is a really good idea too. 
 

[fairfarmhand]

4 hours ago, bookbard said:

It's a dying trade due to the rise in electric cars. I don't know that I'd encourage anyone to be a mechanic. Very physically taxing too. 

I don't know that I'd call it family-friendly, but working in the restaurant industry certainly isn't (late nights, weekends etc). I hear that people don't get paid vacations so much in the USA anyway so maybe running your own business would be more family-friendly; you can close the doors when you choose. But it's certainly not 9-5, five days a week. Often seven days a week, often long hours. And as I've said before, it can be very hard on the body. What happens when your back gives out?

 

 

 

Other kinds of mechanics will always be in need. There’s a bunch at my dhs work who maintain the water/wastewater dept.

 

id advise this guy to talk to several local utilities. They may even do his training for him. He’ll have to start at entry level but it’s good steady work. He’s have to work call a bit, but that’s generally rotateD among the crews.

[TechWife]

5 hours ago, Arcadia said:

It depends. The plumber that services my condo complex and a few other buildings works normal office hours. He gets paid overtime if there are urgent stuff outside normal hours. The maintenance crew that worked for the rental apartment complex where we stayed for months gets to stay rent free on premises as part of employment benefits. So while wages aren’t high, not having to pay rent helps. Besides they get overtime pay for evenings and weekends if a tenant needs urgent help.

Agreed. Both hospitals and universities have in house plumbers, electricians, equipment maintenance staff and even general “handymen.” They work regular hours with some rotating on call responsibilities. Steady work, good benefits. 

[ScoutTN]

Telecommunications companies always need techs/installers.

HVAC techs here do very well and are needed, though ad Quill said, there is some bookish training. Same for plumbers.

[Scarlett]

2 hours ago, Quill said:

Several trades still require some college, or certification through a technical school that is virtually the same thing. 
 

The young man could look on the Department of Labor website for his state. Under Occupational Licensing, one can find out how one earns a plumbing license, for example. My son got his apprentice plumbing card because he was working for my dh anyway, so I figured he might as well accrue the hours. 
 

I whole-heartedly agree with what @elegantlion said about planning for a transition by 40-50. Every tradesperson I know over 50 has some physical issue, often multiple, from the sometimes-abusive physical punishment of trade work. When he was young, my dh gloried in his better-than-average muscular strength. But you can only carry so many cast iron tubs up three flights of stairs before that takes a toll. Even in my legal work with workers’ comp claimants, the proportion of tradespeople is high. 
 

Having a disability umbrella insurance policy is a really good idea too. 
 

Same with my Dh.  He too was stronger than everyone.  His years doing sheetrock really messed up his neck.  He has already had one surgery on it and I think will need another.  His back broke on him by the time he was 32…..he was almost paralyzed and had to have a double fusion….he now needs another fusion above that.  He also shattered his tibia plateau but that was playing not working.  So he eventually had to have a total knee replacement. He is now mid 50s and I am so thankful he got retraining when he broke his back before he married me.  
We have friends who have a small plumbing business…..he did great in it for years, but they had no back up plan….now he is 50 and really suffering physically and can’t find other work.  

[LostSurprise]

One of my sons is into this. If in the US, google your state name + apprenticeships. A lot of states have a specific agency for this. 

Anything which is needed as city infrastructure is pretty stable. Wastewater treatment is a great example. He may need to start at a lower salary while training and take classes/get a CDL/work a night shift, but the long term result is pretty stable. 

Other random ones I've researched: 

Fish raising

telecommunications/broadband/AV

arborist

barber

pipefitter

welder/fabricator/repair

sheet metal working

massage

 

I think it's important to gauge how physical a job is, and how easy it is to get into. We've talked to our son about the necessity to transition from heavy physical labor as you get older. Also, jobs which take more time to learn (plumbing, electrical) will pay more than ones that see a quick intake of new bodies (construction, carpentry). 

[vonfirmath]

7 hours ago, WTM said:

We know a young man who is currently working in the restaurant industry, but wants to transition into a career with a more family friendly lifestyle. He isn't a book / study person. He said, "I want to do some kind of trade work" and says he likes to work with his hands. He also hopes to earn enough to one day be able to support a family of his own.  He's not originally from the US, though I think he did high school here.  However, he isn't very familiar with the trade industries, or how to get exposure to those industries, or how to get training to transition into those kinds of fields.

Does anyone have recommendations for how he could learn more about various trade industries, and how to get training for those types of jobs?

If he was in community college, he could access their career counseling, but he's not a college-type. 

He's a great kid- very sincere with a big heart-  I hope he can get some good guidance to help him in this decision.

You might check if any of the high schools are having a CTE event

Our local high school is having one and encouraging the community to come out

 

When we went to the last College and Careers event put on my the high school -- there were many trades there as well as colleges willing to talk to young people about their options after school.  Many job fairs also attract the trades as well.

[Ausmumof3]

My information is somewhat oz specific. Electrical and plumbing pay better than other areas. You do need to be competent with math to get through electrical though not brilliant. The field divides into industrial and domestic. Industrial offers more opportunities and often pays better - domestic allows you to run your own business. There are more options in industrial work that don’t involve confined roof spaces etc. A lot of big companies like kids to have done a pre apprenticeship course now which is 3-6 months. There’s also loads of FIFO work. It’s not super family friendly but some families find the structure works well for them and if living on one income is a goal it can help with that.

[Teachaheart]

I don’t think this has already been mentioned, but the tradespeople I’ve spoken with locally have said to contact the union for a particular trade. They have extensive paid apprenticeship programs. These are competitive programs with long-ish wait times for acceptance, but the wait times do allow a person to develop some basic skills in the meantime. 

[Storygirl]

He should also look at what programs are offered by his local vocational school. Oftentimes they serve adults in the community learning trades, in addition to their high school programs.

[BusyMom5]

Start looking local- what trade school options are near you?  I find my local CC and trade school offer the most classes for jobs that are most-needed here.  Look at job openings near you, to determine where the job openings are.

My state has a website that helps you connect jobs with job training, and to local employers.  Maybe your state has something similar?  

[plansrme]

Mike Rowe Works, Mike Rowe's foundation, provides tons of scholarship money for kids (and adults--lots of adults) entering the trades. I follow him on social media, and he begs people to apply. So, if he ends up in something that requires fees or tuition, he should investigate that as an option to pay for it.

[EKS]

Just because he is not in CC now doesn't mean that he can't access information about their vocational programs. 

[kbutton]

3 hours ago, TechWife said:

Agreed. Both hospitals and universities have in house plumbers, electricians, equipment maintenance staff and even general “handymen.” They work regular hours with some rotating on call responsibilities. Steady work, good benefits. 

And schools. Working for a school district is another way to use handyman skills. 

[Carol in Cal.]

If he can get into a formal apprenticeship program, usually but not always through a union, and will get journeyman papers at the end, that is more valuable than a college program in terms of being a desirable employee, because those programs offer much more hands on on the job experience than the college ones do.

Drivers, plumbers, carpenters, and other builders tend to wear themselves out, from what I have seen, but machinists and electricians don't so much.  Not sure about bakers and butchers.  

Union jobs tend to have better benefits than others--pensions, current employee and often retiree medical, disability insurance, etc.  They are worth looking for.

[Lori D.]

9 hours ago, WTM said:

... Does anyone have recommendations for how he could learn more about various trade industries, and how to get training for those types of jobs? If he was in community college, he could access their career counseling...

List of Skilled Trades
This is on the Blue Collar Brain website, which also has links for exploring trades, and for resources: career planning.

Some steady-with-benefits trade-type of jobs that often are overlooked:
- community's sanitation department
- community's waste water treatment plant
- community's roadworks/repair department
- city or school bus driver
- fire department

Not necessarily a steady-with-benefits type of job, but if he likes to work with his hands AND is somewhat mechanically minded, he might look into hiring on at a locally-owned shop and do repair work:
- bicycle maintenance/repair
- sew & vac shop
- small appliances repair shop
- shoe repair shop
- wheelchair and artificial limb adjustment/repair with a local governmental office or local outfitter


Occupational Outlook Handbook -- self-directed career exploration
Free US Bureau of Labor career exploration website. On the home page is the "Select Occupations By" section, which is a search engine that allows you to look for jobs by several different factors:
- salary
- education level
- amount of on-the-job training
- number of jobs
- growth rate of that occupation

I selected "40,000-$49,000" for the salary level, and "high school diploma or equivalent" for the education level, and got a list of 135 jobs. From there, you click on that job and learn more about what you do for that job, what education or training is required for that job, how to get that training or education, etc.


College Motherlode -- pinned thread
There are free career exploration assessments and information in the threads at the bottom of PAGE 6 of this pinned thread. Below are excerpts (to keep from overwhelming him 😉 ), that I copy-pasted from the first thread linked there.
 

CAREER TESTS
There are 4 types of career assessment tests you will run across:

Personality Inventory = helps see how your personality fits in with others in a work place
(examples: Meyers-Briggs Indicator; Keirsey Temperament Sorter)
- Personality Testing: Open Extended Jungian Type Scales: -- free printable test, similar to the Meyers-Briggs personality types
- Color Personality Test -- free printable test; less specific and less individualized than other tests, as it is designed for working in teams and understanding strengths/needs of each of the 4 colors, so useful in places of employment
- Fun Education: free online test
- Team Technology: free online test

Interest Inventory = ways you like to work
(examples: Campbell Interest & Skill Survey; Strong Interest Inventory)
most of these tests are based on, or are variations on, the 6 work interest areas of the Holland Codes
- O-Net: My Next Move Interest Profiler: free online test
- California Career Zone: free online test (and lots of resources for exploring careers)

Work Values Survey = what brings meaning/is important to you in working
- Santa Cruz K-12: Work Values Inventory: free printable test
- Univ. of Notre Dame: Work Values Inventory: free printable test

Aptitude Assessment (Work Skills) = determines specific abilities/skills
(used specifically by employers to know if you have specific skills needed for the job -- such as, how many words a minute do you type;  do you have specific training/certifications; etc.)
- Univ. of Notre Dame: Career Center: Skills Inventory: free printable inventory
- California Career Zone: free online skills profiler
- Career One Stop: free online skills profiler

Career Exploration and Interest Inventories
Most interest inventory tests are a variation of the Holland Code, which is organized with six interest areas and then the career fields and specific jobs that use those interests. This Wikipedia article explains the Holland Codes and lists job ideas under each of the interest areas. The CA Career Zone website has a free test you can take online, and then lets you explore various careers. You can also plug in your top three interest areas (your "Holland Code") at the NY Career Zone website and explore careers. Changing the order of your top interest areas yields additional occupations to consider.

Free Career Exploration Resources:
- Career One Stop -- free interest survey and career exploration from US Bureau of Labor

[Ottakee]

Have him check with the local tech Ed center.  Our county has an adult one as well.  Lots of options and very cost effective along with career counseling.

[Arcadia]

If he is in or near the San Jose metro area, check out Silicon Valley Career Technical Education. They have campus tours.

https://www.metroed.net/Page/199

[Guest]

Oh my goodness you guys are incredible. Thank you!

[Jaybee]

If he is not sure which trade he is interested in, a visit to the closest trade school might help him figure it out. While they are still educational institutions, the whole atmosphere is different, and they are used to having students who did not excel in an academic environment. And realistically, even most the trades do have at least some book learning that has to take place in order for the person to qualify for their certifications. I met a man on a flight recently who had gone through a 2-year associate's program at a trade school, and who was traveling several states away for his biomedical machine repair job to service some equipment. He seemed to really enjoy his job, and another repairman and he had a business together.

[heartlikealion]

They offer something called "workforce" around here. It's affiliated with the college somehow, but maybe not part of the normal programming? I've seen electrical and welding offered. I know they have an auto class on campus, too. So maybe he could call a couple community colleges and just ask what they offer or get a free catalog? Maybe even just browsing their websites would be useful. I don't know if you have to take academic courses side by side with the trades. 

[Frances]

12 hours ago, vonfirmath said:

You might check if any of the high schools are having a CTE event

Our local high school is having one and encouraging the community to come out

 

When we went to the last College and Careers event put on my the high school -- there were many trades there as well as colleges willing to talk to young people about their options after school.  Many job fairs also attract the trades as well.

Same here. Most of the largest school districts and cities in my state hold annual CTE fairs.

[BlsdMama]

Our middle son despised schoolwork, even homeschooling. However, adult education programs are meant for this type. DS is in a welding program. We live in the Midwest where manufacturing jobs pay decently and are plentiful. It’s four months and done, all evenings, Monday until Thursday. 

[scholastica]

10 minutes ago, Geul said:

I think there are many people who self-taught and started trading. Lots of videos, tutorials, articles, forums and blogs are available online. In case your friend doesn't like this idea, I'm sure there exist special online courses. I've recently read some info about trading, and it seems that data-driven decision making is worth paying attention to as this trading method helps traders make better decisions and improve their returns.

Wrong kind of trades.

[Bambam]

One of our local high schools is offering a free basic class in a few trade fields.

They've offered two free welding classes (six weeks, so you get a taste) and one free plumbing class.

So watch your local high schools and see if they offer anything like this. It is a six week investment (2 hours/2 times per week in the evening here), but it might be helpful if he thinks he has an interest in one of those things.