Yep, the winner of the inaugural Tournament of Bad

https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2018/04 ... university

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“When I walked in this morning, and saw the flag was at half mast, I thought 'alright another bureaucrat ate it.'" - Ron Swanson

I've always found it baffling that there hasn't been a major resurgence in trade jobs from my and younger generations. I feel like there's never been a stigma around being a plumber, pipefitter, electrician, locksmith, etc, but for whatever reason nobody ever strives to be one.

I think part of it is because of the previous generation's affinity against unionized jobs and gravitation towards the blossoming technology of the 80s and 90s. Very few legacy/inherited/family-owned-and-operated trades.

The fashion was trying to get on the ground floors, etc. Plus there is definitely that sense of feeling "owed" from younger people who were apparently drastically misinformed that GED+BA=$150,000/yr job. They feel they were duped, and thus began the cringeworthy as FUCK fad of asking for fucking debt forgiveness.

I'm of the mind that I can't feel too much pity for those who refuse to help themselves, and while there is always, ALWAYS a place for charity, goodwill, and federally/locally provided assistance, there shouldn't be any inkling of shit-giving over this 'buyer's remorse' crap. We are in the age of endless information, and those who can find an in and take some risks will usually find themselves rewarded after they learn a trade and/or other valuable professional, practical skills.

Sitting around waiting for the money tree to drop a bag into your hands is incredibly weak, and I hope as the jaded grow older they realize that we're all basically in it for ourselves 99% of the time.

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If you are a convicted felon or can't pass a pee test, I think it might be pretty hard.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

SHOTS FIRED AT SINI

My wife and her ex-husband are making sure their 15 year old son is well aware of these opportunities. I am not sure he will have the grades to head
off to a 4 year school. My biggest concern with him, and maybe part of why younger generations aren't heading this route, is that he is really lazy and
seems afraid of hard work. The trades can pay well but you have to get your hands dirty, work hard and it isn't necessarily a 9-5 type job.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

So Dewskie is a moron, right? Wait--he's PC, though. Let me rephrase.

So Dewskie is a retard, right?

What?

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9-5 jobs are kind of the elusive unicorn, especially when you're just starting out. Any possibility of an apprenticeship?

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I know plumbers, welders, and carpenters who are pulling down 35-50 bucks an hour. most are making decent money after their apprenticeship. and there are tons of jobs out there around here.

obviously those jobs aren't for everyone. i have 3 daughters, construction is rough on women. I know a lady who's been with the a concrete construction outfit for 15 years. she said she's harrassed a lot. i'd never wish that on my children.

That is rough. Has the construction industry always been full of dudes who harass women, or are they simply maintaining some kind of odd tradition? I'm halfway-joking.

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A woman-only plumber business concept would probably make a ton of dough.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

He lives on a farm and is convinced he wants to be a vet or vet tech. He has a part time job at a vet clinic. That seems to be his passion,
and that is cool. Just trying to have him keep his options open. His STEM grades are very weak so he is going to need to pull those up if
he wants to be seriously considered for a vet program I would guess. He is only a freshman in high school but we have been trying to impress
upon him the importance of getting his grades up.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

considering the wife of the house is the one most likely to make the call for the plumber, such a business could indeed be lucrative.

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“When I walked in this morning, and saw the flag was at half mast, I thought 'alright another bureaucrat ate it.'" - Ron Swanson

Won't get into a vet program in this country. You need top-top grades for that. But he may enjoy going to vet school in the Caribbean like most vets!

I think most women would prefer a burly man to fix their pipes instead of a burly woman.

Not if they all look like Pete Rose.

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

There was a time that if you wanted to be a vet it was advised to say you wanted to be a large animal one and to somehow get in with some livestock trade group. Think the old Northern Exposure show but with a vet instead of a doctor. Vet schools are flooded with applications and my comment would be if he doesn’t want to work his first few years out of school will stink.

It would certainly capitalize on the Brazilian Fart Porn subculture that has been longing for the days of on-call female flatulence.





Livestock, farm-type animals in particular would be a pretty fantastic and likely era-insensitive trade to specialize in, but I'm not expert. And yeah, grades are important, but in my experience many employers are more focused on work ethic, skillset, and if you have a degree of some kind (not necessarily masters and upwards).

I work with many people who make $50k+ who barely have an AA, but spent a few hundred bucks on getting certifications and simply having a passion for scripting/coding languages/networking, etc. Skill can and will be recognized, and while you may not make as much money at first, the opportunities for larger things can and will present themselves.

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I can tell you with certainty that in my HVAC industry there's not much young th talent coming out to replace the older guys. The average age in the industry is climbing every year, and is now if I remember correctly over 45. There is soon to be a massive shortage of workers and thats gonna drive pay rates and labor costs to consumers way up soon. Schools aren't trying to gtlet kids into trade schools. To them islets better to have an art history degree and serve coffee than to have spent your money on a trade school and pull down 30+ an hour.
This is a decent job. Sometimes the work is hard and the hours are long and there's stress but the pay is good and the benefits are there especially if you're in the union.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Pretty sure he will never make it as a vet. Being a vet tech is almost like being an assistant or nurse in that industry at first glance. Again, just
another reason why we are trying to keep his mind open to at least considering a trade and he is enrolled in tech ed classes already in high school.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

All of my livestock vets are women. They do fine if the asshole farmer gives them a chance. I’d say they are probably better at their jobs than the men I’ve used but that’s probably a personality trait of mine more so than any skill. I’m not sure I’d want the Uber young one though. She’s fine with dogs and cats but I’m pretty sure she weighs all of 83 pounds.

Are you talking plumbing or porn? Either may apply here.

Sorry if this was already posted but one of the selling points they use here to attract kids to trades is pay. You get paid to be an apprentice rather than take a loan to go to college and perhaps a worse job in the future.

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Elections have consequences.

If I could go back to when I was 23-25, I definitely would have done a trade like this (or got a CDL).

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Well, that's the tricky part. I keep hearing that there are "tons" of jobs out there, but getting into a union is difficult. You also can't be over 40 and doing it. (Believe me, I've tried. I've also worked for a searched company that tried to do this.) And since so many people over 40 are without an industry....this is a problem. As far as the non-unionized HVAC and plumbing and construction (and so on) jobs go, you can be laid off at any time, the money sucks, the benefits suck, your body goes to shit, and what they really want are immigrants they can boss around and work to the bone. Nothing wrong with working hard, but if you want to live in a school district filled with kids who actually are ready to learn, then many of the jobs being touted ain't gonna cut it.

Dewskie is still a retard. He needs to know this.

I'll concede that I'm a dumbass, but that's as far as I'll go. I'll meet you in the middle on this. I'm never afraid to negotiate my own ignorance on a great many things.

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Actually getting an apprenticeship--in the Chicago area, at least--is pretty hard, though.

Yeah I remembered that. Out here must be some differences. At least in some of the unions.

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Elections have consequences.

Granted, states/cities/counties where more people are leaving aren't seeing quite the labor shortage that most of the country is. Leave Illinois and these jobs/positions can't be filled fast enough.

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“When I walked in this morning, and saw the flag was at half mast, I thought 'alright another bureaucrat ate it.'" - Ron Swanson

Exactly this. It is not like being in a trade is as easy as going to trade school. What makes people think that if these kids cannot make it in high school they are going to excel at a trade. Trades are not this easy thing. If you suck at a trade your not going to be working much.