Home | Education & Distance Learning Articles | Article

Careers in the trades - Career Watch 2004 Special Report

Careers and Colleges - January 1, 2004

WITH TUITIONS RISING AND THE TRADES and military actively seeking talented young people, many graduates are not taking a direct route to a higher education. Of the 2.5 million high school students who graduated in 2001, only about 60 percent headed off to college the next fall, according to a recent study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"Also, when you learn a trade, instead of paying money out toward college you call be bringing money in," says A. J. Pearson, executive director of the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee. Apprentices in the field of electrical contracting earn about $8 to $9 an hour while they are learning the trade. After completing a five-year apprenticeship, an electrical contractor can be earning as high as $60,000 to $70,000 a year.

"People have a misconception that this is just common, dirty work," says Pearson. "But there's a very technical aspect that requires a knowledge of basic algebra, and there's a pride in the craftsmanship required of this work."

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is another group that is actively recruiting. "In the next decade, 10 million new workers will be needed in manufacturing," says Wade Sayer, director of business education programs for NAM. "Manufacturing means everything from making potato chips to making computer chips, and opportunities range from tool-and-die work in advanced robotics. Plus many manufacturers give tuition reimbursement to learn on the job."

Many students are also turning to the military for career training, as well as tuition assistance and scholarship programs.

For more information on careers that don't require college, check out these Web sites: electrifying careers.com, gettech.org, armedforcescareers.com, and constructmyfuture.com

ELECTRICIAN

TAYIKA S. SHAW

AGE: 26

LOCATION: Lubbock, TX

JOB: Journeyman Electrician, J&T Shaw Electric.

EDUCATION: Shaw completed a five year earn-and-learn apprenticeship program through the National Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (NJATC). Shaw worked 40 hours a week learning the trade while going to classes two nights a week.

SALARY: According to Salary.com, the national median salary is $39,764.

STARTING OUT: As a child, Shaw was fascinated watching her uncle tinker with electronic gadgets. In her senior year at Palo Verde High School in Tucson, she decided to take a basic electrical wiring class. Her instructor turned her on to the career and told her about the apprenticeship program.

ON THE JOB: Shaw and her husband (whom she met during her on-the-job training) have their own electric company, servicing local residences and businesses. Sometimes she's doing repairs, installing electrical service, or wiring appliances. As one of the few female electricians in the industry and the first African-American woman to have completed the training program in Lubbock, Shaw often gets surprised reactions when she's on the job. "But then people will come up and say they're inspired," she says. "Sometimes women even ask me how they can get into the field." A big part of the job is trouble-shooting. She remembers fixing a restaurant fryer, an appliance she wasn't familiar with. "There are so many little wires. You just have to relax, think about your training, and start doing a process of elimination to see where the trouble is." On a typical day she uses screwdrivers, pliers, nut drivers, levels, measuring tape, a cordless drill, and a ladder. The job can also be physically demanding (climbing up and down ladders) and sometimes dirty (doing underground electrical work in ditches).

REWARDS: "The awesome thing is that once you complete the [apprenticeship] program, you get your 'journeyman's ticket,' which allows you to work for different unions across the country at a great salary."

CHALLENGES: "I have a big phobia of bugs. Sometimes we go in a crawl space, and there are bugs, rodents, or dead cats. That's when the girl in me comes out."

MORE INFO: National Electrical Contractors Association, www.necanet. org; NJATC, www.njatc.org--Traci Mosser

DIESEL MECHANIC

MATT RIELLO

AGE: 35 LOCATION: Union, NJ

JOB: Diesel instructor at Engine City Technical Institute.

EDUCATION: To become a diesel mechanic/technician, you typically must complete a certification program that takes about 11 months.

SALARY: Certified diesel mechanics start at about $30,000 to $35,000 a year; Class A mechanics can earn as much as $70,000 a year.

STARTING OUT: In high school, Riello always wanted to be an auto mechanic, but he decided to go to college and earned a bachelor's in industrial engineering from Trenton State College in New ,Jersey. When he graduated, he worked for hazardous waste treatment facilities. "I found the corporate environment to be kind of a drag and very stressful," says Riello. "I wasn't doing hands-on work and I was really missing that." That's when he decided to pursue training at Engine City. Soon he was working on diesel engines for Ryder, the truck rental company, and Caterpillar, the heavy equipment manufacturer. Today, Riello teaches others how to be mechanics. "This is not a career for dummies," advises Riello. "You need to keep up with your math and reading skills because the job is becoming technically advanced."

ON THE JOB: Riello teaches students how to diagnose, repair, and completely overhaul truck engines, marine engines, and power generators. He conducts sessions on fixing electrical systems, accessories, and brake systems. He stresses that this field has become increasingly sophisticated as trucks rely on onboard computers that monitor engine performance and tell them how to run. His class of about 20 students learns by working on real repairs. "Plus, they fill our repair orders, talk with suppliers, and use all the hand tools needed for the job," says Riello.

REWARDS: "Diagnosing and repairing engines is a lot like being a doctor. Engines are like people, and you really have to listen to them. It's the greatest satisfaction to get a truck back in shape and see the results of your work."

CHALLENGES: "You have to be sharp and fast to keep up with the work load, but it really just takes some ambition. This career is very physical and you'll develop big forearms from all the wrench work."

MOVE INFO: Engine City Tech, www, engine citytech.com, and American Trucking Associations, www.trucking.org--Don Rauf

SHEET METAL WORKER

MICHAEL SMITH

AGE: 27

LOCATION: Cudahy, WI

JOB: Architectural sheet metal apprentice.

EDUCATION: These professionals must complete an apprenticeship, typically lasting four or five years. Smith has training in drafting, welding, and shop fabrication (processing materials to the specifications of a particular project in the shop).

SALARY: Median hourly salary is $15.31 per hour.

STARTING OUT: Smith first thought he might pursue a career as an architect, but he wanted to earn cash more quickly and decided that by working as a sheet metal apprentice he could earn a living while learning a trade.

ON THE JOB: As an apprentice providing general roofing services to many commercial buildings, Smith knows people in high places and has worked on high-profile jobs like the Milwaukee Art Museum and a local football stadium. Basically, he measures, cuts, and installs metal roofing panels using hand tools, power tools, machines, and heavy equipment. The apprentice reads and interprets blueprints or sketches to determine the method for fabricating, assembling and installing sheet metal products, such as copper, steel, iron, aluminum, or even non-metals such as plastic or fiberglass. "The job involves a lot of math," says Smith, "measuring surface areas, lengths, and angles."

REWARDS: "It's satisfying to take raw material and make something useful out of it. Plus, the job is very secure and you know you're going to advance financially as you advance as an apprentice and on to journeyman status."

CHALLENGES: "This is very physical work but I enjoy working with my hands."

MORE INFO: Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association, www.smacna.org, or www.sheetmetal-iti.org--Don Rauf

CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

CAINE DEARMAN

AGE: 27

LOCATION: Napa, CA

JOB: Assistant project manager for NOVA Group Inc., a large general engineering contractor that specializes in building projects for the federal government.

EDUCATION: Some construction managers work their way up without a college degree by collecting years of experience in a trade. However; increasingly the trades are looking for people with college degrees in engineering, architecture, or construction management. Dearman earned a bachelor's in business from the University of Mississippi and a second bachelor's in construction management from the University of Southern Mississippi.

SALARY: According to Dearman, assistant project managers may start at $35,000 to $45,000. Project managers may earn anywhere from $60,000 to $150,000.

1 2 Next »

If you would like to discuss any of the issues raised in this article with hundreds of other Education & Distance Learning enthusiasts from around the world, please feel free to visit the discussion forums & post a message.

Discuss this article in the discussion forums now.

Popular Education & Distance Learning Discussions From The Past

Everything you need to know about Douglas (1 posts)
by Douglas the Clown - Last post on: 03-19-04 03:25
1)A "mentor"at the unaccredited Greenwich University, a diploma mill. http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=BtV2b.22398%24uh6.21913%40lakeread05 2)Research Assistant and PhD Candidate at Monterrery Institute of Graduate Studies (MIGS), a diploma mill. http://groups.g... (Read More)

Acromegaly treatment (2 posts)
by Seeker of the Unseen - Last post on: 08-01-04 17:52
Hi everyone, I am desperate and need information, my sister in law suffers from Acromegaly which is a condition where a small benign tumor presses against the area of the brain that releases different kind of hormones, including growth hormones. The patients body kan suffer severe consequences... (Read More)

Re: Thomas Edison State College (3 posts)
by Michael Neuhaus - Last post on: 06-29-03 21:06
Thanks, someone already emailed me and I read the whole thing. Took over an hour. Most liked it very much. "Bakz" wrote in message news:3eff8c41@news.isdn.net... > Dear Michael, > All I can say is that TESC http://www.tesc.edu is a properly regionally > accredited institution. Many graduates ... (Read More)

90% off prescription drugs (1 posts)
by tommie thomas - Last post on: 06-16-04 07:58
Guaranteed Lowest Prices on prescription drugs. Orders received ten days or less. Discreet and confidential packaging. Licensed Physicians and Pharmacists. Qualtiy generic medications with FDA, WHO and GMP approval. Generics sold here that cannot be produced in the USA. Levitra, Viagra, Cialis, ... (Read More)

You must register before posting in the Education & Distance Learning discussion forums. It's free & only takes a few seconds. Please also remember that no advertising is allowed...
Enter The Forums Here