Forget College, Join the Trades

In the year 2020: Forget College, Just Learn a Trade
By Michelle Mullet

It’s Labor Day 2020 and chances are that you might be unemployed. Or you might be a student paying outrageous college tuition for the vague chance that you might one day have a good job that will help you repay your never ending student loan debt.
In light of the current global pandemic, I would like to make a suggestion. Why not take a year off and learn a trade? Colleges and mountains of debt will always be there, but when are you going to have another chance to get training and skills that will be valuable for life?
What if I told you that getting into the trades often costs little to nothing and most times, they pay you to learn? I know it sounds too good to be true, but it’s because nobody thinks about a good paying job unless it’s connected to a college degree. The truth is, you can make a lot of money if you take the time to cultivate new skills.
Just here in Massachusetts, there is an incredibly successful program called Build a Life. You can visit their website here: buildalifema.org
Build a Life helps women get started in a multitude of trades. There are so many options that I have to just type them as a list and not a paragraph. Look at all the possibilities when you let go of gender stereotypes:

Boilermakers
Bricklayers
Carpenters
Electricians
Heat & Frost Insulators
Elevators
Painters
Roofers
Plumbers, Pipefitters, Sprinkler Fitters
Operating Engineers
Sheet Metal Workers
Ironworkers

In Massachusetts, the unemployment rate is currently at 14.5%. That’s one of the highest rates in America. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the current nationwide unemployment rate is at 8.4%. [Last reported August 2020]
For more background on why Massachusetts has such a high unemployment rate, read this recent GBH article. https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2020/07/31/why-is-the-unemployment-rate-so-high-in-massachusetts#:~:text=New%20numbers%20released%20Thursday%20from,New%20York%20and%20Puerto%20Rico.

So, maybe you never thought about starting a new trade. Maybe you think you’re too old or too young or too non-binary. Think again. If you're stuck at home or you just lost your job because of Covid or maybe you have a job but it barely pays the bills, I want you to open up all these links I’m about to give you. Let's get you started on learning more about the trades.

There’s a reason Labor Day is so important. Unions make us stronger together. The backbreaking work of those who came before us brought us the 8 hour work day, laws against child labor and the best thing any regular 9-5 worker has ever known: the weekend.
After you finish your holiday activities, I want to ask you a question. Are you doing what you really want to do? Do you want to go into debt in the middle of a healthcare crisis? Or do you want a fresh start where you know your skills will always be valued?
In a country where your healthcare is directly connected to your employment, joining a trade and being a part of a union is probably the only path to take right now.

Here are some resources to learn more about how you can start a new lifelong career in the trades in Massachusetts:

• Mass Gov Apprenticeship Info:

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/explore-apprenticeships-in-massachusetts

• Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association- Nationwide

www.phccweb.org

• Independent Electrical Contractors

www.ieci.org

Build A Life Massachusetts

www.buildalifema.org