There are different specialties in the trades too. Many are potentially geared towards new construction where the majority of the work is relatively “clean” and still pays the same. I worked on commercial, new construction projects, and preferred that over residential or repair work.
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One of the biggest complaints our trade teachers (at high school) complain about are when unmotivated and uninterested students get put into their classes, likely due to not doing so well in academic classes or being behavior problems. “What am I supposed to do with them?” is the talk around the lunch table. Kids can fail those classes too - though guidance/admin gets just as pushy with the teachers when students fail.
By contrast, when students excel and are interested in those classes the teachers love them and do everything they can to help them succeed in those jobs - regardless of their “success” in academic classes.
As always, it depends upon the student.
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Interesting article. As a society we have pushed more kids towards a college education while possibly stigmatizing other alternatives. There are certainly trade options out there and it’s ok to talk to kids about those avenues.
I love this thread. My very academic and musical S (HS24) is always talking about being a plumber. Not so sure all of the trades are so easy to break into though since many require apprenticeships that are very hard to get unless you know someone.
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You mean you don’t like dealing with leaky messes, difficult access with everything covered by drywall, flooring, or fixtures, or old stuff that is all corroded together? 
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I did electrical work but that’s absolutely accurate. I much preferred the “new” work. Others do deal with maintenance and certainly get compensated for their efforts.
My kiddo is going to college but honestly wouldn’t surprise me if she graduated and learned to cut hair or be a plumber. She loves working with her hands and is not easily “grossed out”, she’s figured out during her gap year that she may be able to “monetize” that. She loves bugs and bodies too so might become an entomologist/pathologist if there’s a way to merge those two, I’m sure for that she’ll need a degree, she wouldn’t be averse to mortuary science. A trade would probably be great for her and we are open to whatever she wants to do, like most of here we just want her to be happy. She does know that she wants the college education to keep her options open and to satisfy an intellectual need. She may try to get an apprenticeship with IATSE Local one so she can work with her Dad 
. I think companies should take a lesson from the trades and offer more apprenticeships for jobs that don’t really require a degree.
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Right. We need people to work in trades yet it’s so hard to get an apprenticeship depending on where you live.
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Forensic entomology is a thing, and wasn’t just invented by CSI:
Wow. I had no idea this existed, I will show it to my D, it sounds right up her alley. Thank you for this!
Here is information about Purdue’s concentration in Forensic Entomology:
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