Every year we see more and more young men & women graduate college and head out into the world with a batchelors degree under one arm and a $100K high interest student loan under the other arm trying to compete for $35-40K entry level positions in companies that are downsizing or moving their operations offshore.
What if I told you they could go to work directly out of high school for $30-35K per year and get a four year college or tech school education paid for by the employer? Not just the school tuition, but all books, lab materials and other expenses, and when they graduate they will not only get the diploma, they will have a proven four years experience in the trade?
Now what if I told you that their job can not be shifted offshore?
Now what if I told you that according to the U.S. Dept of Labor 58% of all the top ppl in the trade are within 5 yrs of retirement and the demand for new ppl has never been higher?
Now what if I told you that if they take this job serious they can easily be making $95k to $150k a year in five years and by that time more than 30% will be working for themselves?
Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, I can assure you the job is out there and open to any young man or woman who is willing to dedicate themselves to learning as they go.
But there are a few downsides too. There will be no cutting classes, no frat parties and no profiling the latest fashions on the quadrangle. The dress code will be safety toed shoes, a hardhat and levies and you can be sure during the first year it will be some of the most grueling thankless genuine labor type work you can imagine, and you will work far more 60hr weeks than 40hrs, of course you are on the clock for all those hours and time and a half after 40hrs plus you will be expected to attend night classes at least one or two nights a week regardless of how tired you are from the days work.
At the end of the four years they will take one of the toughest final exams you can imagine, In fact, they allow two full 8 hour days to complete the exam and over 50% fail the exam on the first try. In fact, I personally know a man who took the exam 5 times before he finally passed it, but to his credit, he stuck to it.
And what is this job you ask? I am glad you asked, it is the State Licensing Exam to become a Journeymen or Master Plumber.
Now we have all heard the doomsday profits telling us that the housing market is down and there are no jobs in the building industry, but that is not true.
What is true is that the demand for Plumbers is so high that in many states they now have what they call "Residential Plumbers" who are plumbers with a minimum of training, and in some states no training at all in the plumbing trade, who are licensed to only work on single family or multi-family dwellings not exceeding 3 stories in height or four living units in the dwelling. Now with the housing market down the residential plumbers, unlicensed plumbers helpers and plumbing laborers are having a hard time finding work, but a licenses Journeyman or Master Plumber not only works on residential, they also do all levels of Commercial and industrial plumbing and every master or journeyman will have 3 or more certified apprentices working with him/her. IN fact, most Master & Journeyman plumbers don't even like to take residential jobs because a typical residential construction only provides three to four days work. They would much prefer to work on schools, colleges, hospitals,factories, and commercial jobs where they may be on the same jobsite for upwards of a year or more.
Now I can assure you, in the early days of the apprenticeship there will be many long days digging ditches, carrying pipe and materials and performing all manner of thankless back breaking jobs under all kinds of adverse weather conditions, but if you can stick it out there are many rewards in this trade. (Unfortunately nearly 80% of those who enter the apprenticeship fall out before they complete it, but here again, that is just more job security for those who do complete the training.)
But I have to warn you ahead of time, if you have any aspirations of completing the course you better brush up on your math skills.
gemini40
Jasdip
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