Choosing a trade

When most high school seniors are asked what they plan on doing after graduation, few will say that they plan to pursue a trade. America is built by the strong backs of blue-collar Americans, however, according to some, it seems that is being lost with today’s youth. One such individual is Justin Wright, the shop teacher at Hot Springs High School.

“A lot of high schoolers are not presented that these careers are an option,” said Wright, who has been working for Hot Springs for the last few years and has tried to bring with him a passion for the trades. He himself worked as a welder and in a shop environment. Now he teaches woodworking, agriculture and welding.

According to Wright, there has been a big push since the 1960s for youth to go to secondary education and college instead of taking on a trade. Wright said these college degrees are good, however they specialize a person into that job only. After graduating college, these skills can only benefit a person in that field and there are only so many specialized positions that can possibly be available at any one time. Wright said trade jobs “teach you skills that transcend just that job,” and can apply to more aspects of life and have the capability to turn into many different career paths. According to Wright, this is exactly what a young person needs entering the work force, not limiting their options. He mentioned that there is a job crisis facing American youth, and that college graduates may find themselves without a job and in massive debt.

The crisis Wright talks about is not just going to affect the young people of America, but the country as a whole. According to National Public Radio (NPR), “there will be 68% more job openings in infrastructure-related fields in the next five years than there are people training to fill them.” These are jobs essential to the building and maintenance of the country. NPR also says, “just 20% of high school graduates are interested in skilled trades,” although these kinds of jobs take up a large percentage of the total jobs available.

According to the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) “80% of (construction) firms nationwide are having difficulty hiring and finding skilled trade workers,” and “48% say that it will only get harder over the next 12 months.”

Without these jobs being filled, Wright said that we face a top-heavy society, where doctors will be more common that welders and the welders will be making more because they will be in such high demand. Over time, this can destabilize an economy. Wright added that he had about six seniors graduating in 2020 in his shop classes, but only one considering taking those skills on past graduation as a career.

That student, Luke Waterbury, is considering a career in the medical field, but he wants to use his welding experience from shop class to help him work his way through school, as well as to give him a good monetary foundation before jumping into life. He is going to work in New Hampshire for a construction company for a while, between high school graduation and college. The medical career he is considering is a five to six-year program that will be quite expensive. Waterbury is now considering staying with his welding and maintaining that as a career. “A lot of people think you need to go to school to weld, but you don’t,” he said. “Trades are a more reliable option.”

Wright contributes a lot of this crisis to the perception youth are given of these jobs. According to Wright, trade workers are looked down upon, “they are treated like they are just working a job that anyone can get right out of high school, however that is the point.” Wright talked about how what youth need is a job right out of high school, not only for perspective, but also to give them confidence and some cash in their pockets, as well as possibly a life-long career. Waterbury said, “not a lot of kids in my grade are looking at trades, which surprises me.”

The problem is so great that a couple of Montana organizations are working to change the future. The Montana Contractors Association (MCA) Education Foundation and the Montana Equipment Dealers Association (MEDA) are developing a plan to help youth get into the fields of construction and the like.

“Interest and awareness of strong career paths available in the industry is at a point where many young people are either unaware or discouraged from a construction trade career path,” said MCA President Bob Warren. He continued, explaining that the only way for this to change is for perceptions to change and for firms to take an active approach at recruiting youth. He also put some of the responsibility for change on the teachers, communities and parents of America.

The two organizations, the MCA and the MEDA, are planning to aggressively build awareness of these career paths in Montana. The two main parts of their strategy include first contracting a firm or individual to build relationships with youth, students and schools, and secondly implementing a marketing campaign to reach out to communities. The strategy will begin on July 1 and hopes to turn the state of trade careers around.