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Comment by bmj | Hacker News Reader

You do realize that a career in the skilled trades can lead to very good pay, right? Yes, the work can be hard, and the hours sometimes long, but there are very clear paths to working independently, or for small shops/contractors that provide a nice degree of independence and good pay.

I think high school kids in the U.S. should be exposed to STEM, the humanities, and the trades. We have pushed college/academic achievement long enough, and I suspect that some of the data we are seeing represents a backlash against it, particularly when you consider the cost of university and the job prospects for new graduates.

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> You do realize that a career in the skilled trades can lead to very good pay, right?

Only if you can start your independent business, which few can do pretty much by definition. That's still a recipe for bimodal outcomes. And the U.S. has pushed "college achievement" on paper, but their K-12 education still sucks. There's no way that this isn't a drag on college outcomes.

I knew people who started oilfield welding businesses at the age of 18 right out of high school, bought houses and started families. Yeah that is a boom-and-bust business but then again so is machine learning.

This isn't necessarily true. I know a wide range of folks that work in union trade positions, and they make very good money. Now, sometimes, those jobs can be unpleasant for awhile (building is behind schedule, etc, etc), but they also last a finite amount of time.

To be clear, I'm not suggesting that the trades are a gravy train for everyone, but the idea that you will barely make ends meet is also not the case.

> union trade positions

But union jobs are at an all time low.

I would say of the significant number of tradesmen I've met that owned their own business, practically all worked for someone else. Thats how you acquire the skills to start your own business. I paid two guys to spackle and paint a bathroom, install a vanity and new fixtures. They were the "no experience, but lets start a business" guys you don't want to meet. 2/3 way thru, I stopped them, paid them, gave them one piece of advice - "get a mentor to work FOR". I finished the job myself.

Did I say anything to indicate otherwise?

In my area nearly every high school including the one I attended offered great programs that for many lead to careers in the trades.

I know several people who were in one of the trades programs who decided it wasn’t for them and seemed to wander aimlessly just like many of my friends who went to university.

Maybe the issue isn’t opportunity for training or trades vs university?

On a side note a skilled trade career can pay very well, but is it reasonable to expect everyone will be a union-member or own a business? Union support seems to be declining in the US and owning and running is business is not for most people.

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