Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire What trade would you recommend a young man get into?

Unfortunately, I've got a few useless college degrees and can't offer him any advice. Have a young nephew about to graduate HS next year and is thinking of a career in the trades. Can any guys here recommend a trade you think will be around in the future and offer decent career prospects for a young person?

My son-in-law is a certified master plumber. His job now is an estimator for a major contractor. Tells me that finding certified plumbers,electricians,hvac techs,etc are getting harder to find as time goes on. He gets enough side work he could start his own business.

Construction, plumber or electrician. Combine that with business classes and he'll never want for work.

I worked telecommunications. Land lines are a dinosaur. Unless you get skilled in fiber optics, I'd stay away from it and cable tv too.

People will always need plumbers and electricians regardless of location, demographics, or economy.

HVAC/Plumbing.

Pipe lining while he is young and unmarried. Pipe fitting/welding pays the most. Unions pay more than non-union. Equipment operators are next on the pay pecking order and a good hoe hand is worth his weight in gold, and will never be unemployed against his will. The work ethic he will learn on the pipeline will serve him the rest of his life, in whatever field he decides to work. Both of my boys transitioned into pipeline (out on the ROW) as young bachelors, and they are now entrenched in Houston with handsome paying (project management and estimating) jobs, and are at the top of their game.

One that requires a license which limits supply and keeps wages high. Otherwise the wages will be decimated through uncontrolled competition from illegal labor.

I'd recommend something in healthcare.

Industrial Electric Technology,....without a doubt.

I’ve been a machinist for 43 years and am retiring at years end. We baby boomers are rapidly leaving all the trades but seems machinists are really leaving. My company and most nation wide are struggling to find any machinists at all. Pay is good and it’s not a particularly hard job if one gets the basics in a technical college. Almost everything we have and use is in some way touched by a machinist. We make molds to mold almost all our plastic parts and all parts to nearly everything from your auto to food prep to tools and whatever you can think of. Google machinist and read what we do to the shortage. I work for a medical device factory and make parts for surgical tables, overhead lights so surgeons can see, to scrub sinks, carts and other hospital equipment.

Welding or Surveying.

General contractror, electrical, plumbing and heating, diesel/auto mechanics, big need for airline pilots.

What does he LIKE to do - that would be a hint. Needs to have fire in the belly for whatever.

Story here- A friend was in same position with his son a couple decades ago. Chuck said he wanted to be an auto mechanic. His Dad asked if he didn't think he should go to college first, then if he still wanted to be a mechanic, go for it.

Chuck pointed to the service manager at the garage they were in and asked his Dad what he thought the guy made. "$35-40K annually".

"Put a 1 in front of that", Chuck said.

"OK- you can be a mechanic!"

Chuck, whom I last saw this summer in Fairbanks, is now Nisson's SE (US), service supervisor, over 150 service managers and 1500 service technitians. Several years ago, they moved into their $1.5M dollar Tennessee home his wife designed. He travels to Japan half a dozen times a year to provide input to the design engineers and other reasons.

Not bad for a kid who grew up mostly in Arctic Eskimo villages.

His biggest complaint is that he seldom gets to turn a wrench anymore - nearly all his workload is on the computer and meetings.

I was a commercial / industrial union electrician for 40 years, great trade, great wages. But I really think union laborers have the best deal going. Retire in your 50's with full pension and great wages too.

Auto mechanics- - - - -with as much computer specialty training as possible. I retired from the trade in 2011 with 22 ASE certifications (automotive Master Technicians have 8) and my last 30-something years was spent teaching the subject. There is a massive shortage of top-quality auto techs, and the room at the top is wide open for anyone willing to get deep into electrical/electronic diagnostics. The average top-end shop these days is air conditioned, and as clean as a surgical suite, not the greasy mess I grew up around. Now I spend all my time investigating warranty repair claims, and the shops I visit are all charging over $100.00 an hour labor time. They can't hire enough people to meet the demand for skilled technicians!
Jerry

One thing to consider is, what is he interested in. Most people aren't cut out for just any old job.

Currently, this country has a shortage of 1 million truck drivers. You can't find a decent truck or heavy machinery mechanic to save your life.

Machine repair / robotics.

Industrial electrician with a cert in electronics and controls.

Around here good plumbers, electricians and hvac are in demand. Business classes are good for everyone. A really good equipment operator can always find work. Work ethic is a priority, he can be taught the trade but he's gotta show up. Wife is a RN, says therapy and PAs have a good future. If he likes construction start work with a reputable contractor, he'll just be labor but he can see the trades at work. Might give him some direction. A goal would be to be either an employer or a supervisor before he's 50. Trades help keep you active but crawling under a house to fix a broken sewer is for the young guys.

this

I work in manufacturing. Good welders are hard to find. Fabricators even more so. Can’t tell you how many young guys I’ve had to teach to read a tape measure.

Machinists are in short supply also.

Union Electrician

That's good UNLESS the Dems get their medicare for all.