A few years ago Mike Rowe was on the Adam Coralla podcast and they had a very interesting discussion about the trades and how important they are to our country and our economy, and how it used to be more accepted to work these types of jobs than it is in today’s world where everyone wants their kids to go to college and do better than the previous generation; that can’t continue ad infinitum (ex: can Bill Gates’ kids be even more successful than him? Probably not.).
There’s nothing wrong with working in the trades instead of going to college, and you can earn a living and raise a family that way.
Mike: I know many plumbers and welders that make six-figures a year. But I don’t know many parents who encourage their kids to explore those careers. That’s not a pay problem - that’s a status problem. The skills gap on the other hand, is not a problem at all - it’s a symptom of what we value. And until we rethink the prevailing definition of a “good job,” the gap will widen and swallow us all.