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Welders Make $150,000? Bring Back Shop Class
The Wall Street Journal ^ | April 21, 2014 | Josh Mandel

Posted on 04/22/2014 8:16:56 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican

In American high schools, it is becoming increasingly hard to defend the vanishing of shop class from the curriculum. The trend began in the 1970s, when it became conventional wisdom that a four-year college degree was essential. As Forbes magazine reported in 2012, 90% of shop classes have been eliminated for the Los Angeles unified school district's 660,000 students. Yet a 2012 Bureau of Labor Statistics study shows that 48% of all college graduates are working in jobs that don't require a four-year degree.

Too many young people have four-year liberal-arts degrees, are thousands of dollars in debt and find themselves serving coffee at Starbucks SBUX +0.95% or working part-time at the mall. Many of them would have been better off with a two-year skilled-trade or technical education that provides the skills to secure a well-paying job.

A good trade to consider: welding. I recently visited Pioneer Pipe in the Utica and Marcellus shale area of Ohio and learned that last year the company paid 60 of its welders more than $150,000 and two of its welders over $200,000. The owner, Dave Archer, said he has had to turn down orders because he can't find enough skilled welders.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


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To: NVDave
Every now and then, I’m rewarded with a light bulb going on...

If you're an electrician you get rewarded even better when the light bulb goes out.

81 posted on 04/23/2014 6:55:05 AM PDT by Focault's Pendulum (I live in NJ....' Nuff said!)
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To: Lockbar
I’ve been welding industrially for 30 years. Never heard of anybody making $150K. Must be multi- certificate guys with massive pipeline experience. I make fair enough wages with good benefits. But nothing near six figures.

Stop using that J-B Weld, you'll probably get a salary bump.

82 posted on 04/23/2014 7:02:37 AM PDT by Focault's Pendulum (I live in NJ....' Nuff said!)
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To: equaviator

ya.. to bad she didn’t pan out..


83 posted on 04/23/2014 7:05:00 AM PDT by cableguymn (It's time for a second political party.)
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To: Smokin' Joe

Thanks!


84 posted on 04/23/2014 7:06:05 AM PDT by Girlene (Hey, NSA!)
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To: LowOiL

I know illegals have invaded the home construction/carpentry market, but I didn’t think they were impacting the electrician’s jobs. Thanks for the feedback!


85 posted on 04/23/2014 7:08:57 AM PDT by Girlene (Hey, NSA!)
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To: NVDave

Where’s the FR “Like” Button?


86 posted on 04/23/2014 9:09:23 AM PDT by hattend (Firearms and ammunition...the only growing industries under the Obama regime.)
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To: The Mayor
Interesting. Do you have a concrete pump to match?
87 posted on 04/23/2014 11:28:27 AM PDT by kitchen (Even the walls have ears.)
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