Choosing a Hands-on Career Path

Outsourcing is unlikely to happen to those in skilled building trades, where classroom learning and hard-won experience can mean good job prospects. It is no secret that the great recession of 2009 has been tough on workers in the skilled building trades. But that short-term blip in employment may eventually lead to longer-term career fulfillment.

(MFW note: The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development reported 136,811 estimated employment in Construction and Extraction Occupations in 2006 with 147,029 projected to be employed in 2016. In the second quarter of 2009 the median wage for this occupational group was $23.74 an hour.)

"When the economy hurts, this industry is often one of the first to show its wounds," said Mary Dahlquist, program manager for the Apprenticeship Opportunity Project, a local advocacy group seeking to build awareness about building trade careers. "But the trades are a great career option for many people, and things will ultimately get better."

While construction-related jobs in Minnesota have declined nearly 16 percent over the past year, other market segments such as manufacturing and professional services have also been hard-hit. Key differences between these groups are that skilled trades' jobs such as bricklayers, electricians, millwrights and plasterers:

• cannot be outsourced, and
• many experienced Baby Boomer trades workers are nearing retirement.

That combination means better than average job prospects just down the road.

For virtually all skilled building trades, apprenticeship training is critical to career success. In essence, an apprenticeship is a contract between the worker and a trade sponsor, which outlines the required number of job site and classroom hours, core work skills and wages paid based on experience.

Depending on the trade, an apprentice is expected to complete 3,000 to 8,000 hours of hands-on work prior to earning journey worker status. That training is usually complemented with at least 144 hours of related classroom instruction. Locally, well over 25 building trade organizations have active apprenticeship programs, all of which are listed at www.constructioncareers.org. Some of the better known apprenticeships include: Electricians, Carpenters, Plumbers, and Sheet Metal Workers.

Considering a career in the trades? Dahlquist says there are several key elements to consider, including:

• On a busy job site, clear and concise communication is vital to teamwork and project success. Workers fluent in multiple languages are especially valuable, because of the mix of ethnic backgrounds found in many work sites.
• While it is possible to go from high school to apprenticeship, Dahlquist advises most young workers to complete a trade-related technical program before taking that step. This approach gives the prospective worker a solid grounding in their chosen area before stepping on a job site.

With a wide variety of trade career paths, Dahlquist said prospective workers should take the time to figure out what suits them best. "If a person has the desire to work with their hands - and not at a desk all day - the trades are a great alternative. But if the work isn't for everyone, and if the chosen trade isn't one the person is passionate about, it won't be a good fit."

Source: Star Tribune, Brett Pyrtle, 9/14/09