So, what is a skilled trade anyway? Someone who works in the career area of skilled trades can be expected to take on careers like a carpenter, plumber, electrician, automotive service technician, welder, or other such jobs. The field of skilled trades is made up of blue collar jobs that generally require a certification or degree from an accredited trade school or college. Also, many jobs in this field require an internship before a license or certification can be obtained.
Great Job Outlook for the Broad Field of Skilled Trades
This field is expected to have great growth for the blue collar work force. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that over 40 million new jobs will be created in this field by 2014. The other great thing about jobs in this field is they don't require a bachelors degree; however, they do require post high school training and generally a certification in a given trade.
Strong Wage Potential for the Blue Collar Field
The skilled trades' field is full of great salaries. There is great variance in the salaries of this career field due to the vast variety of occupations in it. For example, the average salary for HVAC skilled technicians in 2008 was between $14.00 and $24.00 per hour. The top ten 10 percent of those employed in this field had earnings of over $30.00 per hour. In the automotive service and repair career field, employees had an average wage between $12.00 and $22.00 per hour. Carpenters had excellent average wages between $14.00 and $25.00 per hour. Those employed in the field of welding had an average wage between $13.00 and $19.00 per hour. Those in the plumbing and pipefitting field had an average salary between $16.00 and $29.00 per hour. All this information was obtained from the Occupational Outlook Handbook. As you can see, there is great earning potential for someone who wants to get into a hands-on career where every day there's a new problem to solve.
Great Training Programs Available for Skilled Trades
Those looking to take on a career in the skilled trade's field have lots of options. Many trade schools and colleges offer excellent programs in this vast employment area. Some schools even offer evening programs for those working full-time during the day. Another great thing is that many of these programs can be completed in several weeks, months, or two years. They don't take as long to finish as a bachelors degree.
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