Respecting All Paths: The Career Choices Facing Today’s Youth

  It's election year, and while politicians are debating on the world stage, millions of young people are debating with themselves.

My dad's friend offered me a job in his store.

Or...

I could attend a university and become a lawyer. 

Or...

What if I started a registered apprenticeship and become a plumber or an electrician.

In this year's election there are only a handful of parties we can vote for and only two that really have a chance. Our youth on the other hand have nearly unlimited choices when choosing a career. With so many factors to consider how can a young person make a decision on a career. Students face pressure from teachers, their peers, society as a whole and most importantly, their parents. If you have influence over a young person who is ready to make a career course the most important thing to do is not add pressure. They're under enough already.

5,000 years ago, men began to specialize in trades. This eventually led to economies of scale because people were able to specialize and focus on producing the goods they know best. In medieval England strong guild traditions were the backbone of the economy. A predetermined number of tradesmen could operate within a trade. If you weren't a tradesman or a nobleman, you were a peasant. Members of guilds were master craftsmen, and they were well respected. In colonial America artisans were well regarded in their communities. A master craftsman would take on a young boy of 13 or 14 and teach him a trade. These tradesmen and their families were very fortunate compared to the neighboring farmers. 

Today there are a number of trade jobs that pay very well. Our attitudes however do not treat the people who keep us safe and comfortable well. One time when I was in a gas station in a Chicago suburb with a farmer I was working for. A woman went up to him and asked, "Do you work on a farm?" He said, "Yes I do." To which she replied, "YOU STINK!" A fine way to treat the people that grow your food. He thought it was hilarious of course and so did I but looking back it really shows a disconnect between the farmer and the consumer. I could tell a dozen other stories I've both heard and experienced, but you get the gist. 

The summer after I graduated high school, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do yet. I owned a hay business, and I was making more money than any of my friends who had full time jobs, but I knew I wanted more out of life. People kept asking me where I was going to college, I was ashamed to answer that I wasn't going to college. Eventually I did decide to go to college, but it still bothers me that everyone assumed I was going to go to college. When I talk to high school seniors, I ask, "What are your plans after high school?" Try it, you'll see the kid that wants to be a welder, or a truck driver light up and tell you about his plans. You're probably the first one that asked.

People ask what they can do to encourage more kids to go into the trades. Someone has to do the actual work. At the end of the day, it all comes down to respect. We have to treat everyone we meet with respect. It's hard sometimes to treat everyone the same. That oil rig worker or pipe welder probably makes a lot more money than you do, which can be intimidating. Respect is a two-way street, and it can always start with you. If we want to live in a world that has things like cars, indoor plumbing and roads, we need to teach our young people to respect everyone they meet no matter what they do for work. This will put the decision of what to do for a living into their hands, instead of someone else. Remember, if your kid doesn't have what it takes to make it in the trades, they can always go to college.

Cody Miller

Owner Wolverine Gas 

https://www.wolverineundergroundconstruction.com/home