What if we told you that you could create for a living and make good money while doing it? You’d probably be skeptical, and we wouldn’t blame you. But a creative career that pays well, with amazing benefits no less, is possible through a career in the building trades.
“Artist” isn’t the first word that comes to mind when you think of someone who is working on a construction site. Chances are you think of someone with physical toughness, and not a well-trained and delicate hand like that of an artist or artisan.
But now consider what you think of when you hear about someone who is an artist, artisan, or creative. You think of someone who has a talent for making something out of nothing. Someone who is extremely and specially skilled, likely works with their hands, and creates things that are new and original. They have unique talents, and a honed craft. Many of the building trades, such as carpenters, metalworkers, bricklayers, painters, electrical workers, are all known for the very same things, and require the same creative skills to master their craft.
In the building trades, workers get to create all day long, using their hands to build tangible and beautiful objects and systems. There’s true artistry in every facet of their jobs, and at the end of each day they get to stand back with pride and marvel at their masterpieces. Whether it’s a field of solar panels, an architectural sheet metal roof on a museum, the decorative painting on the side of a building, or the metalwork that holds up a skyscraper, the men and women who work construction are building things that are beautiful and lasting.
The pay and benefits for this work are great, too! Not only do tradesmen and women have careers that are fulfilling and rewarding, they earn good wages, and have access to great benefits like health insurance, paid time off, sick leave, unemployment insurance, job security, a pension, and so much more! And as a bonus, the hours are consistent, providing a great work-life balance that allows time for continuing to create outside of work, too.
If you have a creative mind, love working with your hands, but are struggling to find a career that can feed your passions while paying the bills, we encourage you to explore the building trades. Learn more about the trades and how to get started with an apprenticeship today!
You’ve likely heard of someone being “in the trades” or being a “tradesperson.” You may have even heard someone say: “You’d do well in the trades!” But, what is a trade job, and how is it different from other jobs or professions?
Back to school. For many, that means the start of another year of long hours in classes and lectures, writing papers, doing projects, studying, and working towards a future career. There’s a ton of merit to higher education and working hard towards a long term goal, but for many, slogging through years of coursework just to graduate with debt, no real-world experience, and only a prayer of finding a job isn’t an exciting or viable option.
Thinking about a new career? Looking for work that you can not only be proud of and fulfilled by, but a career that is built on real, lasting skills that is secure and can’t be outsourced or automated? Look no further than a career in the building trades!
Is construction work dangerous? We’re not going to sugar-coat it: working on a construction site is inherently high-risk. Heights, heavy machinery, noise, strenuous physical requirements, and environmental hazards all pose risks to health and safety that aren’t present in many other jobs.
April 18 was National Lineman Appreciation Day and this post is meant to shower our nation’s lineworkers with a whole lot of love.
So just what is a line worker, anyway?
Outside Line Workers ensure that electrical power gets from power plants to our homes, offices, schools, hospitals, factories, and all other types of buildings and facilities. Linemen do a huge variety of jobs, including:
Our health is indeed our greatest asset, and if COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that good health isn’t guaranteed for any of us. It’s no surprise then, in a time when we’ve all been worried about what happens if the worst does happen, that quality health and wellness benefits have never been so valued.
Before the pandemic began, many people - especially the young and healthy - saw benefits differently. They often valued time and flexibility above the more traditional, tangible benefits like health insurance or retirement income, so it was no surprise that the gig economy really took off. Working your own hours and being your own boss sounds great! That is, until you realize you’re completely on your own when disaster strikes. No health insurance, no sick leave, no unemployment insurance, etc. What if you or someone in your family gets sick? What if you’re unable to work due to that illness? Not so fun after all.
But the tables are turning. When choosing a job or career path, we’re now seeing job seekers of all ages - even those in peak physical health - become more concerned with health and wellness benefits than ever before.
In the construction trades, the benefits are bountiful! Tradesmen and women have access to great health insurance, paid time off, sick leave, unemployment insurance, job security, and so much more! Not to mention the intangibles that contribute to mental health and happiness, such as high job satisfaction rates, financial security, and a sense of belonging and purpose. The trades are committed to protecting their members and helping them lead productive and healthy lives. This is yet another reason why more and more people are considering a career in the construction trades, and why you should, too!
Our health is something none of us should ever have to gamble with; don’t gamble with yours. Learn more about a rich and rewarding career in the trades, where you and your family will be well taken care of. Find out how to get started today!
When you think of the building trades, you think of men, plain and simple. But did you know that women actually have a long history in the trades and labor movement?
The earliest records go back to the 13th century in Spain, but women were likely involved in building long before then. Though historically, women often haven’t gotten the fame or the glory for much of the work they’ve done, women have proven time and time again, century after century, that work in the building trades is far from “man’s work.”
For example, did you know that we can thank a woman, Emily Warren Roebling, for the Brooklyn Bridge? Her father in-law designed the bridge, and her husband took over as the chief engineer on the job after his father passed away. That is, until he himself fell very ill and became bedridden. Dedicated to seeing the project to completion, Emily first served as a liaison, relaying information between her husband and his assistants on-site. But over time, Emily took over the majority of the project management, day-to-day supervision, and became unofficially known as the chief engineer of the project. In 1883, after 14 years of construction, 10 of them with Emily at the helm, Emily Warren Roebling was the first person to cross the bridge and is hailed as the first woman engineer.
And of course, we all know and love Rosie the Riveter of the World War II era, who made a HUGE impact on a generation of women in the workforce. Such an impact, that in less than 5 years, women rose from 27% to 37% of the workforce thanks to the government’s campaign. These women were the pioneers for women in the skilled trades, and they did much more than rivet - they served as electricians, welders, engine repair mechanics, manufacturers, and much more - and they did it well. They took great pride in their work and played an undeniable role in the war effort. Without these women’s gumption, our country, economy, and our current workforce would have suffered considerably. They helped to pave the way.
Sadly, after the war was over many women returned to their pre-war lives, and their presence in the trades waned over time. Today, women comprise only 10.3 percent of the construction workforce in the US. Women are clearly an untapped resource for the skilled trades. The benefits of having more women in the workforce are undeniable, and the skilled trades want and need more women.
Ladies, the skilled trades need you! The career opportunities are bountiful, the work is rewarding, and the sky is truly the limit in terms of opportunities. Did you know that according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median weekly income of a union construction worker substantially exceeds sixteen out of the twenty most common occupations for women? Amazing!
While it may not be widely talked about or celebrated, women have a rich history in the trades, and it’s only just beginning. We applaud the women who have forged paths for the women of today, and we invite you to #ChoosetoChallenge the notion that the building trades are best suited for men.
Want to learn more about a rewarding career in the trades? Find out how to get started.
What is it like to be a trades worker? First things first, in the construction trades, we work hard to make things that are real. When someone asks us what we do, we say, “I’m a sheet metal worker,” or “I’m an electrical worker.” We never have to say, “I’m an associate marketing coordinator reporting to the assistant vice president of sales.” We make bridges, stadiums, houses, roads, machines, things that are real, things that last.
2020 was quite a year. While it has been trying for all of us, it’s also forced good and needed reflection on what we really value, and what we want from life moving forward, both personally and professionally. Coupled with a new year and the new resolutions that come with it, 2021 is sure to be a year of progress, change, and growth.
