What I tell people who are curious about the trades
I started in welding school and then went to work as a welder. But staying a welder was never really the goal for me. I’m pretty entrepreneurial, and I knew early on that I wanted to own my own fabrication company. So that’s the path I took.
That’s one path. There are a lot of different avenues within the trades.
Red Wing recently asked me to sit on their Skills to Start panel in Omaha and talk with students about careers in the skilled trades. I really enjoy those conversations, especially when I get to talk about what I love to do. What I’ve noticed is that there’s definitely curiosity about the trades. But a lot of people think the barrier to entry is a lot higher than it actually is.
Here’s what I tell them.
This is learnable.
The reality is, most of what we do in the trades comes down to learnable skills. Nobody walks in already knowing how to do it. More and more companies are open to teaching those skills, and frankly, a lot of them are willing to pay for the education.
Getting started comes down to three things.
Show up on time. Work hard. Be willing to learn. The skill comes with training and time.
You don’t have to weld to build a career in the trades.
Welding, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, mechanical: there’s way more depth and breadth in each of those than most people realize.
In welding and fabrication alone, you’ve got machine and CNC operation, detailing, and modeling. The integration of AI is huge too. You can build a career in the trades without welding on the shop floor, and those roles are just as critical as the people welding or hooking up electrical panels.
You’ve got leverage.
Looking at the next 10 years, I think anyone interested in the trades is in a pretty leveraged position. There’s a lack of manpower, and right now more people are leaving the trades than coming in. That means you have options.
If you’re looking into the trades
Maybe you’re a student, maybe you’re thinking about a career change, or maybe you’re just curious. Find a company doing work that interests you and reach out. Ask what a day looks like. Ask what they’d teach you. Ask for a tour.
If you’re already in the trades
I think most of us have a story about how we got here. People looking into the trades need to hear those stories from the people actually doing the work.
So the next time someone asks you to sit on a panel, visit a classroom, or open your doors for a tour, I hope you’ll say yes.
Thanks to Red Wing and Andy Dykhouse for hosting Skills to Start and for bringing students and the trades together.
