The State of American Trade Schools

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“Statistics are a big part of the story. Between 1988 and 2018, the cost of a four-year college degree increased by 213 percent at public schools and 129 percent at private schools. Over the same period, wages for most Americans remained stagnant. Meanwhile, unemployment rates among young college graduates have grown from 4.3 percent in 2000 to 5.6 percent in 2017. Young male college graduates have been particularly hard hit. Their unemployment rate spiked from 4.1 percent in 2000 to 7.1 percent in 2017. At the same time, a scarcity of skilled workers has led to a nationwide labor shortage that’s resulted in increased wages for a number of blue-collar occupations. The lesson for many is obvious.”

Niche Textile Manufacturers in Maine

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“American Roots, along with Flowfold in Gorham and Hyperlite Mountain Gear in Biddeford, lead Maine’s new crop of niche textile makers. As traditional manufacturing struggles to attract young talent, the three are hitting their stride as they invest in technology, expand their reach and create jobs.”

Big Perks For A Tight Labor Market

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As companies work hard to hold on to their coworkers in a shrinking labor market the perks have become quite creative.

 

Get Paid To Learn A Trade

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Detriot is making a $30 million investment in their community through a state-of-the-art facility that will pay students to learn a trade.  The opportunity for development and growth in Detriot has been held back due to lack of workers, the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights and its contractor partners see this training center as the first step towards a solution.

Maine Blue Collar 2018 Press Release

Maine Blue Collar 2018 Press Release

SCARBOROUGH — Maine, not unlike most states, is facing one of the highest shortages of skilled trades workers. In 2017, a global staffing firm reported that skilled-trade vacancies are the hardest jobs to fill and remain the No. 1 job vacancy from 2010 to present. In response, four well-known Maine-based business leaders created the “Maine Blue Collar Scholarship Foundation” as an incentive to graduating high school students to pursue trade school. In 2018, the foundation awarded $21,000 in scholarships to 26 students ranging from $500 to $2,500.

Maine Women Magazine features Women in the Trades

With a shortage of skilled trade workers—and college costs rising—Totally Trades! encourages girls in Maine to explore the trades

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America doesn’t have enough truckers, and it’s starting to cause prices of about everything to rise

A recent article posted in The Washington Post

Joyce Brenny, chief executive of Brenny Transportation in Minnesota, gave her truck drivers a 15 percent raise this year, but she still can’t find enough workers for a job that now pays $80,000 a year.

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The student loan crisis is worse than you think

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” In general, the student loan crisis has had a negative impact on overall consumer spending, with young people making up a crucial portion of the market.  Those burdened with large amounts of student debt have significantly less disposable income, which hurts the economy as a whole. “

Tax reform law may give self-employed a boost

Pass Through Entities, Be Your Own Boss! – click the link for the full article

” The 20 percent pass-through deduction in the new tax law could provide a major benefit for self-employed, but there are also some important caveats.

“Getting a 20 percent reduction off your business income for individuals who are either sole proprietors, or if they are self-incorporated and have business income that is below the threshold of the specified service of $157,500, or $315,000 if they’re married, is going to be quite an incentive for people to want to be independent contractors and freelancers,” said MBO Partners CEO Gene Zaino, whose firm provides technology for self-employed professionals. ”

Right now is the perfect time to learn a trade and go out on your own, the economy is strong and there are tax incentives!

High-Paying Trade Jobs Sit Empty, While High School Grads Line Up For University

nprED High-Paying Trade Jobs Sit Empty – click the link for the full article

The branding issue …

“Money isn’t the only issue, advocates for career and technical education say. An even bigger challenge is convincing parents that it leads to good jobs.

“They remember ‘voc-ed’ from when they were in high school, which is not necessarily what they aspire to for their own kids,” Kreamer said.

The parents “are definitely harder to convince because there is that stigma of the six-pack-totin’ ironworker,” said Greg Christiansen, who runs the ironworkers training program. Added Kairie Pierce, apprenticeship and college director for the Washington State Labor Council of the AFL-CIO: “It sort of has this connotation of being a dirty job. ‘It’s hard work — I want something better for my son or daughter.’ ” “