Are carpenters a dying breed?

[Jim Andrew]

I have a BS degree from a state university in Industrial Arts. It was geared toward teaching, and I taught 2 years. Found I was more interested in work than trying to get kids raised in front of TV interested in building things. Some kids were really fun to work with, others were just there because their moms insisted. Had a great career in the building business. Enjoyed the work very much, customers not so much. Should say SOME customers not so much. Some were great.

[Rick Lizek]

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-...carpenters.htm
Ever hear of the occupational Outlook handbook fo ever hear of the Occupational Outlook Handbook?

[darren ross]

In any event skilled labor is in demand and short supply at the same time.

Completely agree.
What's worth noting, nowadays young men are much more interested in IT and virtual world than in making something real with their hands. People live half real, half virtually, and I'm not sure which part is more essential for them.

[Prashun Patel]

"nowadays young men are much more interested in IT"

I wish that were true.

[Richard McComas]

All the trade union in Anchorage have apprenticeship programs. The Anchorage School District has one entire school that teaches a number of different trades (tech school) and the High Schools have shop classes.

How many are choosing to go to these classes and apprenticeship programs I couldn't tell you. The opportunity is available those for who choose the trades as a career.

[Phillip Gregory]

There are still some out there. But as others have said, they are expensive and work on high-end stuff. The rest have been replaced by illegals for the most part, especially outside the Midwest. The younger generations don't want to go into the trades because every older person tells them they MUST go to a four-year university as there is no future in anything that isn't management or healthcare. The older ones are on disability, unemployment, or are the ones that the average Joe can't think about being able to afford.

There seems to be a fairly recent and small uptick in interest in the trades though. School now costs so much, sucks up 4+ years of essentially not being able to work, and there aren't all that many jobs out there (without a real degree like engineering, a non-certificate nursing degree, or a professional degree) that pay nearly as well as the skilled trades. The younger generations are slowly starting to figure out that the older ones' obsession with universities is based on an economy that hasn't existed for 30-40 years.

[johnny means]

My company starts carpenters at 52k , full benefit package, and good work conditions. We actually have fellas retiring after 30+ years with the company. Yet, they still can't seem to fill all their workbenches with qualified and dependable carpenters. As a society we've deemed the trades as loser jobs and not as professional careers. So we've filled the ranks with the lowest achieving and least dependable of our workforce.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

To a certain extent, I have to agree with Johnny about it as a societal thing. If you travel outside the USA to places like New Zealand you find a different attitude within a society about workers. In New Zealand, for example, when transported from the airport to the hotel in Queenstown, the driver asked us about our trip. When we told him our youngest son and wife had sent us there to celebrate our 40th anniversary, he said "Really!" "I have a 40 minutes before I have another pickup, let me show you some of our beautiful city." He drove to the highest road on the side of the mountain so we could enjoy the view, when we arrived at the hotel he insisted we stay in the car while he notified the concierges of our arrival. He refused any tips. While we were checking in at this hotel, one concierge asked if there was anything they could to for us. I showed him a pamphlet I had grabbed on the flight from Christchurch and asked about the advertised helicopter rides. He said "They have a holiday special going right now. When are you free?" My wife replied with the one afternoon we didn't have something planned for us. As another concierge delivered us to our room, the phone in the room was ringing. It was the first concierge saying our reservations were made for 2:00 p.m. Wednesday afternoon and they would pick us up at the hotel. Did I mention....tips aren't expected? Service jobs are a respected profession there.

Our 2nd trip last year we arrived in Rotorua after 2 weeks in Australia and then a week in New Zealand eating native foods. I had researched our hotel via Google Maps and knew there was a nearby "Pizza Hut". We were traveling NZ by regularly scheduled buses this trip and as we carried our baggage to the hotel from the bus stop, my wife got a little more spring in her step after I told her about our dinner plans. A worker at the Pizza Hut was by himself making pizzas for the buffet. When my wife enquired about a certain pizza being on the buffet menu, he replied it wasn't BUT...he'd make one and put it on there just for her. He did. As we ate, other workers arrived to work the evening rush and other customers began arriving. When we tried to tip the guy, he thanked us and refused the tip.

It's important to note that food prices are MUCH more expensive in foreign countries even in the grocery stores.

Workers are paid better........workers are given more respect.........and they perform better...........and things in general are more expensive.......but as a society...they accept it.

[Mac McQuinn]

To a certain extent, I have to agree with Johnny. If you travel outside the USA to places like New Zealand you find a different attitude within a society about workers. In New Zealand, for example, when transported from the airport to the hotel in Queenstown, the driver asked us about our trip. When we told him our youngest son and wife had sent us there to celebrate our 40th anniversary, he said "Really!" "I have a 40 minutes before I have another pickup, let me show you some of our beautiful city." He drove to the highest road on the side of the mountain so we could enjoy the view, when we arrived at the hotel he insisted we stay in the car while he notified the concierges of our arrival. He refused any tips. While we were checking in at this hotel, one concierge asked if there was anything they could to for us. I showed him a pamphlet I had grabbed on the flight from Christchurch and asked about the advertised helicopter rides. He said "They have a holiday special going right now. When are you free?" My wife replied with the one afternoon we didn't have something planned for us. As another concierge delivered us to our room, the phone in the room was ringing. It was the first concierge saying our reservations were made for 2:00 p.m. Wednesday afternoon and they would pick us up at the hotel. Did I mention....tips aren't expected? Service jobs are a respected profession there.

Our 2nd trip last year we arrived in Rotorua after 2 weeks in Australia and then a week in New Zealand eating native foods. I had researched our hotel via Google Maps and knew there was a nearby "Pizza Hut". We were traveling NZ by regularly scheduled buses this trip and as we carried our baggage to the hotel from the bus stop, my wife got a little more spring in her step after I told her about our dinner plans. A worker at the Pizza Hut was by himself making pizzas for the buffet. When my wife enquired about a certain pizza being on the buffet menu, he replied it wasn't BUT...he'd make one and put it on there just for her. He did. As we ate, other workers arrived to work the evening rush and other customers began arriving. When we tried to tip the guy, he thanked us and refused the tip.

It's important to note that food prices are MUCH more expensive in foreign countries even in the grocery stores.

Workers are paid better........workers are given more respect.........and they perform better...........and things in general are more expensive.......but as a society...they accept it.

Ken,
Thanks for posting this, certainly a refreshing change. Hopefully I'll make it to New Zealand soon myself.
Mac

[johnny means]

I would gladly pay a premium, if it guaranteed that I got my pizza delivered the way I want it.

[Curt Harms]

There's one thing about trades type jobs. Saws and pipe wrenches and conduit benders (and those who know what to do with them) don't travel well over an internet connection. Those jobs are not going to be outsourced any time soon. 'Knowledge workers' on the other hand ......

[jack duren]

I was in the last cabinet makers union here in Kansas City. Its now turned into the carpenters union. As far as I was told cabinet making and farming is no longer considered a trade...

[Moses Yoder]

Is there good money in this industry?

Please define "good money".

[Mark Wooden]

Same thing could be said of the decades ago carpenter: How many "finish carpenters" back in the day could mill the s4s lumber themselves, and build from scratch that door blank that was made in a mill shop?

I guess I'm a "decades ago" carpenter, been one for 40 years. When I started, a lot of skilled carpenter(10+years exp.) could could make a door from RS4S with hand and portable tools- but knew better that it was more viable to have a shop do it so they could get the house built. That was a trait of the carpenter- knowing the better way to deliver the job.
I could regale you with tales of the work that carpenters like myself used to do, but there's not enough time today. In general, the carpenter trade has been greatly reduced in skill level, the resulting quality of the work, and the general respect for the trade.

[Glenn Clabo]

I started as a helper when I was 12...worked as a carpenters apprentice until 15...then finish guy...until one day the boss made me his cabinet maker. I tell people that today and they usually say...they actually had cabinet makers way back then?
Last week I had Anderson install a 7 glass window wall in our new house. The "finish" guy was a hack...but I couldn't blame him because people are used to caulking every mistake...after all everyone paints wood these days. I showed him how to actually put trim around one window...while at first he was clearly disturbed...then he saw how easy it was to do right...without caulking. He was very grateful. Actually sent me a thank you...email of course.