There is a reason why you see very few young people filling the shoes of older ones who are in the trades. In other words, if you don't have construction skills, you'll have a VERY hard time trying to find handymen, tradesmen and helpers for fixing/repairing RE in the very near future as the older ones age out/retire/die off.

I believe this is also due to the largely fatherless homes where one used to learn these skills from their dads. Trades are now a lost art.

Here are some of the survey results:

Why aren’t students interested in the skilled trades?

-53 percent of students say working in the trades just doesn’t interest them.

-25 percent of students cite they are not interested in working in the skilled trades because they are not mechanically inclined, while 24 percent say they are not good at fixing things.

-21 percent of students who would not consider a career in the skilled trades say it’s because they don’t know enough about it.

-15 percent of students would not consider a career in the skilled trades because they don’t believe there is a lot of opportunity in the skilled trades.

-11 percent of students were not interested because they don’t think the trades are cool.

-10 percent of students say skilled trades were not high tech enough. (this one is particularly funny! HVAC, electrician, etc. are becoming EXTREMELY high tech!!!)

In addition, all students who were surveyed revealed their impressions of jobs in the skilled trades.

-54 percent of young people believe there is a better future working in computers than working in skilled trades.

-37 percent of young people believe working in an office is more respected than working with your hands.

-25 percent of young people believe skilled trades jobs are old-fashioned.

Interesting to note that these same young ones think there is a better chance/more opportunity to get into the ENTERTAINMENT field!! (pipe dreams for 99%)

This is particularly upsetting as personally my husband's very high conflict ex wife has deliberately prevented the three children (2 boys and 1 girl) from learning the trades from hubs out of sheer spite.

She told them as children that they would be STARS in the entertainment field (although having mediocre at best talent)! The oldest two are now working REAL menial jobs (doordash, retail clerk) as they were also not required to be scholastic.

I can only imagine this scenario is just a tiny microcosm of what is happening in western society in general.

Probably partly a consequence of everyone being sold the idea that they are college material in this country, even if they would be better off in a vocational school.

I see this being a different reason here in California. I am a California License Contractor. Minimum wages start at $13.00 per hour. My worker comp insurance runs 100% of the workers salary if they touch a roof. Plumbing runs 30% of their salary. I have to have so many things in place before I take in a client, the red tape is killing my business. I have to turn away jobs and not accept projects because of my basic costs. Plywood at $70 a sheet. Roofing shingles at 150 a square. If I'm using a second story ladder I need to have on person at the bottom of the ladder holding it while someone is above a 1st floor, that's 2 people per ladder. So instead I had to purchase a 32 foot man-lift valued at $12,000 to save on a second salary person per ladder.

If I'm going to do a water turn off on an apartment property, I need to file an emergency water turn off plan and also pull a permit, in two different offices, 25 miles apart. Going to put another truck or van in service at A 1-ton rating -- the insurance, registration is going to be a killer.

@Robert J

I hear ya, MAP.

Cell phones, computers and all the low IQ games

that go with them, were and are key factors for the

lack of interest and the ability to learn a trade and

to earn a living using ones hands.

Parenting skills fell on their ars also,

because all the above mentioned, acted as a pacifier

and many life skills are not being passed down from

parents to children.

Throw in the divorce rate and this is what ya get.

Then there's the entitlement attitude.

I have a 15 year old son and I see more of an emphasis being placed on learning a trade as a good alternative to college. Plumber, electrician, welder, are all jobs that don't require a ton of schooling and pay well.

I don't see the doom and gloom.

This reminds me of the old story where a guy called a plumber to address a "situation". Only toilet in his house stopped working.

The plumber fixed the repair and presented the owner with his bill.

The owner took one look at it and said "$300! My own physician doesn't charge me that much for a visit".

The plumber responded "Neither did I back when I was a physician".

Moral of the story: When you have no way to...ahem...use a bathroom you should pay anything to get this reversed.

I'll add this a possible explanation of declining numbers of people entering the trades. When you work in the trades, the first lesson is Don't make a mistake- it could be fatal! at the very least your mistake will be expensive. Contrast this with solving computer problems- there is no risk solving computer problems, you try different things until you find what works.

A younger person today can make more money working behind a computer then they can in the trades and work in a climate controlled environment instead of in the heat, cold and/or rain.

you know you just don't pick up a trade? You have to have some ability other than sitting at a desk. I find many in the TRADES that don't belong there. They couldn't pour pee out of a boot even with the instructions on the bottom.

Our group here on this site is far and away above most people. Working on houses just gives you the mind set-- it's broke so if I try to fix it what will happen? -- it will get more broke? SO WHAT.

There are two issues with getting talent: #1 parents don't let their kids work on anything-- they always CALL someone to fix it.

#2. Most parents don't have a clue and don't want to show the kid how dumb they are so don't show them anything. The invention of youtube could have helped that but most don't want the bother.

For all here: I am proud to say "I can fix anything". That's right: Anything I can get a ballpeen hammer and screw drive to I CAN FIX IT. I know your saying what a braggard-- but I'm not bragging--- I can.

All three of my boys rejected all of the trades after having to help DH with the LL biz over the years. They all got a taste of digging, wiring, plumbing, flooring, painting, hauling toilets and getting dirty and bloody in the process.

I take applications from those that work in the trades.

I do IT for a living and it is not all glamour and glory; mostly tedious, eye straining work and dealing with users (aka Lusers as the vernacular goes) which can be very trying for even the most patient person.

I hope the trades make a comeback but it is similar to being an athlete. You have to make sure you think about safety otherwise spend your late forties and fifties at the orthopedist.

[[[[[...... A younger person today can make more money working behind a computer then they can in the trades and work in a climate controlled environment instead of in the heat, cold and/or rain.......]]]]]]

True, except there are a lot more people who should be doing a job than there are nice air-conditioned desk jobs.

Unless the computer job is some sort on minimal wage job of just adding existing information to the accounts, computer work that pays well requires math and the majority of students refuse to learn math.