President Trump met this week with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. One of the things President Trump talked about was Germany’s successful apprenticeship program.
We often think about apprenticeship programs as being something you do for a blue collar job, which is true but Germany’s apprenticeship (and the apprenticeship programs of other European countries) aren’t focused exclusively on blue collar work. Teenagers often do a combined academic and practical program, where they may attend school part time and work part time.
This comes after Salesforce’s Marc Benikoff challenged President Trump to create 5 million apprenticeships within the next five years, and Trump replied, “Let’s go for that 5 million.”
To keep reading, click here: Trump Wants to Create 5 Million Apprenticeships in 5 Years (Because Marc Benioff Told Him to Do It)
A high school degree isn’t enough. Apprenticeships can be useful, and some community college programs feature them. Some commenters waxed lyrical about blue collar work on one of your Swiss posts. But have you ever seen construction workers or movers in their 40s? That kind of physical labor takes a toll. So “how you do this thing” is important, but also “how you move up”.
The apprenticeship programs in Germany and Switzerland aren’t all blue collar. They are professional as well. I know tons of people who went through them rather than a University route.
And I don’t know about Germany, but in Switzerland, if you go through a blue collar apprenticeship program, you not only learn how to do the work but how to run a business, which prepares you how to do your own business one day.
It really depends – I’ve worked in the construction industry for 10+ years and it varies based on the individual and the specific job their doing. Doing something like finish carpentry is a a heck of a lot different than lifting cinder blocks to frame a foundation, for example.
For anyone who’s interested, you can make a great living as a plumber, electrician, skilled carpenter, etc. As people are starting to retire, the labor pool just hasn’t kept up with the demand and there’s a lot to be said for a career path that doesn’t require hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt to get started.
Sure you can make a living at those things, but even then repetitive motion isn’t a joke. So the question becomes do you have the skills to do the more detailed work – and maybe also office stuff and sales. After all, bookkeeper is bluish or pinkish collar, but can probably be done for more of your lifespan.
I don’t think that 4 year college is the answer for everyone, but at this point associates degrees can be the best for bridging that gap in the US. I happen to think it makes more sense to build on that existing system than to start a completely new one.
True, but I think that can be an issue with any job! For example, my boyfriend is a plastic surgeon and performing liposuction is very physical and can get tough for surgeons as they age – who knew?! Nothing wrong with an associate’s degree at all, but many of the people I work with are so talented and their skills are so in demand, there’s really no need.
I’m curious – have you ever even spoken to a blue collar worker?
I work in the oil & gas industry, and not only are there many tradespeople, including “construction workers” in their 40’s, there are many in their 50’s and 60’s. I’ve seen old retired tradespeople in their 80’s come up and work in plant shutdowns, just for fun.
I understand my country treats its workers better than the US, in regards to safety, hours of work, and compensation, but I’d imagine there are millions of 40+ trades people even there, making a more than adequate living, and even moving up through the ranks.
If I had a child in high school, unless she had a very clear idea and plan for college (ie, medical school or nursing school), I would suggest that she consider trade school plus some business classes. A roofer or plumber who shows up on time, answers the phone, and bills quickly will do just fine in this country and those jobs cannot be exported to China.
Absolutely true! I often find myself telling parents that if their children enjoy the work and really want to forge a career path in the field the chances of said offspring living in their basement as an adult are very, very low 🙂