Why is it so fashionable to look down on blue-collar trades?

[jhsu]

In the past several years, it's become more and more fashionable to look down on the blue-collar trades. There's a thread about a daughter who wants to go to acting school, and everyone thinks she needs a backup plan that involves earning a college degree. Also, there are many who get into college who don't complete the program and earn their degrees.

The prevailing view on boards like this one is that the blue-collar trades are "beneath anyone" with academic achievement. In fact, it seems that blue-collar trades have as low a status as flipping burgers among the College Confidential crowd.

But there are many productive, happy people out there working as plumbers, auto mechanics, HVAC technicians, welders, etc. Experienced blue-collar professionals can earn good money. Blue-collar jobs aren't for everyone, of course. But I can't help but wonder if too many people overlook them.

[cangel]

Ahem, I don't want to comment on the girl going to acting school, but there is a difference in becoming a plumber who can basically pick and choose the days he wants to work, and still make a good living, and a kid who may be wildly successful OR who may wait tables for a living for the next 10 years.

[kathiep]

Blue Collar workers today are people that have specific training, some of it highly technical. That's not the same as people that don't go to college and don't have any training. I think acting is a different kettle of fish, sort of like anyone planning to be a professional athlete. The odds of being self supporting with or without an education are not the best.

I think the reason most people prefer that their kids go to college is because blue collar work is HARD work, physically hard and that's generally not what we want for our kids.

[wyogal]

Gosh, jhsu, I don't feel that way at all, and I think overall the posters here are usually pretty supportive of individual decisions. That mom is worried about her daughter taking one of the riskier paths toward her dream, and I can understand why. There are plenty of reasons not to go to college, and no one needs a college degree to be successful. I don't think that's an really an issue.

On the other hand, there are lots of reasons to go to college that have absolutely nothing to do with material success or "prestige" jobs. My cousin ran a cattle ranch in Wyoming for over 40 years after he came home from college at Yale (philosophy). His father had started the ranch after graduating from the University of Nebraska.

[Susantm]

My husband is a blue collar worker, and not one of the ones who can pick their work days and earn an excellent wage. Just a regular guy who has had to work lots of overtime for years so our boys can go to college. I certainly do NOT look down on him for that.

Our reasons for making sure our boys went to college is that we want them to have many options. My husband regrets not finishing college and finding a job where he could use his talents and find real satisfaction. His job has paid the bills and provided decent benefits, but it has not been personally satisfying. Our main goal for our sons is that they find work that is personally satisfying. Whether it pays a lot or not is irrelevant. (And it is not likely that either of our sons will have top-paying jobs, just judging from the areas they are going into.) However, for the things they want, college is the best starting place. And, should they change their minds on what to pursue, college will still provide them with the most options.

[jamimom]

I do not look down on blue collar workers at all, and if any of my kids had shown interest in those fields, they would have received encouragement. However, at age 18, most kids do not really know what they want to do, and the training for blue collar jobs tends to be rather specialized. My friend's son is a pilot, and his program was so directed that he would have been hard put to change his mind. Also many of the schools for blue collar jobs do not have the umbrella of college campus protection and Disney Park amentities that a regular ol' college does. Many kids need to just get away from home, parents, test their limits, spread their wings, and college is the best venue for many of them since they can get some education and culture at the same time. It is not of any importance to me what my kids majors are on the onset,as I am not sending them to college at that point so much for the intellectual education. I want them to "find themselves" . I noted in another thread that I know a number of kids who after a couple of years of a regular college, decide they want to go into more specialty areas that are not addressed in many colleges. I know kids who transferred to aviation courses, business colleges, culinary programs, technical school, photography course. After a year or two of college, sampling a variety of courses, they found what they wanted to do. In no way or form could they have decided at age 18 that becoming a legal transcriber, medical assistant was what they wanted to be. It would have been a shot in the dark for some narrow career training. At age 20, when a kid has had a some semesters of college under the belt, he might just decide he isn't interested enough in any subject to major in it. Hated those literature, history courses, and had enough of math/sciences. Wants a good paying job and has some idea in what field. There is a big, big difference between that 20 year old who has been a way for a couple of years and the kid at 18 who is just graduating high school. And some education in those developing years is not going to hurt them at all.

[gnusasaurus]

If the acting school candidate had a vocational back up plan that would be great. I think you are misreading the thread. It appears she has no back up plan. No disrespect for blue collar work here. I put in many years of blue collar labor myself. My wife worked as a waitress to help sustain our family at one point in our marriage. My dad was a bus driver and my brother drives a fork lift at a factory. Plenty of blue collars to go around in my family.

[jazzfan]

Trades are some of the most important jobs in our society. The people that do them are what keeps our country on out feet. With the sanitation engineers, auto technicians, plumbers, electricians, and construction workers we wouldn't get anywhere. People definetely should not look down on them as they have choosen to go into a very respectable occupation. An occupation that is often underpaid and not appreciated by many.

[Woodwork]

People look down on blue-collar workers?

Blue-collar work: does that mean physical work involving your hands?

even woodworkers?

[coureur]

>>Blue-collar jobs aren't for everyone, of course. But I can't help but wonder if too many people overlook them<<

Don't you think there is a selection factor in in play here? If you go looking on a COLLEGE ADMISSIONS website, for crying out loud, doesn't it make sense that most of the people you find there will be talking about getting into college rather than going into the trades?

If you want to find people interested in blue collar trades (and there are plenty who are), go look on websites pertaining to that. And when you get there, don't make the mistake of asking why it's so fashionable for everyone there to sneer at college-bound eggheads. Because once again you'll be talking to the wrong people.

[emeraldkity4]

I know several people who have recently graduated from top colleges who are also getting vocational training, so that they can be employable.
It just expands your options.
Some jobs, frankly you don't need a college degree to do, but it may be a requirement to apply. Other fields you really need more practical application to find work. Like a young woman who has a dance theatre major is being trained in massage therapy, or a young man with a history degree is trained as a medical assistant.
Funny true story
My brother in law- has several graduate degrees, he has always lorded it over my husband who never attended college.
However my brother in laws work history is more like this- internal auditor for bank - bank gets bought he is out on street. Goes to another bank, same thing, last a little while, bank gets bought up , out on street. Long periods in between with no work because of course he is too good to take anything that is "beneath" him, not too proud to accept money from his mother in law however.
Chief financial officer for an internet start up, takes stock instead of paychecks, convinces mother in law to buy stock that it will go "public"
Company goes bankrupt, never does go public.
Chief financial officer for another company, company goes bankrupt.
Hires headhunter firm for thousands of dollars to find him a job, not willing to relocate, firm gets him 2 interviews, nothing comes of them.
Starts selling insurance, isn't going too good, having to look for another job at 57.
Meanwhile my husband has worked at same company for past 22 years, really likes his job, highly skilled, challenging work. He is respected, and while he works a little more than he would like, he knows it is something he is good at, it is more than putting food on the table.He has had periods when his union is on strike, but he does what ever it takes to stay busy and earn money. Nothing wrong with workign with your hands.

[SusieQ2007]

Never, my husband has been all of these for more than 15 years: plumber, gardener, woodworker, butcher, painter, carpenter, cement/landscape worker, electrician, auto mechanic, etc.. for no salary of course, but it has saved me lots of money, think of like a second job(j/k).

[calmom]

Chief financial officer for an internet start up, takes stock instead of paychecks

Your brother-in-law's experience reminds me of a conversation I once had; I had posted a resume on a job site back in the days when the internet boom was still on, and got a call from someone with a eager to hire me for a start-up. When I asked about compensation, the conversation went like this:

Prospective Employer: Everyone here works for equity.
Me: Oh, that's nice. I work for money.
(end of call)

Anyway, nothing like good old-fashioned common sense.

[ctymomteacher]

I don't think we necessarily DO look down on blue-collar work. My dad built houses, and that didn't mean he was a contractor. He built them--himself--everything except the plumbing and electrical work because he wasn't licensed for those things where he lived most of his life. I was and am proud of the fine work he did.

My son is spending this summer doing landscaping, and I'm proud and happy that he has what it takes and prefers the hard physical labor to an inside job.

My husband was "down-sized" long ago and changed careers because of it but for a period had to do what was there to do--and that included some very physical work. I've never been prouder of him in my entire life than I was then. The contrast between what he did for us then and the people I heard (literally) say, "Oh no, we can't do that. We both have college degrees." is part of the reason I am helplessly, hopelessly devoted to him forever! (And yes, HE has degrees in management and philosophy, too! Didn't mean he couldn't work!)

[emeraldkity4]

Anyway, nothing like good old-fashioned common sense.

WHich unfortunately they don't always learn in college.
While I know some really brillant people who come across as very down to earth because they realize that their area of expertise is really only .oooo3% of the worlds knowledge, I also know people who have overinflated opinions of themselves, and so they are very easy to scam. All you have to do is appeal to their vanity. So my brother inlaw who should have known that even if you pay someone thousands of dollars to get you an interview they can't actually get you a job ( unless they are actually going to hire you), andd when they tell you that( even though the job market sucks and you have no personality and don't learn from your mistakes) of course you are going to be highly in demand and shouldn't settle for something so you can pay your bills if it means that someone young enough to be your daughter is going to be your boss

Geez the money I could make if I had no ethics.