Unions can be tough to get into. I took my apprenticeship test twice for the IBEW (electricians), passed twice, had experience the second time and my dad was in it for decades which is some sort of plus (even tho I think it shouldn’t be because it leads to nepotism for selecting apprentices), still didn’t get selected either time.
This was 10 or 12 years ago so it’s way too late in my career now to go back to starting apprentice wages. I fell into a niche of controls work anyway that they wouldn’t recognize my hours.
Sucks, but it is what it is. Unions aren’t the end all be all. I’d encourage folks to find something else in the trades if getting selected for an apprenticeship doesn’t work out.
There is a massive gap of skilled labor, experience, and knowledge in the trades right now. What I mean by that is there are green workers and first year people in them everywhere you look but not as many experienced folks. Especially with all the boomers now retiring. Getting experience is what counts right now.
Lots of gaps, but no one is taking apprentices. I know 40+ kids who started with school, and couldn’t get hired as anything but labor. Union shops are the only ones that’ll train anyone where I’m at. HVAC, plumbing, masons, doesn’t matter what trade. No one is hiring.
Seems very region dependant. Unions are notoriously hard to get into around here for highly skilled trades like plumbers, electricians, steam fitters. There’s a few like sheet metal workers, boilermakers, carpentry or masons that would probably take anyone, but I have friends in them and they are absolutely worked to death. Body crushing 60+ hour weeks every week, one kid I know fought through cancer as a 20 year old in the boilermakers, dunno how he did it but he’s better now.
The union plumber I know is similarly worked like crazy the past few years. Seems like if you’re good and get your journeyman card and then master’s license like he just did, they’re gonna dump a lot on you. He barely has time to see his kids because he also lives over an hour from the city so he commutes that each way, sometimes is fixing a water main break in the middle of the night in the winter. It reminds me of my dad, he was always out of state in the IBEW when I was a kid.
Trades can be rough, on the body, on the mind, no time for yourself and you get covered in crap a lot, construction can be a culture shock, etc. I’ve worked in some of the sketchiest steel mills in the country. You do not wanna be even near a pickle line haha. Hot, humid, sticky, nasty, acidic, just gross the whole time. You can taste it in the air.
Think of the worst dude from your highschool, that’s what most construction sites are lol. Guaranteed you’re gonna have an asshole for a boss quite a few times over the years.
I’d encourage anyone to take up the career path if it’s something that interests them. Just know what you’re signing up for is all I can say. I love it and don’t want to do anything else. I’ve turned down promotions to work in the office because I just don’t see myself as that guy, maybe when I get older.
Unions can be tough to get into. I took my apprenticeship test twice for the IBEW (electricians), passed twice, had experience the second time and my dad was in it for decades which is some sort of plus (even tho I think it shouldn’t be because it leads to nepotism for selecting apprentices), still didn’t get selected either time.
This was 10 or 12 years ago so it’s way too late in my career now to go back to starting apprentice wages. I fell into a niche of controls work anyway that they wouldn’t recognize my hours.
Sucks, but it is what it is. Unions aren’t the end all be all. I’d encourage folks to find something else in the trades if getting selected for an apprenticeship doesn’t work out.
There is a massive gap of skilled labor, experience, and knowledge in the trades right now. What I mean by that is there are green workers and first year people in them everywhere you look but not as many experienced folks. Especially with all the boomers now retiring. Getting experience is what counts right now.
Lots of gaps, but no one is taking apprentices. I know 40+ kids who started with school, and couldn’t get hired as anything but labor. Union shops are the only ones that’ll train anyone where I’m at. HVAC, plumbing, masons, doesn’t matter what trade. No one is hiring.
Seems very region dependant. Unions are notoriously hard to get into around here for highly skilled trades like plumbers, electricians, steam fitters. There’s a few like sheet metal workers, boilermakers, carpentry or masons that would probably take anyone, but I have friends in them and they are absolutely worked to death. Body crushing 60+ hour weeks every week, one kid I know fought through cancer as a 20 year old in the boilermakers, dunno how he did it but he’s better now.
The union plumber I know is similarly worked like crazy the past few years. Seems like if you’re good and get your journeyman card and then master’s license like he just did, they’re gonna dump a lot on you. He barely has time to see his kids because he also lives over an hour from the city so he commutes that each way, sometimes is fixing a water main break in the middle of the night in the winter. It reminds me of my dad, he was always out of state in the IBEW when I was a kid.
Trades can be rough, on the body, on the mind, no time for yourself and you get covered in crap a lot, construction can be a culture shock, etc. I’ve worked in some of the sketchiest steel mills in the country. You do not wanna be even near a pickle line haha. Hot, humid, sticky, nasty, acidic, just gross the whole time. You can taste it in the air.
Think of the worst dude from your highschool, that’s what most construction sites are lol. Guaranteed you’re gonna have an asshole for a boss quite a few times over the years.
I’d encourage anyone to take up the career path if it’s something that interests them. Just know what you’re signing up for is all I can say. I love it and don’t want to do anything else. I’ve turned down promotions to work in the office because I just don’t see myself as that guy, maybe when I get older.