ESSAY
YOUNGSTERS NEED TO LEARN A TRADE
by J.J.R. Ramey
For years, I have watched hundreds of people travel through life with noble goals of becoming specialists in various occupations. Some wanted to become actors, many doctors, others President of the United States. Yet, as life would have it, their educational ceiling ended in high school while those with stick-to-it-ive-ness and oftentimes luck persevered into college. The fortunate ones became professionals in high paying fields including actors and doctors. However, many who fell by the wayside and through no apparent fault of their own, failed to secure a living in a once lucrative field turned barren and unable to support their personal and societal needs. I have worked as an actor, broadcaster, and writer, and there were times early in my career if only for a few short weeks that I wished I knew a trade.
I have observed men and women who were duly employed (despite the economy’s woes) as carpenters, plumbers, electricians and other trade jobs continue to prosper and no economic downturn (recession) ever slowed them down. No matter how lean the economy and job market got, many trade crafted-folk always worked, always had a job. When the electricity went out, whom do we call: an electrician. When a sink stops up, whom do we call: a plumber. Need doors and windows repaired or replaced: call a carpenter. These people have trade experience and they are busy folks. This J.J. tirade brings me to today’s question: shouldn’t young people learn a trade early in life?
Yes! Yes! Of course. Why bring this subject up now? With the unemployment rate in the U.S. in double digits and threatening to go higher, what does a body do when his or her white or blue-collar position ends with financial ramifications. These stunned people seek out the same type of job at other companies, which in turn, are firing employees as they, the hopeful, enthusiastically submit their applications. Educators, be proactive: ask students what they like to do in their spare time. Some youngsters will undoubtedly say they like working with electricity, some plumbing, and others might just like nursing, and related medical fields. So, decision making educators, why not consider offering trade education in high schools. Schools could offer a list of courses, teaching trade skills in plumbing, electrical work, the general medical related fields, and other trade professions I haven’t even considered.
School boards and administrators will no doubt say that tooling up to teach these trade courses in high school would turn their budgets on end. However, there might be a solution: hire unemployed trade professionals to teach their respective professions to those youngsters. Why not pay an ‘affordable fee’ to local electricians and plumbers or nurses to teach teenagers to do their jobs. Firstly, it would give at least some income to unemployed trade specialists. Secondly, the schools would not be forced to pay full-time salaries and benefits to those workers. Pay those trade professionals a reasonable fee to teach high school and/or college students how to do their jobs. Other issues would certainly arise such as parental consent, liability, waivers, etc. Perhaps, school systems could partner with trade schools.
The great Michael Jordan formerly of the Chicago Bulls remarked when countless critics in North Carolina told him he could never even make a junior high school basketball team, let alone a college or NBA squad, because of his non-talent : “It could happen.” And wow, did it happen for Jordan…, then some…, and then much, much more! There are millions of people on the unemployment lines these days and at least some of them, I’ll bet as a non-betting man, would be willing, to teach a young one how to do their jobs. As teachers, educators, all you have to do is ask them.
Enterprising Americans could bring another aspect to the jobs force. And what is more, these trade professionals would NOT be hired out of India, or China, or Mexico. These trade professionals are home-folks, home grown, home experienced. Let’s give the unemployed trade professional a chance to work today offering valued training to our high school and college students to provide alternatives to becoming an actor, doctor, or U.S. President. It could work. We won’t know for sure until we give it a try. Nothing beats a failure but a try.
J.J.R. Ramey is a former radio news anchorman, New Jersey TV correspondent, novelist, and voice-over specialist. Ramey has worked in broadcasting in New York City, Nashville, and other media outlets. Contact information is on the way.
