Blue Collar and Proud of It: The All-In-One Resource for Finding Freedom, Financial Success, and Security Outside the Cubicle Read Free Page B

are facing leaky or corroded waste and water pipes that are in need of repair. Miles of these underground pipes are expected to cost each city several billion dollars to fix or replace.
    Even the airlines are adding workers, thanks to the need for upgrading. In the summer of 2008, U.S. Airways hired one hundred mechanics in an effort to boost its performance and on-time record. The mechanics were brought in to troubleshoot, fix broken lights, and replace seats that wouldn’t recline. It may sound like a small number of jobs, but it’s just another way in which blue-collar America is both indispensable and always in demand.
    Did You KNOW?
    Interestingly, Europeans don’t have the same attitude about the trades as do Americans and Canadians. A study published in 2004 revealed that blue-collar workers in the United Kingdom were the happiest of all workplace employees. Hairdressers, plumbers, and chefs topped the list of the professions with the most job satisfaction. “It’s a misconception that white-collar professionals have the best jobs and are therefore the happiest, ” said Chris Humphries, deputy director at City and Guilds, the accrediting group in England that conducted the study. “As our research proves, it’s often people in vocational careers that are the most content and fulfilled.” We all spend a lot of time at work, sometimes more than we should, so shouldn’t we be doing something that makes us happy?
    The time has come to stop turning our backs on the blue-collar jobs that have built nations. It’s time to pay attention to the desires and skills of each individual, and it’s past time that we put pride and value back into being a plumber, a carpenter, or a mason. We as a nation must start respecting each other for how hard we work and how well we do our work rather than by the title we have or the diplomas we hang on our walls. It’s time that we as parents, teachers, businesses, and communities wake up, look around, and see the immense benefits gained and contributions made by blue-collar workers.
    Did You KNOW?
    Many teenagers don’t realize that some of the jobs in the trades actually require the same kind of hand-eye coordination that is picked up from playing video games. Most heavy equipment operators use joysticklike levers to control their machines. Hand-eye coordination is important when using backhoes and in many construction jobs. Times have changed, and many blue-collar jobs involve highly technical machinery and computers rather than purely manual labor.
    Where Did the Problem Start?
    A survey done in Canada about workforce readiness and attitudes revealed that 86 percent of students said their guidance counselors had not recommended the skilled trades as an option. Seventy-two percent of those same teens said their parents had not encouraged them to go into the blue-collar trades.
    Many guidance counselors are totally overwhelmed by the sheer number of students they are expected to advise. Some are responsible for as many as 600 students and have little time to tailor their advice or suggestions. Plus, one way that high schools measure their own success is by the percentage of students who go on to college after graduation. As a result, counselors almost naturally find themselves pushing college and urging students to at least give it a try. Add to all of that the fact that more community colleges have open enrollment, which means almost anyone can take classes, regardless of what kind of student he or she was in high school. The result? College students are taking remedial courses in basic math and literacy skills. Something is wrong with this situation.
    Some counselors admit that they hesitate to suggest anything but college for their students, because they fear the wrath of parents who are determined to see their children enroll in a four-year university. Other counselors are simply so overloaded with work that they don’t have time to give personalized advice to each student. A