Why the Trades are just as good (and maybe even better)

In April of 2021, I finished my University studies at the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History. My plan was to apply for law school and from there become a successful lawyer. Suffice it to say, that plan fell through after I failed the LSAT three times. I could have taken in a fourth time, but each test was expensive for me and I had to start rethinking my career plans.

My family at that time, suggested that I go into the trades. Honestly this conversation came up numerous times before I went to university, but I dismissed it as I didn't see the trades as an actual well-paying job. I was proven wrong though, after I learned from one of my friends that a mutual friend of ours works at his fathers construction company, and cleared $400,000 in 2021 alone. I was honestly shocked, here I was swimming in student debt and he was out skiing with friends up north of Toronto living the dream.

So, I decided with another friend of mine to apply to become plumbers at a college in Toronto. They had this program where you would learn all there is to being a plumber and a welder as it combined both trades into a single apprenticeship. Honestly the transition itself was a culture shock, instead of writing essays and theses on famous politicians here I was learning how to cut ABS pipe and using a MIG welder. It was a 4 month program and honestly now that I've graduated its been a very surreal experience for me.

Where do I start? My teachers weren't like the university professors that I had imagined, they were actually regular people who worked for a living and taught as a side job. They would talk about last night's game or their wild plumbing stories (seriously, some of the stories they talked about could not be made up). Even the guys and girls in our program were so unique, one guy commuted 4 hours each day just to come to this apprenticeship which starts at 8am and ends at 5pm. One guy we even called "Muffin Man" since he always had a muffin with him in class. Compared to university classes where it was more like a "sit down, shut up, and listen to me" situation, I was having a blast learning, actually doing physical work that is useful and is also a important life skill.

Having finished this program from beginning to end really changed my perception on the whole "You must to go to college to get a good job! That is the only way to be successful!" mindset. I think personally that you don't have to go to college to be successful, we've heard plenty of those success stories like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates. Not saying that college is completely useless, since taking business or any STEM major is still useful. But if you're like me and taking a course with no employment prospects, then you are better off dropping out and going to a trade school or going into the workforce directly.

We are really doing harm when we force people to go to college and university and they end up graduating and not being able to find a job or buy their first home. We have student loans and grants available for higher education but none that I have heard of for trade schools. You can easily graduate from trade school and enter into professions where you can earn a comfortable five figure salary and not have to worry about paying back student debt. The bar isn't set that high, yet many people like me just seem willing to study whatever they want at university and then struggle afterwards. If there is anything that I have learned while I was at university, it is that they teach you how to do your job, but they never seem to teach you how to get a job.

Right now, I just accepted an offer to become a plumber with the military, and although that doesn't sound glamorous, compared to my peers who are unable to find work I feel that I am one of the lucky ones. Compared to after I graduated and not being able to even find steady employment for a month, I feel that I am on the right path in my life and I no longer feel depressed or peer pressured. We ought to tell young people that working in the trades can make you just as successful, and even more in some cases than if they were if they went to a university and spend god knows how much money on tuition and student housing.

Don't just settle for debt, always find opportunities that you can take advantage of.