College isn’t for everyone. Neither are the careers it might lead to. If the thought of 40 hours a week behind a desk seems wrong for you, a blue-collar career may be more up your alley. Especially with the rising cost of four-year degree programs, more students are opting out of the college track and into training that will result in a hands-on job that requires you to use your brain and your muscles. Blue-collar or Trades careers in HVAC, electronics, and electricity can be interesting and rewarding, and they don’t require a four-year degree.

Blue-Collar Workers Are Needed

Baby Boomers who occupy many blue-collar jobs are nearing retirement, creating a real need for replacement workers. In fact, the average age of HVAC technicians and electricians is more than 40 years old. Add to this, the current housing market boom and the current presidential administration’s proposed infrastructure bill, and the outlook for the Trades is promising.

Blue-Collar Workers Like the Job

More than 85 percent of blue-collar workers say they like their jobs and more than 90 percent say that they’re proud of the work they do. And 80 percent believe that “the harder you work, the more successful you will be.”

1. Work with your hands: If you like to work with your hands and work to solve a problem—beginning to end—careers in the Trades give you ample opportunity. At the end of the day, you clearly measure your progress and see what you’ve accomplished. There’s a feeling of pride and satisfaction that can be uplifting and motivating on a daily basis.
2. Leave work at work: Construction workers don’t take their laptops home to finish up a presentation for the next day. HVAC technicians aren’t answering emails late into the evening. When your workday is done, your work is done.
3. Exercise on the job: Unlike a desk job, when you work in the Trades, you’re busy and moving most of the day. You may be on your feet, lifting parts, tools, and equipment, and stretching and bending. You won’t spend your day hunched over a desk.
4. See your accomplishments: Dealing in tangible tasks that you can see and feel do a lot for job satisfaction. Working with your hands and seeing what you’ve created at the end of the day or the end of a project can help you feel good about the work and yourself.
5. Possess tangible skills: As a worker in the trades, you possess a specific skillset that is valuable and transferrable most anywhere in the country. Want to move to new city? Bring your skills with you and find new work.

YTI Career Institute in Pennsylvania has a variety of technical and trade career programs, including: Computer Aided Drafting and Design, Electrical Technology, Electronics Engineering Technology and HVACR. Each path is focused on providing students like you with the skills, education, and training you need to get employed and start your new career. You’ll learn from a team of qualified instructors and get the one-on-one attention you need to be confident and qualified. Visit our trades and technical programs page now to learn more and find a path that’s right for you.