Also in my industry, I notice the old guys have a better way of doing things. Things I was never taught. No one ever showed me. I am "good" at what I do, but all the guys I came up with just lack the professionalism
Perhaps more companies could offer apprentice programs. A lot of companies want people with skills and don't want to train them and they want people to pay for their own training at vocational colleges.
I'm fortunate enough to be able to work part time for some general contractors. I'm paid very little, but the upside is they take the time to teach me how to do the job correctly. It helps to have a good attitude going into it, but it also helps that I knew these people well before asking for a job. I enjoy the work and it feels productive, unlike managing spreadsheets.
Honestly, if you're a competent man in okay physical shape, general contracting, particularly residential basement, kitchen & baths, is a great thing to look into doing. Not much of it is very complicated, it is just a series of simple tasks repeated over and over. There are tricks to do things more efficiently and more correctly, but the tasks that make up the bulk of the work, like framing (with wood or metal), insulating, running wires, wiring outlets, hanging drywall, painting, installing lighting fixtures, are not that difficult. Certain types of flooring can be trickier but still doesn't require an IQ of 100 to do. Joint compound, caulk, and putty can hide most of your mistakes. The hardest thing for me so far is finishing drywall joints with joint compound because that does require finesse and skill to do it with minimal work needed later.
All of these things are fundamentally simple, but there are fewer and fewer men capable of DIY, meaning this work is increasing in demand (though prone to a downturn during depressions). Overall I highly recommend this line of work. It is simple, meaningful work, and with the excess IQ I assume most people here have, you can expand your business and manage others, and even if it doesn't work out, it gives you skills to potentially build yourself a home since new home costs are ridiculously high now due to labor cost. Even if you just did the framing, drywall, and painting, and didn't touch a pipe or a wire, you're still saving yourself tens of thousands of dollars.
They do, and hold onto young people who have skills/learning ability very tightly. Every single construction company in the country would hire a young person who can pass a drug test and do math through Algebra 1. Some young people "want to learn" but are so remedial that they can't do fractions. Does the company also teach them middle school math? My state has also legalized weed so that has further reduced the pool of employable young people.
This is true, I work with an 18 year old guy whose been working for the general contractors I work with for a year. He isn't a genius by any means but he is a hard worker and he is excelling; they're really happy to have him and he's even taught me quite a bit.
