Who Will Fix Your Roof in Twenty Years?

In the lyrics of an old country song, Charlie Daniels sings “A rich man goes to college while a poor man goes to work.”

It seems like many of today's youth aren’t interested in learning a blue-collar trade skill to help them earn a living after high school is over.  They look forward to high-paying entry level jobs and remaining on their parent’s health insurance policy until the ripe old age of 26.  They’ll be driving hybrid cars to and from their part-time jobs, where they’ll sit in air-conditioned comfort and type on computers all day.

That’s all well and good, but who’s going to fix their roof when it leaks?

What about the kids who have a knack for working with their hands and enjoy building and making things, rather than sitting in a classroom studying books all day?

How many kids are interested in entering into blue-collar professions where they’ll be getting their hands dirty, they’ll be working from dawn to dusk and their backs will be sore at the end of the day?

How many of them want to learn how to build houses, fix cars, repair plumbing or drive a back-hoe?  How many of them will be willing to tear the roof off of a house in 100 degree summer heat, or climb down into a muddy pit of sludge to fix a broken water pipe?

In a few years, there won’t be anyone left to fix stuff if the younger generation doesn't learn how to do it.  The trade professionals in business today aren’t getting any younger.  They need to pass down their knowledge, skill and pride from a job well done to the young people who aren’t afraid of busting their hindquarters like my husband has done for the last thirty years with his roofing business, Bryant Roofing and Repairs (www.bryantroofing.com). 

Learning a skill and doing it well can be a very lucrative career move.  When homeowners need an electrician or a plumber in the middle of the night, they can’t exactly outsource the job to someone overseas.  Local contractors will always be in demand.

So if you’re a blue-collar business owner and you need a helper, consider hiring a young apprentice and teach him the ropes of your business.  We’re going to need him someday.