State-run Schools Prepare Students for Careers in the Trades
Most of us in the trades have read the headlines saying America’s experiencing a dire shortage of skilled trade workers. The most in-demand groups of technicians — machinists, electricians, plumbers, and welders — average 55 years of age.
While baby boomers dominate the trades now, what happens when they retire? Younger trade workers are abnormally scarce; it’s a problem America’s never faced before. The number of 18- to 21-year-olds entering the trades continues to drop.