Opinions on trades

And yes, I did recently graduate from school in a totally unrelated field of study. Suffice it to say, job prospects are somewhere between slim and none. I am working in a position somewhat related to what I learned (mushroom type job, kept in the dark and fed you know what), but the pay is garbage, there is no room for advancement, and it seems like I would need a PhD or masters degree to get a real career position. Feedback from other graduates from my class and the previous 3 is universally negative in terms of job prospects. Many have dropped out of the field or gone into university. Needless to say, after 3 years of physics, calculus, optics, electronics and laser theory, I'm extremely disappointed. Luckily for most, they are young enough to move on, but I'm turning 39 next week, and frankly, another stint in school ranks just a bit higher than eating the business end of a gun right now. I have already been turned down for a machinist apprentice position (which I have the qualifications for) because I'm "overqualified" lol. Frankly, I'm fresh outta ideas. I have taken computer networking and photonics engineering hoping they would turn things around for me, but I've been left with a large amount of student loans and precious little else. Getting kinda worried about the future.

If you don't think I work for my money, come on over and do the job for a while.

Scott,
Environmental & Plating Engineer

Very True.. I see it every day.. Many people in management look at a skilled tradesman as just a laborer.

There is a silent class warfare going on, but I think the people that have some skills, & can do things for themselves will eventually win...

I agree Sam, ideally you must like what you do, but I'll settle for tolerable at this point. I probably sound like a money grubber I guess, but I was hoping the lean times would be over by now. Thanks for your insights T_Bone, helpful as always. I was toying with the idea of contacting Kaeser's head office in Montreal to see if anything worthwhile might be available. I guess I just have a bad taste in my mouth from working for a lot of small opertions that paid poorly and laid off people with gusto.

I'm on the Ontario Power Generation email list for new jobs. They have been coming in fairly regularly, but most are for engineers and fully certified tradesmen. There was one "jack of all trades" type job at a hydro station out in the middle of nowhere, but then you have to think about quality of life tradeoffs and such. I might sound picky, but I'm not, really. I could list all the jobs I've had to prove it, I just need something with some upward mobility and transferrable skills if layoffs do come.

Thanks for giving me a few things to think about.

Been thinking a tad bit, how about taking your exisiting skills to the RR or another Gov't agency for the secure job part, then have them school yourself into a different job while you get paid. Most of those types of employers love to pay for your schooling if you will put in the time.

From what I've seen in todays world, when you get close too that 45 number, more so when you hit that 50 number and your on a bananna peal at 55, there's NO company that wants you. Doesn't matter how good you are or what you know, when you hit the numbers things change and there's nothing you can do about it other than have your own retirement plan with no age limit.

T_Bone

I have been a commerial refrigeration contractor for the past 35 yrs. in a rural agriculture section of Southeastern PA. There has been a down-swing of business in the area over the past 10 yrs. because of the down-turn of the agriculture industry in the area.

WhenI first started out, there were only 2 of us refrigeration guys in the area. Now, according to expanded local phone book, there are over 30 outfits advertising. Each year the vo-tech schools put out a new batch of young hopefuls.

I recommend that you decide where you want to live and check the area for the needs of HVAC&R mechanics. Maybe, with the upswing in housing developments, you would be better working as the hvac INSTALLER for a larger contractor.

Also, the STATE usually hires HVAC&R employees to maintain their (state) equipment. Best recommendation that I can make.

HVAC is a great industry to get into. I have been in the industry for 11 years now...six in the commercial refrigeration end of it, and the last five in the wholesale end. Having graduated out of Tech School in 1996, I can honestly say I am happy with my choice to be involved in this trade.

Job security is as close to guaranteed as one can expect in todays job market. As long as it gets hot in the summer, cold in the winter, and we need to refrigerate food...you will have a job.

I started my career on the refrigeration end of things by working for a regional contractor. Early on the days were sometimes long and I had to carry the after hours pager every four weeks, but the job security and compensation (pay, vacation, insurance benefits) were worth it. I was able to put myself into a position to pay back my school loans, rent, and car payment, and still line the savings account (of course there was a separate beer drinking account too...the guys at Miller Brewing need a job to go to also!)

After 6 years of that I decided it might be a bit easier on the body to work on the sales end of it, and got the opportunity at a local wholesaler. I jumped at the opportunity and haven't looked back. At first it was inside sales, then department supervisor, and then a territory manager position. The point being that growth in the industry is always there well beyond just changing out semi-hermetic compressors and condenser inlet solenoid valves.

If you ever want to talk more in depth about it, shoot me an email.

Good luck on you making a decision!

Billy

I've been retired from the HVAC&R field for 15yrs now so some of my info will be out dated as I have not kept up with the trade since retiring.

There's two Union trades that control the commerical refrigeration end of the process. The SM trade covers both the air side as well as the refrigeration side. The pipefitter trade only covers the refrigeration side as were dealing with liquids and piping. Both trades are now working together over the work instead of fighting about it, so if a large job has both air & refrigeration units then we use a composite crew of SM & pipefitters.

To work with the pipefitters for refigeration you would also need to be a pipefitter as they don't seperate trades with in the trade. So to do the refrigeration side you would also have to be a pipefitter to compete with the existing work force. They do seperate the welding/brazing end of the process to just a pipewelder classification. They also preform unit control repair/install. I'm unsure who in there trade does that. A pipfitter contractor usualy will not do small commerical or residental jobs but is passed on the the plumber part of the pipefitter trade.

With the SM trade, there was a different classes of tradesmen with-in the SM trade, SM layout/shop work, SM weldors, SM field installers, HVAC&R service/installers, Controls & computers, Indoor Air Quality & Energy Management. Once again your needed to be qualified in more than one field with-in the trade to compete with existing work force.

As to the commerial units, where the challange and most work is, I liked controls as it was very difficult and challanged my mind. Problem was the job required 10hrs of self education every week just too keep up with the changing trends and no one wanted to pay you for this extra work. Working the SM trade, I could go home after 40hrs and didn't have to study.

Most of the computer programs trouble shoot themselfs and so when a part fails the puter calls the contrator and tells them to bring the correct part and where to install that part. A really boring no thinking type of job. I would also think by now that the same applies to the refrigeration side of the repairs with very little thinking required.

Your at a age where most apprenticeships cut off ,35yrs. That does not apply to hot labor demand areas. Here you might just get in most trades as they bend the rules alot. I strongly urge you too look at joining a Union trade as the non-Union pay is horrible with very little benefits. There was a huge HVAC labor glut in Phoenix a few years back where non-Union wages were $8hr with schooling and 2yrs experience. I notice that very few HVAC schools advertise now where before they had TV ads 24hrs/day.

I left my e-mail open if you would like more info.

As sharp as you are on air compressors, I'm supprised your not heading into that field? I always enjoy reading your posts on compressorss. Thanks!

T_Bone

Sam