Things are changing in the trades. It’s still rare to find women working in construction or as an electrician. But there are some and the numbers are growing.
This week Tim speaks with two of these trailblazers. Both Stephanie Brown and Trish Mickelson trained at Skills College Canada as electricians. That’s where Tim spoke with them about everything from sexism on the job site to the struggles of finding a clean bathroom. This one is not to be missed!
I hated school. I was dyslexic and wrote backwards. I was always made to feel like an idiot. When I was 15 I left and never came back. It took me years to realize that I wasn’t stupid. I eventually came to realize that the problem was with the school – not me. I was thinking about that recently while touring the Skilled Trades College campus in Vaughan, Ontario. My friend Ralph Cerasulo founded STC a decade ago to provide a place for young people to get the skills they need to succeed.
When I was a kid there was a “trades” school for teenagers that was universally regarded as the place where the dumb kids went. In some ways that perception of the trades has never really went away. A university degree is the holy grail for many parents who push their kids into getting one no matter the cost. But the irony is the best way to become one of the top income earners in this country is to enter the trades. Kids with four year bachelor degrees often find themselves unemployable and laden with debt.
In this episode Ralph and I talk about why the education system is letting kids down and why the trades are so important. It’s one of the best conversations I’ve ever had. And, I think, it’s one of the most important. STC is an amazing place and I think you’re going to be as impressed with it as I am.
A tidal wave is coming. I’m sure of it. I’ve been in business long enough to have lived through at least three big recessions. The next one is coming fast. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Just look at the facts. We are in the midst of one of the longest periods of economic growth in history. The housing market hit record highs during that time and the Dow Jones climbed to a record 26 thousand points last year. But change is coming. You can already see it affecting housing prices which have begin to decline and in the huge debts being racked up by governments and individuals alike.
This week on the show I’m joined by my old friend John Mollenhauer. John is the President of the Toronto Construction Association and knows the industry better than anyone I know. Together we debate the likelihood of another recession. And most importantly we talk about how the construction industry will deal with another downturn. Many young business owners weren’t around for the last downturn in 2008. What’s the best way to prepare? Listen to today’s episode for details about how to survive the next next recession.
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