Authors: Joe Lamacchia,Bridget Samburg
Tags: #Business
Blue Collar and Proud of It: The All-In-One Resource for Finding Freedom, Financial Success, and Security Outside the Cubicle (17 page)
Machinery maintenance workers can typically get hired with a high school diploma or the equivalent. These entry-level positions allow for learning on the job, but machinery mechanics tend to need postsec-ondary training and some have skills specific to a certain machine. Employers prefermechanics who have at least taken courses in computer programming, mechanical drawing, or electronics.Training in industrial technology is especially useful and is often offered by professional trainers or equipment manufacturers.
Mechanics typically need a year or more of formal education and training following high school. Military experience, especially on ships, is highly valued, as is a two-year associate degree in industrial maintenance. There are many apprenticeships offered by local unions as well.
The Numbers
In 2006, therewere approximately 345, 000 jobs for industrialmachin-erymechanics andmaintenance workers.Of these, 261, 000 were held by the more advanced mechanics. Most were employed in the manufacturing sector. Employment in this sector is expected to grow by about 7 percent, or an additional 24, 000 jobs, between 2006 and 2016.
TEN OFFBEAT BLUE-COLLAR JOBS
Most of us know a painter, a plumber, and an electrician, but there are some little known, often forgotten, and pretty cool blue-collar jobs out there. The sky is the limit, and you might be surprised to learn how many unusual and interesting jobs there are in the blue-collar sector. We’ve put together a few of our favorite unusual jobs, but don’t be shy about going out and finding the ones that most interest you.
1. Underwater welder. Ever think about how bridges are built or repaired, at least at their bases? Underwater welders, essential for the construction and maintenance of bridges, are required to go down deep to repair different elements of these structures. Underwater welding combines many skills, not to mention offering a unique work environment. Wet suit and oxygen tank required.
2. Tugboat pilot.Coast Guard training and certification are required for tanker, tugboat, and harbor boat pilots, but this occupation allows you to spend your days on the water, be it in a harbor or out on the open ocean.
3. Chimney sweep. They can’t all dance like the chimney sweep played by Dick Van Dyke in
Mary Poppins
, but still this occupation requires quite a bit of agility. Sweeps are still the ones you call when you need a chimney inspected or cleaned. Willing to get dust up their noses and black on their faces, chimney sweeps are good at diagnosing chimney-related problems, and their days consistently include challenging jobs.
4. Musical instrument repairer. You don’t have to go to college to become a master musical instrument repairer, although many instrument repairmen and women do have a four-year degree. Most important is an ability to play an instrument or two or three and a knack for repairing them and knowing them inside and out. Practice makes perfect.
5. Taxi or limo driver. Think of the places you’ll go and the people you’ll meet. If you like driving but don’t want to drive trucks across the country, being a taxi driver or limousine driver could be an option, especially if you enjoy meeting people and providing a service.
6. Butcher. If you can stomach the work, you can actually have an influence over the quality of meat that you are providing to your customers. As the owner of a butcher shop, you could choose to support local farms, for example, while only offering hormone-free products. We’ll leave the other job details to your imagination.
7. Boat builder. True craftspeople and master carpenters, the purist boat builders continue to make stunning pieces of handcrafted art. Some specialize in picnic boats and others in canoes and small sailboats. Boat builders are some of the most passionate people out there.
8. Hot tub installer. It would be a tough job if you had to test whether the newly installed hot tub was working properly. A plumbing background is helpful if not necessary, and installing hot tubs can be lucrative and even creative. Some people specialize in hot tub installation and become go-to experts.
9. Critter removal. Got a badger in your backyard? A squirrel in the attic?
Pest and animal control experts are largely focused on humanely removing these animals so that you don’t have to. Most pest specialists are trained by their employers, and some take courses for certification at community colleges.
10. Blacksmith. Although there used to be a blacksmith in every town, the art of blacksmithing is not gone. Blacksmiths are incredibly skilled with their hands and with crafting iron into railings, decorative grates, and fencing. As an art form, blacksmithing produces some of the most intricate elements still found on homes.
IRONWORKERS
Often called
cowboys in the sky
, ironworkers are regularly suspended hundreds of feet in the air as they set the steel foundation for skyscrapers. Risk and adventure are definitely part of the thrill of this job, but it comeswith highly honed skills and a deep respect for safety.Being twenty stories up, perched on a steel beam, is not exactly everyone’s idea of a good day at work, but for some it’s just the ticket to happiness. As the ironworking industry’smotto puts it, “We don’t go to the office. We build it.” I love that slogan.
The Work
Despite their reputation for working in the clouds, some ironworkers never leave the ground. But for those who do, a fear of heights has to be left behind. Workersmust be in good physical condition and have excellent agility, balance, and depth perception.
Structural and reinforcing ironworkers place and install iron or steel girders, columns, and other constructionmaterials to formthe structure for buildings and bridges. They also position and secure steel bars prior to concrete being poured for all types of buildings, bridges, and tunnels. Before construction can begin, ironworkers must erect steel frames and assemble the cranes and derricks tomove all of the steel and bars around a site. They then spendmuch time connecting steel columns and beams with guidance from blueprints. Ornamental ironworkers install stairs, handrails, and iron frameworks, such as those that go around windows.
Work Setting
Iron andmetalworkers usuallywork outside and in all kinds of weather. Although they have a reputation for practically tightrope walking in the sky, many find themselves at ground level on typical construction sites.For those who are outside, the weather is amajor factor, and work can be suspended during severewinds or storms.Because of the possibility of falling, ironworkers use safety harnesses, scaffolding, or nets.
Training and Certification
Many learn ironworking through formal apprenticeships, and most employers recommenda three-or four-year-long apprenticeshipconsistingof a combination of paid on-the-job training and classroom time. Apprenticeships are often offered through unions or contractor associations.
Apprentices typically study blueprint reading, mathematics, and the basics of structural framing, reinforcing, welding, and safety. Apprentices also study the care and safe use of tools andmaterials.On the job, apprentices work in all aspects of the trade, starting with basic job site tasks.
Ironworkers who complete apprenticeships are certified as journey workers, whichmakes themmore appealing when applying for jobs and promotions. Those who meet education and experience requirements can become welders certified by the AmericanWelding Society, a highly regarded organization.
High school courses in general mathematics, mechanical drawing, and welding are beneficial for entering this industry.
The Numbers
Ironworkers held about 102, 000 jobs in 2006, and about 88 percent worked in construction. Although structural and reinforcing ironworkers are employed in all parts of the country, most work in metropolitan areas, where commercial construction is more prevalent. Employment of ironworkers is expected to grow 8 percent between 2006 and 2016, which means at least another 8, 000 jobs. Many of these new jobs are expected to be created by retiring ironworkers.
Ironworkers tend to have high salaries compared with their counterparts in other construction trades. As ofMay 2006, median earnings were $19.46 an hour, with the highest 10 percent earning more than $34.78. About 31 percent of theworkers in this trade are unionmembers.Not surprisingly, those working in larger cities—such as New York, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, and Philadelphia—earn the highest wages. Apprentices generally start at about 50 to 60 percent of the rate paid to experienced journey workers, but these salaries increase with experience.
LOGGERS
AND
FOREST WORKERS
The days of Paul Bunyan and his pal Babe the Blue Ox are over. Managing, harvesting, and replanting the country’s forests have become a controversial but also crucial piece of this industry.Reliance on timber drives the demand for loggers, and the need tomaintain the health of the forests is a daunting task that falls to forestry workers. Some are cutting while others are planting. It’s an ongoing, constant cycle, and the actual jobs are quite different. That said, both would afford you an opportunity to be in some of themost beautiful and secluded places in our country.