The Hidden Trades: Skilled Jobs That Keep the World Running
Emphasis on “the trades” as an alternative to a traditional four-year-just-after-high-school option has been a hot topic recently. Politicians, educators, commentators, and parents all have opinions on the topic. What comes to mind when we hear “the trades?” Mechanics, welders, carpenters, electricians – yes, these are all trades as we use the term. We use it to describe blue-collar, manual labor, hands-on jobs. Today, we’re going to look at why this image is incomplete. Note: although I use “his” for brevity, it’s grammatically correct, and I intend its use to include “her” as well. I try not to pander to political correctness, but in so doing, I may come off as sexist. If you know me, you know I’m not.
Rethinking the Trades: Invisible Backbone of Modern Life
To better appreciate the full scope of the trades, let’s first define what we mean. I’m going to define the trades as skilled occupations that are critical to infrastructure, movement, and well-being. The real core of the trades has three main blades:
- Applied skill (a mechanical engineer understands the theory of how something works, and the mechanic puts that knowledge to work), specialized training, no 4-year degree required
- Licensure or certification is a common requirement, but not always necessary; much of the training occurs on the job, in the field, or in practical application settings
- They cover infrastructure, transportation, health, and personal care – virtually every facet of modern life
High-Stakes, High-Skill: Unseen Professions in the Trades
With the framework I outlined above, I’m going to add to our list of “the trades”. I’ll list many of the people in our lives we don’t always see, but who keep us comfortable, move goods and people, and take care of us in some way.
Mechanics, Electricians, Plumbers
I’m not talking about car and truck mechanics, although the mechanics that keep the big rigs running are unsung heroes of transportation. The heating and air conditioner repairman who keeps your office comfortable is a tradesman. The plumber who responds to an overflowing toilet or water main break has a place in our hearts. I don’t know the name of the electrician who wired my home for comfort, convenience, and safety, but I’m grateful for the skill he brings to his work.
Maritime and Port Workers
If you don’t live near a river, you may not see tug and barge operators. It’s fascinating to watch them navigate a river. A ship’s pilot and the dockside crew can move a vessel through rough waters. They bring it into dock and get it ready to move out again. Longshore workers and machine operators move goods onto and off of global-going ships. Operating the cranes that load and unload those large, metal shipping containers requires precision and grace under pressure.
Air Traffic Controllers and Transit Operators
The activity in an air traffic control tower is high-pressure and carries critical consequences. It seems like a house of chaos, but each member of the shift knows his craft. Each one guides the air traffic along the paths of landings and takeoffs with incredible precision.
In rail transport, train conductors and engineers operate the locomotives and ensure the safe transport of freight and passengers. Rail yard operators and switch operators manage train car movements, couplings, and route switching. These are precision-based roles that require strong procedural memory and spatial awareness. Signal technicians and track maintenance crews maintain track integrity and signaling systems.
Certified Nursing Assistants
When my husband and I had a car accident several years ago, I was grateful to the physicians who directed my care through the surgery and recovery. The nurses were spectacular, ensuring that I received the care as directed by the doctors. But the tasks that kept me comfortable during my weeks of incapacity, and helped me maintain my dignity when I could do almost nothing for myself, fell to the CNAs who were assigned to me. They did the heavy lifting – often literally – of helping me with the daily things that need to be done for and by patients.
Massage Therapists
Well-being trades go beyond clinical care—consider how other services help us stay functional and confident. Far more than a luxury, a massage therapist can help with pain relief, mobility, and stress management. These services provide physical and emotional health benefits, and even an indulgent spa day has redeeming qualities.
Cosmetologists, Nail Technicians, and Estheticians
Our appearance has more of an effect on our overall well-being than we may realize. I get my nails done so that they don’t break off in the “quick,” which is painful and impedes my ability to do my job well. I use a computer keyboard a lot in my work, and painful fingers make that difficult. Taking care of our hair can be an important part of our self-care for self-confidence. Estheticians can offer waxing, exfoliation, and makeup application, but they can also offer skincare analysis and solutions that don’t require a dermatologist’s care.
What All These Trades Have in Common
Watching a trades practitioner who has mastered their trade is immensely satisfying. All of the trades – the ones we think of immediately, and the ones I’ve just profiled – share some factors. One is mastery through experience. Novices often work with seasoned tradesmen to learn the intricacies of the work as well as the “soft skills” like customer service and the paperwork flow. Many of the trades rely heavily on teamwork and timing. One of my sons works as a lineman apprentice for a power company, and his crew travels as a team. They work every call as a team, supporting each other and looking out for the team’s safety.
The trades in general, but the ones I’ve noted in this post in particular, are often undervalued despite being essential. We seldom realize how important they are to our daily lives until we need them. I think it’s important to remember that these skilled professions are not just “manual labor,” but also deeply intellectual and procedural. I’m not sure the practitioners themselves realize how much we depend on their cognitive efforts, but we all need to realize that a skilled tradesman works with much more than his hands.
Why This Broader View Matters
For several decades, it sounded as though high schoolers were taught that a college degree was the only path to a good life. Over the past several years, the trades have been receiving increased attention, but I feel like we’re still only focusing on the obvious ones. Organizations like Mike Rowe Works provide scholarships for students seeking trades training, but there’s still a lot of missing perspective.
We need to completely reframe the whole conversation around college vs. Trade school. It would be great for high schools to have partnerships with larger companies that use some of the lesser-known trades, so that students who know they aren’t college-bound have something for which they can train, something to which to aspire. High schools have a captive audience to highlight opportunities for meaningful, well-paid, high-responsibility work.
Your Turn
While I was considering this post, I began to notice more of the people who make my life good – the guy who is building a shed for us, the wonderful ladies who do my nails, the power company guys who respond so quickly when my power goes out, and the people laying the fiber-optic cable that is going to bring fast internet to remote areas of our state. The next time I fly, in addition to praying for the pilot and crew, I’ll start including the folks in the towers guiding us off and back down. When I see a barge on the river, I’ll be wondering how long it took that crew to coalesce as a team.
Who makes your life better, that you may have forgotten about till now? Please let me know in the comment section, which you’ll find below the Related Posts section.
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