5 ms·

What was once a blue-collar education is now undergraduate white-collar education.

topspin 7y ago
Except you didn't incur a bunch of debt to get it.
moksly 7y ago
Maybe in factories, but we’re seeing a real need for craftsmen in Denmark after three decades of university being the only “cool” education path. Mean while white collar students with less attractive degrees struggle to find work. I’m not sure if it’s really blue-collar if you’re a plumber, nurse or an electrician, because my English is lacking, but we need those a whole lot more, even compared to people who studied the soft-IT educations.
- lotsofpulp 7y ago
  Blue collar basically means anything you have to physically exert effort for, as opposed to sitting in a chair and using a computer and attending meetings. Once blue collar work starts paying more than white collar work, it will become “cool” again.
- alistairSH 7y ago
  "Blue collar" refers to the blue chambray or denim shirts often worn by factory workers and other laborers in the early 20th century. These days, it's mostly "laborer" vs "office dweller". But, there are a lot of jobs in the middle. A plumber who works for somebody else would be considered blue collar. A licensed plumber who works for themselves and can bill at high rates is in that awkward middle - they still have to do some labor, but can be highly compensated (by middle-class standards). Same for electrician. Nurses are sometimes called "pink collar" - those jobs that are traditionally held by women. Teachers, clerical, hair dressers, too. But, like electricians, they are highly trained and, in the right position, highly compensated.
  - mywittyname 7y ago
    > and, in the right position, highly compensated. Nursing is the only field on there that could be considered well compensated. There's this mystique around nursing that it's some crazy well-paying position, but it's really not. When you consider the education requirements and the work involved, it's alright. $35/hr is pretty good, except you have to maintain a license, clean up peoples' shit, be nice to assholes, and get berated by doctors. Or you can take a huge pay cut to go work in a doctors office. (source: married a nurse that couldn't make it 10 years before changing careers) Teachers make a bit more than the median wage, but most jobs require a masters degree to progress beyond a certain point. Hair dressers require licensing and a surprising amount of education (up to 1,500 hours) to work in mostly flat-rate jobs, sometimes without benefits. And clerical work is basically the lowest tier work in an office. Not listed: dental hygienists. Also a traditionally female job which has crazy education requirements for mediocre pay.
    - walshemj 7y ago
      Not sure where you are but in the Uk a lot of nursing jobs are degree level.
      - mywittyname 7y ago
        In the US, it's a minimum of two years with most hospitals requiring four years of schooling.
    - rcurry 7y ago
      Depending on your entrepreneurial skills, being a hairdresser can be a lot more profitable than you’d think. My wife’s hair dresser does exemplary work and has a terrific reputation in our area. She earns about $165 for an hour and a half worth of work, works ten hours a day, and is booked solid every day of the week three months out. This is in Texas, where the cost of living is not that high and I would guess she easily grossed around $200k+ last year alone. Yeah, if you just want to clock in and out at Great Clips and not be the best you can be, then it’s not a high paying profession, but for people that invest in their skills and learn how to market and build a solid client base, it’s actually crazy how much money some of them can make. I was very surprised by it.
- walshemj 7y ago
  I think you are more thinking of associate professionals And back in the day the entry requirements for Advanced apprentices where high - more stringent than Nursing or direct entry to a bank

Except you didn't incur a bunch of debt to get it.

Maybe in factories, but we’re seeing a real need for craftsmen in Denmark after three decades of university being the only “cool” education path. Mean while white collar students with less attractive degrees struggle to find work. I’m not sure if it’s really blue-collar if you’re a plumber, nurse or an electrician, because my English is lacking, but we need those a whole lot more, even compared to people who studied the soft-IT educations.

lotsofpulp 7y ago
Blue collar basically means anything you have to physically exert effort for, as opposed to sitting in a chair and using a computer and attending meetings. Once blue collar work starts paying more than white collar work, it will become “cool” again.
alistairSH 7y ago
"Blue collar" refers to the blue chambray or denim shirts often worn by factory workers and other laborers in the early 20th century. These days, it's mostly "laborer" vs "office dweller". But, there are a lot of jobs in the middle. A plumber who works for somebody else would be considered blue collar. A licensed plumber who works for themselves and can bill at high rates is in that awkward middle - they still have to do some labor, but can be highly compensated (by middle-class standards). Same for electrician. Nurses are sometimes called "pink collar" - those jobs that are traditionally held by women. Teachers, clerical, hair dressers, too. But, like electricians, they are highly trained and, in the right position, highly compensated.
- mywittyname 7y ago
  > and, in the right position, highly compensated. Nursing is the only field on there that could be considered well compensated. There's this mystique around nursing that it's some crazy well-paying position, but it's really not. When you consider the education requirements and the work involved, it's alright. $35/hr is pretty good, except you have to maintain a license, clean up peoples' shit, be nice to assholes, and get berated by doctors. Or you can take a huge pay cut to go work in a doctors office. (source: married a nurse that couldn't make it 10 years before changing careers) Teachers make a bit more than the median wage, but most jobs require a masters degree to progress beyond a certain point. Hair dressers require licensing and a surprising amount of education (up to 1,500 hours) to work in mostly flat-rate jobs, sometimes without benefits. And clerical work is basically the lowest tier work in an office. Not listed: dental hygienists. Also a traditionally female job which has crazy education requirements for mediocre pay.
  - walshemj 7y ago
    Not sure where you are but in the Uk a lot of nursing jobs are degree level.
    - mywittyname 7y ago
      In the US, it's a minimum of two years with most hospitals requiring four years of schooling.
  - rcurry 7y ago
    Depending on your entrepreneurial skills, being a hairdresser can be a lot more profitable than you’d think. My wife’s hair dresser does exemplary work and has a terrific reputation in our area. She earns about $165 for an hour and a half worth of work, works ten hours a day, and is booked solid every day of the week three months out. This is in Texas, where the cost of living is not that high and I would guess she easily grossed around $200k+ last year alone. Yeah, if you just want to clock in and out at Great Clips and not be the best you can be, then it’s not a high paying profession, but for people that invest in their skills and learn how to market and build a solid client base, it’s actually crazy how much money some of them can make. I was very surprised by it.
walshemj 7y ago
I think you are more thinking of associate professionals And back in the day the entry requirements for Advanced apprentices where high - more stringent than Nursing or direct entry to a bank