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There is a psychology problem with skilled trades and younger generates in the US. I've known Gen Z folks who thinks it's better to work at a sandwich shop or

by mfer 4y ago

There is a psychology problem with skilled trades and younger generates in the US. I've known Gen Z folks who thinks it's better to work at a sandwich shop or small restaurant than skilled trades. They were raised up (through the schooling environment) to look down on trades. Even if it pays them significantly more with better benefits. Many places in the US school system they only prepare people for college. Schools do this in subtle ways like providing AP courses while cutting hands on shop classes. When it comes to subsidies... there are some trades areas where you can be trained for free. The people are needed so the training has already be made really easy. Sometimes it's on the job training and you're paid well while you learn. This is very much a cultural view of skilled trades.

dragonwriter 4y ago
> There is a psychology problem with skilled trades and younger generates in the US. People work preferences not being what you'd like may make the cost of motivating them to behave the way you want higher than you would like. That’s part of how market’s work—you don’t get to choose other people’s utilitt function. If you “need” for them to act in a particular way, that means you need to offer them a sufficient incentive to do so given their actual utility function, not the utility function you wish they were operating under. > I've known Gen Z folks who thinks it's better to work at a sandwich shop or small restaurant than skilled trades. Yes, some people’s subjective preferences aren’t yours or those that would be most convenient for your preferred outcomes. > This is very much a cultural view of skilled trades. “Cultural view” is just another way of saying “subjective preference”, and, yes, that’s how utility functions work. Blame whatever you want, Gen Z is mostly a little late for changes to parenting or schooling policies, even if one had a set in mind and the power to wish it into being, to shift this much, so, the bottom line still is, if you want to “tell Gen Z” about your perceived “need” for more tradespeople, you need to do it through sufficient incentives giving their actual values and preferences.
- ImHereToVote 4y ago
  I love you.
AngryData 4y ago
I am a skilled tradesmen, or was previously, I quit and did work in a sandwich shop for quite awhile specifically because the tradesmen in my area where barely making any more than the sandwich shop paid. My family is 80% tradesmen, most of them are a bit envious on me living the same level of lifestyle as them without having to do body destroying work. I make most of my money now doing odd side-jobs of my choosing, the combined trades knowledge is useful but its not true trades work. Building someones home hobby aquarium or researching and installing high efficiency grow lights pays far more than doing plumbing or electrical trade work does. But if i didn't do this work? I would still go back to a sandwich shop for a minor pay decrease rather than fucking around with tradework that will cut 20 years off my life with inconsistent and unpredictable hours and jobs and constant boom and bust cycles of construction and trade work.

by mfer 4y ago

dragonwriter 4y ago

> There is a psychology problem with skilled trades and younger generates in the US. People work preferences not being what you'd like may make the cost of motivating them to behave the way you want higher than you would like. That’s part of how market’s work—you don’t get to choose other people’s utilitt function. If you “need” for them to act in a particular way, that means you need to offer them a sufficient incentive to do so given their actual utility function, not the utility function you wish they were operating under. > I've known Gen Z folks who thinks it's better to work at a sandwich shop or small restaurant than skilled trades. Yes, some people’s subjective preferences aren’t yours or those that would be most convenient for your preferred outcomes. > This is very much a cultural view of skilled trades. “Cultural view” is just another way of saying “subjective preference”, and, yes, that’s how utility functions work. Blame whatever you want, Gen Z is mostly a little late for changes to parenting or schooling policies, even if one had a set in mind and the power to wish it into being, to shift this much, so, the bottom line still is, if you want to “tell Gen Z” about your perceived “need” for more tradespeople, you need to do it through sufficient incentives giving their actual values and preferences.

ImHereToVote 4y ago
I love you.

AngryData 4y ago

I am a skilled tradesmen, or was previously, I quit and did work in a sandwich shop for quite awhile specifically because the tradesmen in my area where barely making any more than the sandwich shop paid. My family is 80% tradesmen, most of them are a bit envious on me living the same level of lifestyle as them without having to do body destroying work. I make most of my money now doing odd side-jobs of my choosing, the combined trades knowledge is useful but its not true trades work. Building someones home hobby aquarium or researching and installing high efficiency grow lights pays far more than doing plumbing or electrical trade work does. But if i didn't do this work? I would still go back to a sandwich shop for a minor pay decrease rather than fucking around with tradework that will cut 20 years off my life with inconsistent and unpredictable hours and jobs and constant boom and bust cycles of construction and trade work.