- Well-defined career path.
- High pay as you keep going ahead.
- Union pay and benefits. Incredible stability. Incredible healthcare.
- No outsourcing.
- Lots of paid leave. None of that unlimited PTO scam.
- Lot of camaraderie. None of the corporate nonsense where execs take it all at the expense of people.
- Opportunity to start your own business at a certain point.
- No large student loan to get started.
While not all kids articulate all these points well, but they can tell how their seniors in college are grinding too much for little return - while trades people are working hard, taking vacations, raising families - and buying homes.
The average tradesperson in a HCOL is a millionaire by age 40 simply because they could buy a house earlier in their lives. And they are able to start families and live a very stable life. Kids are picking up on this.