I see people hem and haw about trades and how "great" they are all the time, but as someone who has worked in trades for the last 15 years, not nearly as many people can handle it or like it as they think. Many people heard about their cousin or friend who broke $100K doing trade work, but what they fail to mention is they did that by working 90 hours a week every week all year to do it. They don't mention how they kept working through injury and now they will feel it the rest of their life. And they don't mention or haven't been working long enough to feel the bust between the booms when they are either taking jobs that only earn $5 an hour, or just don't have enough work for full hours.
Yes we need trade workers, but there has never been a lack of trade workers, only a lack of pay. I know far more people that have left trades than have joined. Many liked the physical work, but couldn't justify the health costs on top of the poor or unstable pay.