GED - Page 2

I am going to join HAVOC on this one.
 
Look at the building trades. Lets take Plumbers for example (because I am ). 4yr apprenticeship gets you your journyman lisence.
Currently our local average pay rate for a journyman plumber is around $26/hr. This in my opinion is on the low side. Mainly due to the amount of residential development's being made in the area. This type of construction is bringing the average down, due to plumbers only getting paid $18-$22/hr on these types of projects. More of a "wam-bam thank you mam" environment. Installers not tradesman IMO.
Before I left my last employer to go to work for myself, I was making $30/hr. This was 2+yrs ago. Since then, I have been offered as much as $40/hr + a healthy benefit package to work for a company as a lead/supervisor. Not enough for me.
Now keep in mind, my first year apprenticeship (94') was supposed to be my high school graduation year.
 
There is an extreme shortage in today's building trades. This is resulting in the increase in pay and benefits for willing and able people to take on a trade.
There are many different types of work and scales of work to be done in the building trades. Everything from industrial, commercial, residential, schools, stadiums, service, repair, emergency, etc...........
 
There is a good honest wage that can be made in the building trades. Plumbers, Electricians, HVAC, Framers, Carpenters, Iron Workers, Glazers, etc...... All of these men & woman who work in these trades can make good honest money.
 
Most people in the trades do not have to go to the same office/cubical everyday. Some get to travel to multiple jobs/homes everyday to perform their chosen trade. Each job is going to be different and propose different challenges and learning curves at every project. No one project is the same.
 
In today's society, a blue collar man makes equall to if not more than the majority of the white collar monkey's.<<< J/K not serious about the monkey comment!lol......
 
 

You know there are success stories all over, Like I have a GED and now Im a doctor! or I left school at 17 and Im a Multi Millionaire!!
Are you that lucky? It's just one more year or summer school to get the credits you need. It is an accomplishment that can never be taken away from you, You will never look back and say "I wish I stayed in school" Is the Diploma going to get you the perfect job. No It won't but it will make you a better person for doing what is right.
 
Im not asking or telling you, Im begging you to finish it the right way.

What is 1 more year???
 
If you want to go to college, please do 1 more year. If college isn't what you want to do then ok, but be ready to work with your hands.

quote:

ORIGINAL: dwschultzy

I am going to join HAVOC on this one.

Look at the building trades. Lets take Plumbers for example (because I am ). 4yr apprenticeship gets you your journyman lisence.
Currently our local average pay rate for a journyman plumber is around $26/hr. This in my opinion is on the low side. Mainly due to the amount of residential development's being made in the area. This type of construction is bringing the average down, due to plumbers only getting paid $18-$22/hr on these types of projects. More of a "wam-bam thank you mam" environment. Installers not tradesman IMO.
Before I left my last employer to go to work for myself, I was making $30/hr. This was 2+yrs ago. Since then, I have been offered as much as $40/hr + a healthy benefit package to work for a company as a lead/supervisor. Not enough for me.
Now keep in mind, my first year apprenticeship (94') was supposed to be my high school graduation year.

There is an extreme shortage in today's building trades. This is resulting in the increase in pay and benefits for willing and able people to take on a trade.
There are many different types of work and scales of work to be done in the building trades. Everything from industrial, commercial, residential, schools, stadiums, service, repair, emergency, etc...........

There is a good honest wage that can be made in the building trades. Plumbers, Electricians, HVAC, Framers, Carpenters, Iron Workers, Glazers, etc...... All of these men & woman who work in these trades can make good honest money.

Most people in the trades do not have to go to the same office/cubical everyday. Some get to travel to multiple jobs/homes everyday to perform their chosen trade. Each job is going to be different and propose different challenges and learning curves at every project. No one project is the same.

In today's society, a blue collar man makes equall to if not more than the majority of the white collar monkey's.<<< J/K not serious about the monkey comment!lol......

This is an excellent post and for the most part completely correct.  I am sitting here in my cubicle with 3 screen staring back at me pretty much defining the white collar experience.  I tried the blue collar thing during college installing home security and high end audio systems and blue collar wasn't for me.  I hated the extremes... I hated the super hot days where the attics of unfinished houses were up to the 150's and the super cold days in the middle of the winter when it got down to the single digits.  Wire also hates to be pulled in the cold so it was very frustrating.

However, there is something to be said about being out in different houses / buildings, sometimes multiple places in one day.  Lots of driving around, checking out the scenerey, etc.  It had its perks for sure.  I was making about $13.50/hour but I was only part time, the full timers were making more than double that (and they worked 1/2 as hard) ha.

I think that an education is more important than a diploma.  If you want to be in construction or work with your hands, then by all means why not get started?  I had a friend who wanted to be a hair dresser when she was 15, she knew it was her calling in life.  She dropped out of high school as a sophomore (which is the earliest you are legally allowed to drop out in MD, or at least it was) and she has been a hair dresser since (8 or 9 years now) and she doesn't regret her decision at all.

My girlfriend dropped out of high school when she was a junior, got her GED, and worked full time as a nanny.  She then didn't have a job for a year or so, and then after she and I met I re-excited her about having money and a job and a purpose in life so she is back to being a full time nanny, and she is going to get a degree from an online college with the hopes/plans to start her own day-car

I realize that I got off track with my long post. I was basically campaigning for a type of carreer and not what should be important.


Stick it out 1 more year. There are times I wish I would have. Like others have stated, you will always be able to look back and see what you have accomplished. Start your "adult" life (not implying that your not an adult already) as someone who completes task's.

Good luck with everything.