According to etymologists, the word ‘tread’ is an Old English term from the 13th century. Transportation was less sophisticated, and it was commonplace for buyers and sellers to load up oxen, mules and other pack animals and walk (tread) for miles to conduct business. These merchants were initially referred to as treaders. Experts say the words trade and traders emerged in the early 14th century as a reference to one’s principal source of livelihood or area of expertise. Today a person who has a trade job is presumed to have highly specialized training in a particular field. Vocational schools around the country have excelled in producing highly qualified graduates with hands-on training in a variety of trades. Electricians, cosmetologists, masons, welders, healthcare workers, plumbers, carpenters, chefs, agricultural specialists, automotive mechanics, heavy equipment operators, animal husbandry and horticulturalists are a few of the areas available for professional certification.
Salaries
Training for a job in the trades can pay-off financially. With renewed emphasis on the environment, agriculture and horticulture have emerged as popular and financially rewarding occupations. Horticulturists work with plant cultivation. Agriculturists focus on livestock, soil and crop cultivation. Most horticulturists earn around $40,000 annually. Those specializing in the field of agriculture can start off making around $35,000 annually with the proper training.
If you have a flair for organizing activities, event planning may be your calling. Corporate banquets, gala weddings and birthday celebrations all need someone at the helm with the skills to view the big picture and pull it all together seamlessly. A savvy, enthusiastic organizer with professional certification can earn $45,000 annually or charge a lucrative per event fee.
Welding is a highly skilled occupation. Specialists attend school for one to two years and obtain hands-on training that enable them to join and repair items composed of metal. Welders must understand the principles of metallurgy, how to read blue prints, safety procedures on the job, mathematical calculations, the effective use of power tools and job performance in a high-risk environment, like on a steel girder 75 stories above the ground. Always in demand, entry level welders earn $15 per hour. After several years of experience, many welders take home around $68,000 annually.
Share your knowledge
There are also opportunities for educators in the trades. If you are an experienced chef, for example, looking for a change of pace you may find a niche as an instructor at a culinary school. A noteworthy chef who can pass on his or her know-how starts off making around $45,000 per year.
All occupational training programs need experts to prepare their graduates for gainful employment. If you have experience in a particular area, and an interest in sharing your trade secrets, check out opportunities for instructors at a nearby vocational school.
These trade certificates are all options that you may be able to take part in. If a four-year college isn’t for you, then perhaps going into a trade school is better. It’s important to remember how specialized these certificates and courses are though. If you are looking for a degree with more options, then of course a traditional, four-year university or college is more beneficial.
SOURCE: Wise Geek
IMAGE: Courtesy of Bane and Associates
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