16 Mar 2021

We’ve done some surveys lately, and it looks like a lot of you guys don’t view trades as equal to uni degrees. Basically, getting a trade is considered an inferior option to uni...?

We’re not really sure why people think this, because the future of jobs says the opposite. In fact, getting a trade is one of the safest and most stable career options for the future. We're gonna boldly state that everyone should do a trade... Seriously. Here's why.

There’s a shortage of apprentices in almost every trade

The main reason that trades are such safe and secure career paths is that Australia always needs more and more tradies. That means there’s plenty of work for those who have the skills to do it. It’s pretty easy to find an apprenticeship as a carpenter, electrician, fitter and turner, plumber, bricklayer and so many other trades. 

Apprentices make bank while they learn 

When you graduate from university, you end up with a minimum of $16,000 debt. Sometimes it works out to be more than $100,000 of debt. Apprenticeships, on the other hand, allow you to learn whilst you earn. By killing two birds with one stone, you'll be getting a qualification, wages and no debt... Winninggg.

Uni degrees aren’t what they used to be

University is experiencing a bit of a shakeup at the moment. While graduate employment rates are lower than they’ve ever been, the government has announced plans to increase fees. Of course, professions such as teaching, medicine and nursing will always be important. But some of the biggest companies around, including PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst and Young and Penguin Random House, recently announced that they don’t require their staff to have degrees. So while university is going through a bit of a transition period (some say a crisis), trades are steady af.

It’s way easier to get a trade when you’re young 

Not saying you have to drop out of school this minute and go get an apprenticeship, but it’s definitely easier to get a trade when you’re in your teens. It’s a bit of a misconception that employers need apprentices with experience when they’re actually just looking to hire apprentices who are young, keen to work and have a drivers licence.