Every Friday my syndicated column appears in a bunch of newspapers in southeastern Ontario and Saskatchewan. This week’s column was more centered around Ontario, where I live, and so I thought I’d rerun this column from two years ago, before most of you were reading this blog, that I really enjoyed.
The school year will be winding up soon, so high school seniors are planning their futures. And the default for many students is university.
Now university is worth it if you’re aiming for a specific job. And learning is certainly a worthy endeavour on its own. Nevertheless, I worry that we’re pushing so many kids into the university stream without giving them other options.
It seems that every parent yearns for that university degree for their child, but I know many credentialed twenty-somethings currently working in Chapters or fast food joints. Not too many jobs exist for History majors or Sociology majors or English literature majors. And meanwhile the kids have spent close to $100,000, and foregone the income they could have earned some other way.
It’s that other way that Mike Rowe, the Dirty Jobs guy from the TV series, wants people to start thinking seriously about. Dirty jobs can be incredibly rewarding, physically fun, and get us back in touch with the world around us. We live our lives with iPhones and Blackberries, trying to keep connected to each other. But in the meantime we’ve lost touch with the physical side of life; we don’t use our brawn, thinking the brain is all that matters.
And we forget that the brain is actually involved in many dirty jobs. In one video I recently watched of Mike Rowe, he was working on a sheep farm when it came time to castrate the male lambs. The farmer showed him how to do it: you stick the testicles between your teeth and let ‘er rip.
Rowe was appalled. He knew the correct and humane way to do it (based on research he did on his Blackberry) was to put an elastic band around said body part until it swelled up and fell off on its own.
The farmer invited him to do it, and so he banded the lamb. The lamb soon became immobilized with pain and fell down, panting. On the other hand, the lamb who had undergone the bite and rip procedure was already trotting off with his companions, as if nothing had happened.
And Rowe realized that much of what he knew about the world was wrong. He called that moment a turning point. What we have done, he says, is to assume that the people that work in front of computers are smart, while the people who do the real work out in the world are dumb. And in reality, it’s the people who do the real work who actually often understand the world better.
What we need, Rowe says, is a PR campaign for manual labour. We need a PR campaign that says hard work is actually beneficial, and fun, and rewarding. To climb into bed at the end of a day feeling as if you have done a good day’s work isn’t something to be ashamed of; it’s something to be proud of.
Our society seems to believe that hard work is something that one must avoid at all costs. We must have cushy jobs that are inside, in front of a computer screen, accompanied by tons of meetings. For most university students, that is what their futures will be. For many that will be a good life. But not for all.
Our high school students need to know that a life of manual, skilled labour is something that can be very rewarding psychologically, physically, and financially. It isn’t something to steer clear of. And maybe if we began to praise those dirty jobs more, we’d get back to our roots of what’s really important, and we’d stop being such pretentious snobs. It’s worth a try.
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Sheila Wray Gregoire has been married for 29 years and happily married for 24! She loves traveling around North America with her hubby in their RV, giving her signature "Girl Talk" about sex and marriage. And she's written 7 books. About sex and marriage. See a theme here? Plus she knits. Even in line at the grocery store.
I say my job is a dirty job. I am an RN. I make fairly decent money but it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. I’ve seen things no person should never have to witness, I’ve held the hand of a patient as they took their last breath and I was the first person after the doctor to hold a newborn baby! I missed baseball game school concerts football games holidays etc. but I knew all that going into the profession.
I just wanted to say thank you, Kelly. You’re right that nurses do a lot of work that isn’t for the faint of heart, but for the big in heart. I had a pregnancy complication, and my nurses did things for me that…well, I just loved them for doing it in a way that helped me keep my dignity. God bless you!
I agree with this to a point. My main concern is what happens when they get older. It’s no big deal to dig a ditch or other more physical jobs at 20, or 25, it is not as easy at 50, or 65. With no education it would be difficult to move into a more senior, or less physical job. We need the people that do these jobs, no doubt. But we often forget, when advocating for these jobs, that our strong, nimble 18 year old son, will be a stooped old man from years of back breaking work, if his back holds out that long.
These are great jobs to work while you mature and learn more about the world, which is a great thing to do before going to college.
you are assuming many worthy trades out there DON’T require an education. Trade school is a VERY viable option as opposed to an expensive four year college degree…many of the jobs that are out there and in need of workers are TRADES. These often pay very well, schooling takes a quarter of the time traditional college takes, and is a fraction of the cost.
I think it’s a mistake to push all kids into college. Many of them aren’t bent that way. It isn’t the only route to success.
I would like to note that if these boys and girls and men and women are taking proper precautions when doing these “back breaking” jobs then they really won’t have to worry about much when they’re older. And on that note how does a college education provide security for our elder? If that were the case there wouldn’t be so many elderly who need help getting by (even after recieving and paying for a college education). So no matter what path you or your children go down the only way to secure a future is to save your money and pay attention to your health. You do NOT need a college education.
I must respectfully disagree. My own father has been working construction for most of his life, since his early 20’s. He never went to college or even trade school for it. He just worked hard. Now, at nearly 60, he is a superintendent for a large commercial construction company who attaches his name to bids they especially want to get because he is so good at what he does. There is a future in blue collar work for those who are willing to put their heart into it, just as one has to do at an office job. The physical labor industry has suffered from misconceptions since the shift to tech jobs happened and I think it’s a shame.
Yes, that’s what I’ve seen, too. You may start at the bottom doing physical work, but if you’re good, and you have brains, you rise up pretty quickly into management. My father-in-law started off driving trucks; he retired last month after overseeing three different major truck depots for a company. A good job with someone with little education, but he had street smarts and moved up.
I have to agree. Also, not everyone is made to learn that way or work in an office – ever. My hubby would go crazy in an office. He barely graduated high school at 20 (he was determined to prove those saying he would not wrong). We live rurally and many kids will not finish college in this area, but sadly the focus in school is college readiness and life skills get lost. With parents working crazy hours these kids are not learning basic math or budgeting or any of those skills. Very sad and very scary. Many people do work physically demanding jobs all their lives. They are jobs that need to be done too. We are very fortunate that hubby works at a job he loves – outdoors. He has been at the same marina since high school and worked his way up from dock boy to sales manager but he still does everything else when time allows or necessity demands. Very important to pay attention to each child’s different skills and likes and encourage them that direction.
Unfortunately, many of the people advocating for kids to get an education and avoid these types of jobs are the people doing these types of jobs. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard a father say he wants something better for his son then to do manual labor because if given the chance to go back he would have chosen something different. That is a hard message for a child to get past. The thing we can rely on though as Christ followers is that God knows and if we listen He will direct us to the best career path for us. One isn’t better than the other…following Christ is best.
Amen and amen. With three boys in the house, Dirty Jobs is one show I actually ENCOURAGE them to watch! It boggles my mind to see the high schools pushing EVERY student to go on to university. And I don’t just mean pushing, I mean intimidating. “If you don’t go to university…” You’ll end up a bum, basically. It’s a CROCK. So many students are not suited for education. I don’t mean they’re stupid, but that they’re gifted in different ways! Why waste all those young/strong/healthy years AND all that money!
If you have a specific goal that requires advanced education, then go for it. I don’t want my medical doctor to have picked up his skills watching youtube, y’know?! But I my non-scientific survey of the students I’ve met over the last few years indicates that many (most?) of them have no realistic plan. What they do have is crushing debt. One gal finished her under-grad at a state university, worked for a year as a waitress, and upon realizing that she’s virtually unemployable (Women’s Studies, I think) decided that the answer is… grad school! More debt! She’s now studying International Relations, for which she is about as suited as I am for NBA basketball. It’s NUTS.
I’m “preaching” to my three boys that we will help them in any reasonable way we can, but we will not borrow money (or encourage them to borrow) toward higher education.
I have one that (at this point) is headed for ROTC and the Air Force, another that is leaning toward trade school (two years tuition paid if you do it simultaneously with high school!), and the third is still pretty young and doesn’t have a direction yet, but we’ll get there. But it won’t be with borrowed money.
The world is full of opportunities, and our God is master of them all. Break out of the tunnel vision!
Julie G
Thank you for this, Julie! I am in 100% agreement! We have four boys, and we have no intention of subsidizing college for them. We will help them pay for it if it where God leads them but only after they show determination and drive to make it happen for themselves. No loans, no debt. We also encourage them that trade school is perfectly acceptable career path. Heck, my husband just finished trade school a few years ago! And now that he’s done that, he is about to start nursing school! Better late than never! lol He knows now his passion is in the medical field. But I firmly believe, as does my husband, that if he had gone to college right out of high school it would have been a waste. God works everything for good.
What a coincidence, my youngest and I were just talking this afternoon. Out of the blue he said, “I don’t know what I want to do when I grow up,” (he’s 11), but he – the least athletic/physical of my boys knew that he leaned toward some kind of desk job. But he’s SUCH a people person – very compassionate, too. We talked a lot about nursing and the different kinds of nurses (not all are in hospital/surgical setting, something that grosses him out at this point). There are lots of jobs in the medical field besides doctor (years and years and years of schooling) and nursing, that DO require special schooling, but the extra years of university.
Julie
I realize you live in Canada. Lucky you. Certainly, one’s dignity is not determined by the work one does, nor by academic qualifications. Certainly God does not judge people by that. Nevertheless, in my country (Brazil), the hard fact of life is, the more educated one is, the higher the income. That fact not only makes sense, but has also been proven in many studies. You say that “hard” work can be “financially rewarding”. Lucky you in Canada. Down here, the “hard” work is left for those who could not get a university education. Maybe it shouldn’t be that way, but that is the way it is anyway. But before you think I’m criticising you, let me add that I love your blog, I’ve been blessed by it and do hope you go on with your work – or ministry. I have learned a lot her, and intend to visit daily expecting new blessings.
I agree with many of the points raised here…but I do think that planning for the future should involve planning for life in your 50s, 60s and beyond. What happens if you are injured (on or off the job)? Not a lot of modified work options in very physical jobs, so perhaps owning your own business would give some security…You need to be able to work past your nimble 20s and 30s and have options.
I completely agree with this post. I have an English Literature degree, and while I love it and the things I studied, and am grateful for the opportunity to have done so, there is no real-world work for me to step into. The concerns raised in previous comments would be solved by students being encouraged to select a practical degree (or an impractical one with an actual plan for the future: ie, English Literature, followed by law school; or General Science, followed by medical school). My husband and many of our friends have Engineering degrees or Social Work degrees or health-related degrees and all of them have easily stepped into careers in their field. They also don’t struggle to find work in a new city. But I, as an English major, do. I don’t think Sheila is saying don’t go to college/university, don’t pursue higher education. I think she is saying don’t do just for the heck of it, especially if you don’t have a specific career or field in mind. And also, don’t sell short some of these other jobs, especially if you might love them (ie, carpentry, farming, plumbing, etc).
I love that show. I should find it on amazon to watch with my little guy, I think he would like it too.
I really think that hard physical labor is character building. You learn perseverance, what being tired really feels like and, often, a strong sense of accomplishment.
And, luckily, today, just because you get a manual labor job right out of high school DOESN’T mean you are stuck with it the rest of your life. There was a time when life was like this, but these days, a kid could work a few years, earn some money, gain some life experience, then go back to school if they want. Plenty will find that they are happy with where they are at, others will find that, yes, they really want one of them ‘educated jobs’, and others will find some other option that they like.
Perhaps one of the best ways to do this is to get your kiddos working over the summer starting mid-teens or some such. Or maybe they work for you, the parent. I do plan on having my kiddos work in the garden with me (and that’s physically hard labor!) and I plan on teaching them all the various bits of caring for a house/home, and, if I get my way… a farm! I read in one book on home management that her son was complaining about having to sweep the kitchen/dining room floor. So, they got the kid a pig to raise for the fair. After mucking for the pig and all work taking care of that pig, the boy was quite happy to just sweep the floor. I thought it was genius!
Good thoughts, Sheila. Thanks!
Great post Sheila – you were ahead of the curve if this was originally published two years ago it is now gaining traction as a discussion topic. The debate is encouraging.
We need people to fill all kinds of jobs – and can’t (or at least really, really should not) count on foreign workers to do all the “unpleasant” jobs.
As the old quote says: “find a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life” – Confucius. There are no good or bad jobs, all jobs have good and bad aspects to them – the key is matching the right person with the right job.
Education is no guarantee of finding a good job. There are many university graduates who do can not find jobs in their fields. When I was younger, I really liked working at physically demanding jobs in the summer and going to school in the winter. I thought the perfect job (for me) would be one with intensive physical activity for a few months followed by several months of desk work. I got a job thanks to my university diploma and that job lasted 20 years – now I am “under-employed”. The kind of “high tech” job I was trained for has mostly been shipped off shore. There is no job that you can count on being there for your entire life so chose something you like and are good at – and be open to change.
Owning your own business is not for everyone and offers less future security than most “traditional” employments.
As someone who sits behind a PC most of the day (and night), I agree that physical work (and healthy exercise!) is desperately needed–if even just for the change of pace, fresh air, and disconnecting from technology. We need that time to think and reflect.
Great post!
We are farmers. Both my husband and I come from long lines of farmers. Hard physical labour and all of our grandparents and parents have retired (or are in the process of retiring) just fine. It all comes down to planning. Only one has had a university education, to become a teacher. He did it for 9 years and then switched to farming. He will say his university and teaching background have helped him be a farming success. Then compare him to another in the family who didn’t even complete high school and ran a multimillion dollar far and is retired very comfortably off of the fruits of his labour. Not saying education isn’t important, but it isn’t necessary.
Also a note: income doesn’t equal happiness. I could most definitely be making more income if I had finished my college degree but I know that I wouldn’t be any happier than I am now. I’m glad my husband and disnt come into marriage with debt. We may not have college degrees but it certainly doesn’t mean we are uneducated or unhappy.
Some people just aren’t good at book learning. They just can’t do it. It’s not that they are stupid, it’s just that they are made for something else. My husband is one of those people. He has never been able to just sit down and learn. He has to be out doing something with his hands. When he was a teenager he apprenticed with a mason company. He loved every minute of it. Even though he isn’t in mason work anymore he still uses those skills to help people. For example, tomorrow all of the churches in our town are coming together to fix up houses in the poor section. Out of 1700 people my husband, his brother and a couple of other guys are the only ones who know how to do mason and cement work. God is using my husband’s skills to help people and he is very proud about that.
My husband now works in a factory that makes parts for tractors, cars and even airplanes. It may not seem like a big deal to most but without my husband’s job we wouldn’t have tractors, cars and airplanes. Some people may cringe if they ever saw him come home all covered in grease and tired to the bone but what he does helps make the world go round. My husband goes to bed each night knowing he’s done a good days work. He may not make much money but by the grace of God we have not had any money problems and we live a pleasantly simple life.
My husband and I are 23 and many of our friends graduated from college last year and the only ones who have jobs are the ones who got their nursing degree or went to trade school. The rest all work several part time jobs just to make ends meet and to pay off their loans. Twenty years ago having a degree, no matter how useless it was, could open a lot of doors for you but things are changing. Now having a degree, no matter how useful it is, will not guarantee that you will find a decent job. In my experience, people who have skills are more likely to find a job these days. That’s why we’ll be encouraging our three boys to learn a skill. We feel that it will be far more useful to them. If they want to go to college to be a doctor or whatever then we will support them 100% (even though they will be solely responsible for paying for it).
I have been saying this for years and most folks thought I was crazy … until recently 😉
We homeschool (here in Scotland, that is almost unheard of), and my husband is a carpenter/builder. I am biased, but I think it’s the best job *ever* to marry into 😉 … after all, what other kind of guy can build you your dream home?! We could never have afforded our home, had my husband been in any other line of work – not here in the UK, with house prices the way they are.
Our eldest son worked with his dad for about a year, but he was never going to have the skill to be a tradesman. His talent is more in his head than in his hands. He is now studying Law – at home, with the Open University. He works as a part-time life-guard, and with the local fire brigade to finance his degree. He has committed to graduating debt free.
Our next child, homeschooled, went to work in a doctor’s surgery for a week’s ‘work experience’ and at the end of the week, they offered her a job! Her *dream* job!! Truly, that was God’s gift.
But – there are so many other routes, other than Uni for many lines of work. If academia is where your talent lies, then by all means, use what God has given you in that area. But make sure to search your heart to find what God has gifted you with first, and follow HIS way, rather than being another statistic who has ‘gone to college’.
That’s my tuppeny’s worth 😉
amen!
Almost three years ago, I talked my husband into attending school to use his GI Bill. My husband struggled in high school, wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD until he began attending college, and has several disabilities working against his ability to memorize information. Thus, the last three years have been an overwhelming nightmare for him and I have recently let him know that I’m on board with him looking for an active job, such as construction, warehouses, or a walking route with the post office. What I’ve realized in the last couple of years is that a college education is not necessarily beneficial to everyone and at times is detrimental.
I myself have a master’s degree in education, financed largely by student loans (this is what high school students are told to do when they are in a middle class family and are an average student with no scholarship-worthy skills). If we were paying the regular minimum payments each month, we would be paying about $1,200 on my student loans, almost two month’s rent. And I am a stay at home mom now. Thankfully, reduced payments based on our income level significantly reduced that but I hope to spare my daughter and others the struggle of student loan debt we’ve found ourselves buried under.
My husband would be much happier working a blue collar job than sitting in a classroom receiving death by powerpoint for seven hours a day…I can’t wait to hear what my liberal, feminist mother says when my hubby leaves school!
Amen!
So many of my 21 year old son’s friends are in college and haven’t even declared a major. He’ll be a paramedic in less than a year now. History is his first love, but we don’t have a basement he can live in. 😀
Thank you for speaking reasoning and sense.