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Society suffers when trades are devalued


Society suffers when trades are devalued


Photograph by: Denphumi , Fotolia.com


The warning of a drywaller I know is something you have to hear.

This man is a fabulous craftsman, and he has been for more than 20 years. He's the go-to guy for excellent drywall work for hundreds of miles around his shop, yet he's pulling out of the trade.

Declining house quality and declining honesty in the building world are the reasons why. He'll tell you that even multi-million dollar homes in the major Canadian city where he works are almost always built so roughly that it demands all his skills just to cover the mess.


Before the building boom of the 1950s, every Canadian home was built from bottom up by the same small group of tradespeople. Although more expensive than today's methods of specialization, there was continuity and accountability. No one would build a crooked basement knowing they'd have to build a wall on top. Who would be lazy about framing when they'd be the one installing trim? Tradespeople simply couldn't walk away from their mistakes when they worked from start to finish.

Specialization lowers house prices and boosts profits. This is why it's the industry standard today. Specialization has also been reasonably successful for decades, but only to the extent that the people doing the work care about the outcome, even when it doesn't affect them personally. And unless the contractors I hear from on this are wrong, this level of selfless care is on the decline.

I believe we're facing a diminishing sense of craftsmanship in the hearts of tradespeople largely because the trades are viewed as a default occupation for young people who can't make it in something "better." I happen to think that a career in the trades is an excellent option for our best and brightest, but I'm definitely in the minority.

After all, when was the last time you heard a parent say that their son was accepted to law school, but he's decided to become an electrician instead? Sounds crazy, but why? A smart, quality-minded electrician can earn more than many white-collar professionals.

There have also been times and places in history where society valued skilled craftsmanship at least as much as medical treatment, law or business. I may not ever see this happen again in my lifetime, but let's get rid of the idea that trades are a fallback job that kids enter into when they can't make the grade in anything "better." And if this change in status is to happen, it's got to start much earlier in life than high school or college.




Follow "Canada's Handiest Man" at SteveMaxwell.ca, Facebook or @Maxwells_Tips on Twitter.


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Photograph by: Denphumi, Fotolia.com


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