To think some people are really snobby about tradespeople?

[Loveheart13]

I’ve noticed that a lot of people really look down on tradespeople/jobs with practical skills.

Dh works in a trade and he earns very well. Obviously I don’t talk about it. I’ve noticed that people make a lot of assumptions that it’s poorly paid, that you must be a bit thick.

I’ve got friends ds and work colleagues who think that university is the only way. I know someone whose nearly adult child is not very academic at all but they are determined to push on as they are certain that anything less than a degree is complete failure.

Why are people so snobby about it?

Totally agree. I am not snobby in the least about any profession, however the vast majority of trades people we have used have done shoddy work/ no communication. It’s not a one off it’s echoed by most people I know so clearly there is an issue with the competence and attitude in this sector. I have had some fantastic trades people who I recommend and use again, but unfortunately they are the minority not the norm from my experience.

Such a lot of snobbery on this thread. People with a trade are not thick, or have failed in life. I don’t know why some people think they are fair game to be taken the pee out of. Not only do they do highly specialised jobs with a lot of science and arts involved, but they run their own businesses requiring maths too. All technologies are moving forward, and contractors must keep up. They have to consider health & safety, and the law. Most contractors I meet are professional people.

People are snobby about apprenticeships too. Why? Apprentices still have to do training courses, still have to attain a qualification. But they can be smart, and get on in life with little or no debt. They can earn very good money. An acquaintance of mine was an IT apprentice and is now on £60k a year, in his 20s.

University doesn’t suit everyone, and we need more tradespeople! We need people who are competent to build, maintain and create!

This thread has been quite the eye opener.

It does kind of make me laugh though. All of these people fuming and frothing over the horrible, brutish, smoking, swearing, misogynistic men. Who are also thick and poorly paid.

Its like having a wonderful secret that no one knows about.

No idea but I hate it. My in laws (SIL and BIL) are like that. Their children both went to RG univ and in their 30s are still on minimum wage in jobs they don't enjoy. SIL and BIL look down on a friend of their son who didn't do well at school but had a mechanical eng apprenticeship and is doing really well in a good job and just bought his first house. They think their children are somehow superior.

I don't understand this attitude at all. I from abroad and was telling Dh how good the system here is with apprenticeships for people who are not academic or not wanting to be. Dh, university professor, agreed and said that they can have their own businesses.

It’s bizarre isn’t it.

But I guess while people carry on thinking like that the trades people can carry on earning a packet, saving themselves a fortune by doing all their own renovations too.

DH retrained into a trade from a desk job and now hangs around motorways and railways wearing hi vis and I'm sure some people (tossers) might not think much of him.
I absolutely think my mum (prone to snobbishness and wildly outdated views on the working world) thinks less of him.
But he's on £85k after only 2 years 🤷🏼‍♀️. Not that we share that information with anyone in real life.

People who assume tradespeople are poorly paid probably have never employed one. Going through a couple of quotes just now and genuinely wondering, why they didn't arrive in a Ferrari.

That’s an interesting take on the comments, I would say the general consensus is that they are skilled/ well respected and valued when they work to high standards, and the good ones are worth their weight in gold.
That being said the lack of regulation and poor experiences that posters had addressed are genuine issues within the sector, nothing at all to do with snobbery.
you are just creating your own narrative to suit your viewpoint, and being dismissive of anything that doesn’t fit.
Im glad your husband is a decent and hardworking man, however that doesn’t negate the problems in the industry as a whole.

You took the words right out my mouth 👏

Well I’m in Ireland and I don’t find that people are snobby about it here in my experience. I’d be happy if my dc did a trade. There are so many crappy degrees about that it’s impossible to actually get a job out of.

@cocoromobut I would disagree.

I’ve read comments on this thread about misogyny, brutishness, smoking, drinking, cowboys.

I’m sure that people have encountered these issues.

But that isn’t what I’m talking about or what my lived experience is. I’m not talking about people who have had issues with employing trades people.

I’m talking about my lived experience of people who assume it’s a low paid, unskilled job for thick men who did badly at school.

People’s issues with their builder is irrelevant to what I’m talking about, which is parents who think that it’s a failure if their child doesn’t get a degree.

As with so much snobbery - it’s often ‘lower middle class’ people being dicks to try and make themselves feel a few rungs higher up the imaginary ladder. At my children’s fancy pre-prep school there are quite a lot of people who started off as brickies / plumbers and now have their own businesses with fleets of vans.

no one is remotely snobby about them - although they’re often plagued for advice about matters practical which seem beyond the average lawyer / accountant!

personally thing the world would be a much nicer place if anyone who used the word ‘common’ to describe other people was politely shipped off to a remote island somewhere

I’m a tradeswoman and come across this attitude regularly.
I chose to go into my trade due to poor mental health leaving me struggling in any other kind of job.
I’m self employed and love the job I do.
I do find some customers can treat me as though I’m beneath them though.
Funny thing is I do actually have a degree, but I chose to work a trade I enjoy as the money is actually better and I get more fulfilment too.
I’m also often encountering misogyny from customers who believe a penis is needed to do a good job in my trade.

Tbh, I don’t know anyone who looks down on trades. I live in a MC area and have affluent friends (we’re not!) and I’ve never heard snobbishness. In fact, builders around here are pretty respected.

it is puzzling at times with people

All I require is someone who does the job properly. The last plumber I had was a former lawyer who got fed up with the stress and hours. Most people I know respect tradesmen for the fact that they have a skill that those of us who are paying them most certainly don’t.

Never heard ppl being snobby about tradespeople myself.
Most people rely on them- and realise they have good earnings. Obviously as self employed ppl, some of that ought to be going into a pension etc.

Tradespeople with good communication skills are thin on the ground though. So many will not reply for ages, not turn up to do a quote, or be vague as to when they can do the job.

Totally disagree. I’ve experienced more inverted snobbery against university and degrees than anything directed at tradesmen.

That's an offshoot of the academically able being shoehorned into white collar and higher professional careers. Trade careers are more accessible and if you are clever you can make a mint but almost anyone can get into them, though not necessary do well at them. That's not to say those in professional careers are all wonderful. Some of the worst absolute arseholes I've met are bankers and lawyers.

This.

The person I know who's a tradie says exactly this. If they turned up when they said they would/did a decent job people would complain a lot less. The good ones near me are literally booked up for years.

I'd be delighted if one of my kids wanted to work in this kind of role but they're not practically minded.

Really? In what way.

Absolutely but you very rarely require their services in a personal capacity. At least I do. Trades are different. You can't avoid them generally if e.g. your roof is leaking.

I've done both. I was a teacher for 20 years and left teaching to be a gardener. I've met quite a few people who treated me differently after I mentioned I used to be a teacher and therefore have a degree, than when they thought I was "just" a gardener.