Finding Trade Inspiration in Sharing

Considering the pressure of deadlines, the challenge of taking on new projects and the need to solve problems as they arise, if you’re working in a skilled trade you probably need motivation like many other people in the same situation.

The ideal way for things to move ahead in fabrication, for instance, is through new ideas and new processes for ways to make things happen sooner and faster. It starts with the willingness to share. The best way to discover these new ideas and processes is by sharing your own work experiences and your passion for your particular skilled trade. Without this type of sharing, the industry is not able to benefit from the innovation that is needed to bring about change.

The most efficient way of sharing these days – and it’s free – is through social media. You and others can publicize your ideas, processes and thoughts for addressing some challenge in your field. A majority of the public will receive what you share in a positive way.

To share your ideas and experience with others, you’ll need to develop a social media presence. If others have done it, you can too. It involves:

• Creating valuable written, photographic or video content that will benefit others and yourself.
• Posting regularly and being consistent.
• Moving forward – don’t dwell on material after you’ve posted it.
• Keeping it simple – these days you can do everything on your phone.

If your content has value, your social media following will develop over time.

Workers – including new talent – are needed in the industry. In order to attract new talent to the skilled trades, more people need to highlight and explain their job and their role in the industry. This is another good use for social media.

There are things new workers should be aware of about the trades. For instance, it’s hands-on, physical work. The degree of difficulty varies from trade to trade, but trade workers need to have an open mind about learning new things. The rewards come in the doing.

The best opportunity the trades have for attracting younger generations is to begin early with school students, as early as grade school. People start young in discovering their interests and devising what they want to be when they grow up. This is when they need to learn about the options that are available besides attending college and amassing the debt that comes with it.

For years, companies have reported that college graduates are going back to school to join the trades because of a lack of work in white collar jobs. That reality is a red flag signal that the industry has work to do in educating the general public and the future workforce about the potential for helping build and change the world through working in the skilled trades.

Tune in to episode 178 of Bridging the Gap podcast to hear more about skilled trades sharing and establishing a social media following from Rob Bonifacio, red seal machinist, master fabricator, and welding and machining educator.