Ken Rusk

These times, they are a’changin’. The trend of the last 20-30 years has shifted. Who would have thought that it would be the college-educated populace that would struggle to find work in this day and age? But it’s true - for every job in education and health services, there are, on average, 2.26 unemployed people with the proper credentials to fill it. For a job in finance, 1.78 individuals are waiting in line. And for “professional service” positions, 1.9 potential employees vie for each one.

But the trend is not the same for those in the blue-collar sector of the workforce. For a job in construction, there are three-quarters of a person to fill it. Which means there is an overabundance of available positions in the industry. Moreover, the individuals who fill these jobs are more likely to “experience rapid wage growth, and be overall satisfied,” according to the Conference Board. Read More »

A booming economy, changing norms, and new openings vacated by retiring men are changing the face of blue-collar work. Today, women are filling roles that were historically male-dominated. Though the percentage of women in the overall workforce hasn’t changed much, the number of women working in blue-collar jobs male-dominated careers such as police officers and in construction, transportation, and warehouse positions has increased and is poised to continue expanding.

What’s behind this shift? According to the Wall Street Journal, more women are opting into blue-collar roles because of their desire for better pay, the recognition that other women are filling these positions too, and due to the emergence of blue-collar job-training programs even as the cost of four-year degrees skyrockets. Read More »

By now, you’ve heard about the vast number of job openings in the trades. With Baby Boomers retiring and a never-ending need for skilled workers, the trades have never been more inviting for those looking to grow their career or run their own business.

Some trades are truly skyrocketing. These five fast growing trade jobs need people to step into the workforce or change careers just to keep up with demand. These aren't just the fastest-growing trade jobs, though. They are also some of the fastest-growing careers overall and some of the best careers for 2020 and beyond because they are high-paying, available, and only require high school or trade school instead of a bachelor's degree. Read More »

Learning to Hire For Skills, Not Degrees

The tech boom has certainly changed our lives and our workplaces. It has also lead to thousands of articles in the newspapers and stories on TV about the rise of tech jobs that require four-year degrees. What hasn’t been covered nearly as well as the creation of millions of another kind of job: new collar jobs. As much as these shifts have created a need for bachelors and PhDs, they’ve actually created an even bigger need: non-college grads who are known as new collar workers.

What is a new collar worker? Read More »

Life loves to throw curveballs at every opportunity. Just when you’re starting to get into your rhythm, an unexpected problem can come flying in over the plate before you realize it. While many of these curveballs are in your personal life, it’s common to have to deal with them as career challenges too.

In the blue-collar world, these career challenges can knock you flat if you aren’t prepared. But once you know how to handle them, those same challenges can turn into opportunities you otherwise would have missed. Read More »