What takes roughly four years to earn?
An electrical, HVAC, or plumbing license in many states.
Oh, did you expect me to say college? Because that’s true, too. But I’m guessing many people don’t know that specialty licenses are comparable. In many states, apprentices and trainees need 4,000 hours of documented time under a licensed worker (fun fact – they get paid while they learn!), plus classroom training and the dreaded final exam to earn their licenses. Licensed workers also need to renew every few years and are required to take ongoing training classes to keep them up to date on code requirements and their industry at large.
I reached out to Real Work advisor and industry veteran Scott Dulaney and asked:
“What do you wish people knew about our industry that they don’t?”
Scott’s answer:
My wish is that people would fully appreciate that the law requires most tradespeople to have licenses and that contractors are required to use the appropriate tradesperson for the specific job. There are reasons for this requirement. Most projects require that the contractor obtain a permit and have work inspected to ensure quality and safety for the installers, service providers, and building owners. Using contractors that are willing to usurp this process doesn’t save money, very often it costs time and aggravation…and results in fines and additional costs to start over again. Quality contractors and tradespeople are worth hiring and paying fairly for their quality of work.
Real Work knew it was time a platform was built specifically with our skilled tradespeople and contractors in mind. A platform to help them connect. All of you out there keeping our infrastructure humming – we see you.
