Counter Intelligence: IQ, GMAW and YOU
A recent three-part opinion column by Charles Murray in the Wall Street Journal takes the controversial position that we need to start accepting that some people are just plain smarter than others.
From there, Murray concludes that far too many people are being pushed into four year colleges for which they are not mentally equipped, that there are many people who are intelligent enough for a four year university but also don’t belong there and that there is an inappropriate stigma attached to trade schools and other types of technical training.
Although many of Murray’s claims are inflammatory and debatable—that 75 percent of the population, based on their IQ scores, are unfit for a college education—many of his conclusions reinforce the core beliefs of the welding community. The reason many people attend college when they shouldn’t, Murray says, “lies in the false premium that our culture has put on a college degree.”
“What they really need,” he goes on to say, “is vocational training. But nobody will say so, because ‘vocational training’ is second class. ‘College’ is first class.”
Further, “The spread of wealth at the top of American society has created an explosive increase in the demand for craftsmen … and it’s a seller’s market. Journeymen craftsmen routinely make incomes in the top half of the income distribution while master craftsmen can make six figures. They have work even in a soft economy. Their jobs cannot be outsourced to India. And the craftsman’s job provides wonderful intrinsic rewards that come from mastery of a challenging skill that produces tangible results. How many white-collar jobs provide nearly as much satisfaction?”
Do you agree with Murray that there is a first class/second class distinction between those who attend college and those who attend trade school? Is there a perception that those who choose vocational school somehow are not smart enough for a college education? Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
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February 9th, 2007 at 1:01 am
This issue is the exact source of today’s welder shortage. I can guarantee you that there would be a lot more welders, and trades people in general, if they had been exposed to the trades. Instead everyone trundles off to college because trade schools are for stupid people. This is fundemental change that must be made at the high school level.
February 10th, 2007 at 1:07 am
There is a parameter here that is missing, and that is LIABILITY. College education needed or not, a job that involves high liability usually pays higher salaries. That is the product of our over litigated society. A welding job can demand a great amount of liability. Some welders can make well over a hundred thousand a year. A PhD, working at some UCB laboratory doesn’t. But, then, many people cannot be at that level of skill and knowledge in the welding profession, no matter how hard they may try. Welding is not easy.
February 12th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
Having welded for approximately 15 years, I decided to move on to the field of computers. Why? better wages, cleaner, healthier. Which takes more IQ? I would say both occupations have their unique challenges with welding being every bit as mentally challenging as any career, but the deciding factor was salary. In my province of Prince Edward Island, no matter how much demand there was for welders, wages just never caught up. Our governments, trades schools, etc try there best to recruit new students to welding or trades in general, but till wages reflect the occupation, the “higher†IQ students are smart enough to know why bother, when there are much easier, cleaner, healthier careers with probably better wages.
February 13th, 2007 at 11:08 pm
I’ve worked in a trade most of my 47 years. I’ve done commercial art, mostly as my own boss doing murals in private homes here in Las Vegas (a great market, by the way, for any skilled craftsman!), but I, too, have a college degree in computer science as well as art. It is only after a 2/3 of a man’s life expectancy that I have come to the conclusion I’d rather be a self employed craftsman than a salaried white collar dude who does work that I’m not all that interested in. My father, who experienced the great depresion, brought me up to be an engineer and had a lot of influence in steering me away from being the starving artist, and believe me, I experienced that role, too. But my point here is that you CAN live well working a trade IF you set your sites for being your own boss, and are willing to take the lumps along the way as you learn to RUN A BUSINESS. Most white collar folks can’t do it!
February 16th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
Hold on there.
I agree that there is a HUGE misconception as to ability and education level. But, lets be real.
The fact that business today has placed a premium on education is a fact!
Here’s a question, how many “non-assembly” positions at Miller are advertised as not requiring at least a 4-year college degree?
February 17th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
A little flashback to highschool freshman year (37 years ago). “Your grades are too good to go to vocational school, you need to take the college prep classes”, the words from my counselor when working up my class schedule. I eventually wound up flunking out my first year of college, went on to become a mechanic, actually a technician. I eventually earned a two year degree, obtained ASE Master Automobile Technician certification, ASE Master Medium and Heavy Truck Technician, and in the fire service industry the coveted Level III Emergency Vehicle Technician. I spent 23 years working on fire trucks with a large city fire department and have retired from there and am working on a second pension with a heavy equipment dealer. This is not to brag but to point out how really wrong my counselor was and that I was steered in the wrong direction. I believe I have been much happier with the final path I took. College did help me, but not the college path he thought I should take. I went to school nights to obtain the two year degree.
February 20th, 2007 at 6:20 am
I think you hit it on the head when you said that it starts at the high school level. We are led to believe that “tech” schools are for the stupid. I am 39 years old and have a bachelors degree. I own and operate a commercial tire business and have done so for the last 17 years. I am a firm believer that “dirty hands produce clean money”. There are only so many white collar executive jobs to be had by the people seeking those jobs and with population growing the way it has been the ratio will decrease. There is absolutely nothing wrong with making a living with your hands. The key is to get your education so you can learn how to be a business person and be smart with what you earn. There is no doubt that hands on jobs shorten your life so planning for the future when we won’t be able to as much as long is a big concern. There is a certain pride that comes from a job well done, especially when you can see the fruits of your labor. A good honest living can be made in many fields the main thing is to become the best you can be at what you do and don’t let the masses sway you into believing you are a second class citizen. This country was built by hands just like ours. BE PROUD OF WHAT YOU DO!!
February 23rd, 2007 at 11:51 am
We had this discusson in class the other day. It appears that one of the students thought welding took less education than your typical white collar job. I have to admit, I too thought welding would be an “easy” trade to learn-something to fall back on. Now I know that it takes YEARS to become even a passable welder. I like the idea of being physical in my work.
Thing is, there is still a demand for tech and computer jobs. My husband is a tech. His job is cleaner and pays more, and he has the equivalent education that a welder has.
February 28th, 2007 at 12:45 am
One reason people shy away from craftsmen trades is lazyness, another is the turnover rate: I would also have to say that a craftsmen who is injured preforming his trade reguardless of severity takes a second look at his position. Oh yeah people don’t like to get dirty.
April 26th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
Craftsmen trades fare better when there is a mentoring population to train the new folks. As craftsmen jobs fell out of favor, they eventually became harder to fill.
AS LABOR, I APPROVE! Businesses need welders. WELDERS don’t need more competition.
You don’t get paid well because you are wonderful, you get paid because there is insufficient competition for your job to drive down wages.
June 21st, 2007 at 6:08 pm
Well I think that there is a gross over emphasis on college education in the traditional four year sense. To give you some numbers here is my own testimony, I am a certified genus been tested (with a real test not an internet one) and everything (actualt my score went up five points in one year). I was one of those kids in highschool that was bored all the time and never studied, yet got by pretty good.
I went to Texas Tech University and was done in three semesters thinking that I was something like a retarded monkey and just couldn’t cut it. Well I took a personality profile (nationaly recognised) not too long ago for a marrage class at church, turns out that I have the type of personality that is the absolute worst match for traditional education infact I think along the lines that learning something for the sake of learning it and not being able to put it to use is useless. This trait is most common in farmers, ranchers, and tradesman (imagine that). I have been attending welding school (a little different from Tech) at a local school near here and am thriving, I also am emploied as a welder/general maintinance guy (and unofficialy cheif fabricator) at the university that was afore mentioned’s physical plant….
Well the moral here is that (as told to me by an old cowboy friend) though I could make a million loving what you do is worth more than money. (Though as a welder making money is just icing on the cake for loving what you do).
November 14th, 2007 at 8:28 am
college vs. tech school………..in my day tech school was looked at as second rate. something not to be pursued,but something that you just fell into. a staging area for the rednecks,burnouts,and future convicts. while college was the perfect next step. further dividing the haves from the have nots. –and now the kicker– of the 11 folks i keep up with since hs graduation(a call or e-mail at least once a yr), my tech school pals seem the most happy in their daily as well as family. the college folks (5 of the group) seem only ok, and a lil distant inside,wads of cash but no time. at least 1 hitch in the service for the tech,while the ‘educated’ wasted 2-5yrs switching majors or getting an associates or 2, or even a bs for a job that they hate. i’ll take my ‘second class denim’ over a ‘button down ulser’ any day.