> The only issue here is with the attitude that a career in the trades is somehow inferior to getting a degree
I made no such claim - the word I used (commit) was chosen with care, and is neutral.
> They also happen to earn a lot more money than many other people I know who have degrees and work those "mundane jobs" you mentioned.
While trades are a decent choice; let's not overly romanticize them. The ones making decent money are those who are self-employed (basically effectively consultants) and those in unions with a monopoly (like the longshoremen). The working stiffs aren't doing that great, especially if the work is hard on the body, then it means their career is going to be much shorter than the average desk jockey, and they will have considerable health costs later.
The trades cover a wide range of fields, from car mechanics to people using CNC machines to roofers.
Is the roofer going to suffer a lot later in life? Yes. Is the CNC operator going to have problems down the line? Probably not.
> The ones making decent money are those who are self-employed (basically effectively consultants) and those in unions with a monopoly (like the longshoremen).
Most office workers outside of tech are not doing so great either in regards to pay. Customer service roles are even worse.
I made no such claim - the word I used (commit) was chosen with care, and is neutral.
> They also happen to earn a lot more money than many other people I know who have degrees and work those "mundane jobs" you mentioned.
While trades are a decent choice; let's not overly romanticize them. The ones making decent money are those who are self-employed (basically effectively consultants) and those in unions with a monopoly (like the longshoremen). The working stiffs aren't doing that great, especially if the work is hard on the body, then it means their career is going to be much shorter than the average desk jockey, and they will have considerable health costs later.