What do you really need?

Societies tell us that our ability to accumulate wealth is often directly related job and career options. Jobs viewed as "dangerous" supposedly pay more than jobs that aren't.  Stressful jobs are supposed to compensate people for their specialized skills, and being willing to put their own life on the line.  Take a closer look a your reasons for choosing certain jobs. Knowing that you create your beliefs and perceptions, notice whether job choices are really that you seek.     

From the perspective of a country or givernment, skilled labour is viewed as an asset or form of wealth.  Consider many Western nations are desperate for more tradespeople.  These nations are hiring more foreigners for mining and other areas where they note a shortage in their labour force. What does this say about desirable career choices, other kinds of wealth, and job markets?

Ironically perhaps, trade schools have been virtually phased out of Western education systems. High schools still offer some technical courses, but structured apprenticeships became harder to find to train for paying jobs.  The status quo and governments believed more people should have opportunities to attend university, and it became a business. More students were lured into colleges on the premise that jobs would await them upon graduation. They accrue debts only to be disillusioned. Job markets are changing and students must still find work to pay their debts.  

Attitude can be a form of wealth or it can undermine your efforts to create wealth.  For example, many people develop an attitude that trades are "beneath them" and that true intelligence would only be reflected by higher- paying jobs of the moment.  Suddenly, globalisation led many traditionally, higher-paying jobs being outsourced offshore (such as medical tourism, legal services, IT and anything doable over computers, among many others). Material wealth is no longer simply attainable by following routes to key professions. In fact, the larger homes in your city may already belong to tradespeople or people you wouldn't expect.

Sources of wealth can come from unexpected places. Increasingly, you realize qualified plumbers, electricians, builders, mechanics (refriegeration, motor and others) are in demand and thus, choose their prices. Trying to find tradesmen when you need one in Western countries often means long wait periods.  Professionals trained in Western countries are becoming more mobile and moving to where they consider to find better circumstances. They determine what they think they need, ignore shortages of skills in their areas and go where they choose.

The result is changing views on what you need to do to create wealth. Tax bases are shrinking in Western countries. Young people move away and aging populations mean less people are working. The overall picture is governments have less money to use to help people and create infrastructure.  Career paths which were once assumed to be well-paying are not staying that way and career paths that were once low-paid are now gaining respect and higher salaries. Avenues which we once thought were effective ways to create wealth are no longer guaranteed.

So, what are the solutions to these issues? What do we really need?

Maybe we need to change our attitude about how and where wealth can be created. How often do you limit your own options?  The Internet is being used to create wealth in new ways that many of us don't think about.  Should we? Or, should we rethink our whole concept of wealth?

We could also increase numbers of trade schools and promote this career path as a well-paying and respected livelihood, rather than impose value judgments which may deter people from realizing their dreams. Why assume one kind of path leads to the most or the best kind of wealth?

Another idea is to require professional people who train in one geographic location to work there for a certain number of years in order to pay enough taxes to justify the subsidy of their education and reduce stress on the system.   Another idea is to evolve from the current economic-based system into some other more sustainable, global system. 

How can you expand on your ideas of wealth-creation. Does it go beyond work for you? Notice the mind defines what you think you need. The heart  feels all needs are already satisfied.

Comments

[Rose]

You do make some very good points but I find that a lot of people don't go to the trade schools because they lack the money to do so.

I know (and you can tell by some of the TV commercials) that there isn't a lack of training schools available and there are even government and federal job training programs so it isn't for the lack of schools available to teach this kind of thing.

I can see offering an incentive of the tuition being paid if the student then agrees to go where the work is needed but of course this has to be tested first to see what kind of results will be had.

[Liara Covert]

Hi Rose.
Thanks for your comment. You make a valid point. Some people don't attend trade schools because they tell themselves they lack the money. The same can be said for colleges and also university. Many students work part time dueing school and/or take out loans to pay for education which they pay back after graduation. The shortage of trade schools I mention does depend on the geographic area and country. I note extremes. In some places, few or no trade schools exist. In other places, more exist than appear necessary. In terms of incentives, joining the military is one way people receive assistance for education. If they receive medical or other specialized training through the military, they are required to give back several years of service. Government funding exists for areas where skill shortages are recognized.

[Jannie Funster]

It is interesting to me that 5 years hence, since you posted this -- the Internet is more and more the way people make their living, or at least depend on it in various ways to do their jobs.

I have never understood value judgements that a plumber or mechanic is "beneath" a doctor or lawyer. I think a lot of ego creeps in. I actually know some lawyers who have turned into mechanics! Switched trades that is, in later years for the pure enjoyment of the job. Whatever is important to you matters.

It's the light we share with the world, our perspective of plenty that really counts, I think. Dad only finished 8th grade (all that was available to him back in his day,) yet he is one of the most wonderful, fun, wise, caring, level-headed, unique and awesome people I have ever known! He was a boss over many men over his 30+ years he worked at Brunswick Mining -- they all LOVED him because he was fair with everyone. THAT kind of a attitude is a gift. Oh, and he also writes beautiful rhyming (often witty) poems and shares them at parties to commemorate special birthdays, anniversaries and such.

AND he maintains his boyhood farm to this day.

We are all light, and our hearts are wide open meadows we can delight people with.

Wealth is the kindness we show.

xoxo

[Liara Covert]

Jannie, what a wonderful story about your dad. You can certainly find examples of people who do not complete traditional schools yet still experience joy and fulfillment in whatever they do in life. Examples you notice resonate with what is acceptable to you. Some high school drop outs generate millions of dollars doing what they love. Other people who do not complete traditional school programs may do a series of things where money is not a goal. Regardless of our life choices, every human being is a student in the school of life. This is the Earth School. Its not the choices you make that matter so much as how you feel about them, how you begin to sense no difference between yourself and all other beings. One love.