There is a widespread belief that trades are actively seeking apprentices and workers, promising steady employment and advancement. However, a recent firsthand account from an electrician calls this idea into question, exposing a labor market that is not as open or as welcoming as commonly assumed.
In a candid post on Reddit titled "No, the trades are not hiring," the electrician expresses his frustration with the prevailing narrative that blue-collar trades eagerly accept apprentices. Despite applying to every electrical company in his city and possessing four years of professional experience, he encountered repeated rejection. His post reveals that the reality is one wherein job opportunities in the trades are often controlled by insider networks marked by nepotism and extensive gossip — a dynamic he claims is more entrenched here than in any other industry he has encountered.
His credentials were substantial: four years spent with a single electrical firm, detailed accounts of projects completed on his applications, and high-level references. Yet his applications were routinely dismissed without personal interviews or meaningful consideration. Returning to his previous employer did not help; he was told to reapply online and to contact Human Resources, eliminating the chance for direct engagement with hiring managers familiar with his work. The response was a generic rejection email sent after more than a week of waiting.
The few offers he received painted a troubling picture. One employer was described as rife with negative indicators including employees struggling with substance abuse and openly flouting safety regulations to an alarming degree. Otherwise, his applications elicited uniform "no" responses.
His search was comprehensive, covering every electrician firm in his locality. Many companies mandated a minimum of two years of technical or trade school education, despite offering starting wages as low as $15 an hour. This discrepancy between qualifications required and compensation offered adds another layer of complexity to gaining employment in the field.
The common recommendation to "just go Union" did not provide relief either. The electrician noted that union apprenticeship programs are significantly backlogged, resulting in long wait times that hinder immediate entry into the industry.
Responses to the Reddit post from other users suggest that this difficulty securing entry extends beyond the trades. Similar frustration appears across multiple industries, where repeated refrains like "just learn to code" or "just go to law school" are touted as easy answers but often don’t bear out practically. Healthcare workers, IT professionals, pharmacists, and administrative employees all report challenges ranging from layoffs to geographical restrictions cited by employers. These stories collectively point to a labor market that can be simultaneously expansive and exclusionary.
Labor market data provides context for these individual experiences. Approximately 7.7 million job openings were recorded as of October, a figure that demonstrates a healthy demand for labor in aggregate. This overall number, however, masks significant disparities in demand and accessibility within specific industries. Despite historically low unemployment rates, recent slight increases hint at emerging softening in hiring dynamics. Furthermore, while vacancies outnumber hires nationally, this imbalance does not guarantee straightforward paths into roles that require specialized credentials or connections.
In skilled trades such as electrical, HVAC, and plumbing, growth is projected over the next decade, driven by infrastructure projects and workforce retirements. Even so, growth in opportunity metrics does not directly translate to easy employment. Opening listings remain unfilled for various reasons including rigorous credential prerequisites and slow, cumbersome hiring processes. The electrical apprentice's story exemplifies how possessing job-specific competencies does not necessarily ensure employment, as companies often prioritize formal education, bureaucratic screening, and insider familiarity over practical experience and mentoring potential.
This disconnect between reported labor shortages in skilled trades and the closed-off nature of hiring practices creates a barrier for many aspiring workers. What is publicly framed as abundant opportunity may instead become a maze of paperwork, elapsed waiting periods, and rejection. For those without specialized credentials or personal connections, the pursuit of a stable blue-collar career can feel frustratingly out of reach.
Given these insights, the narrative that trades provide an open door for all comers seeking apprenticeships deserves reconsideration. Economic conditions and labor statistics present only part of the story; the internal dynamics of hiring processes, credential requirements, and entrenched networks equally shape the actual accessibility of such roles. Consequently, potential entrants into trades might face a landscape marked less by openness and more by gatekeeping and systemic delays.