New Visitor?

Thanks for dropping by my new blog!  A lot of ideas will be shared here, mostly centering on learning skills and on promoting craft-related issues. Reading one of the published articles in the sidebar would also be helpful since although they talk about issues related to Ontario's community colleges and the place of vocational training, they also are concerned with what craft is and why it is important.

Several years ago, when I starting researching and writing about craft, a major concern was lack of respect for trades work. Since then I've changed my view, as there has been considerable moving away from emphasis on degrees toward skilled training and apprenticeships.  Also, I have been very suprised to learn three trends in skilled trades work; the high numbers of older tradesmen still enjoying working in the trades (I'm 60 and intending to stay in for ten years), the number of people who have been lisenced tradesworkers before moving into another field (attrition rate- another subject), and the numbers of new apprentices having university degrees (more than half in the shop where I work). This serves to illustrate both diversity and sometimes contradictions that arise when attempting to generalize when discussing trades work.

Please let me know if you find any of these craft issues of interest.  It's my hope that other craft workers are interested in what makes them tick and can share expereiences. As a matter of fact, does anyone know what a surgeon or nurse have in common with craft workers, in the area of mastery?