Even if you believe something to be true, you might not follow that belief.
This is exactly the case based on the results from a recent survey from 3M called theState of Science Index. In its fifth year, the survey examines the public image of science globally. One of the themes of this year’s survey was the perception of vocational skills. The survey found that a large number of Americans, 90%, believe that jobs in the skilled trades offer a lot of opportunities. But a majority, 71%, also said they would not pursue this employment route.
Why is this? Well, Mike Vale, group president of Safety and Industrial Business for 3M has some theories. “When we ask questions about skilled trade careers, people will say that while I see it as equivalent in pay, I have other things I’m more interested in. And when you get to the behavioral side, I feel that many parents will guide their kids into what they perceive as a more stable, higher-paying career path than what a skilled trade job could offer,” Vale explains.
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