As the proud wife of a blue collar worker, I am a bit bias in my conclusion that a blue collar worker is a high value man. In this digital age, we are constantly bombarded with the perception that a wealthy businessman with connections and respect is the only type of man to be considered high value and worthy of a wife.
I would take it a bit further and state that the aforementioned perception of a high value man has also caused a great deal of confusion in what women believe they should be looking for in a their husband and father to their children. Social media propaganda has influenced entire generations of women, and men alike, to believe that a blue collar worker is less educated, less intellectual, and has a lower earning potential. If this is the truth, then why should a blue collar worker be considered a high value man?
Does blue collar work require education?
Yes! Believe it or not, blue collar work requires a base education in addition to a commitment of industry related continuing education.
The term blue collar refers to manual labor professions opposed to office work. Blue collar industries include but are not limited to construction, manufacturing, transportation, maintenance and repair as well as protective services such as a police officer, or firefighter.
A high school diploma or GED is typically required to participate in blue collar work. Trade school is an essential asset for careers in HVAC, plumbing, construction, the automotive industry, electrical, aircraft maintenance and a plethora of related industry positions.
In each industry, OSHA sets requirements for ongoing training and education. When an industry introduces a new hire into the workforce, OSHA requires training on any hazardous material, safety protocols and occupational hazards that may occur inside and outside of the facility.
OSHA also requires continuing education be maintained for Forklift Drivers who undergo training every three years https://www.osha.gov/etools/powered-industrial-trucks/training. Ariel Lift Operators https://www.oshaeducationcenter.com/compliance-training/aerial-scissor-lift-certificate/#:~:text=How%20often%20is%20Aerial%20and,an%20aerial%20or%20scissor%20lift and annual training for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2007-03-07-1#:~:text=An%20employee%20who%20does%20not,a%20safe%20and%20healthful%20manner.
Are blue collar workers intellectual?
The Merriam-Webster definition of intellectual is the highly developed capacity of rational and intelligent thought.
We have the disillusioned idea that knowledge can only be attained in a collegiate classroom or through the acquiring of advanced degrees. Intellect can also be gained through the victories and losses of life experiences.
All of us have our own journey to walk and through that, we have gained insight in a manner that a classroom simply cannot teach. For the things that the classroom does teach, there is only a limited time or a narrow focus on a singular subject matter which provides deep insight, but only in a specified area of education.
I hold a BSBA in Business Administration while my husband holds an Associates Degree in Automotive Collision Repair. From face value, you may assume me to be the intellectual and my husband to be the common man but on the contrary, both my husband and I are intellectuals that stimulate and teach one another through the knowledge that we continue to acquire in our independent studies.
Do blue collar workers have low earning potential?
A point of haughtiness with social media propaganda is that blue collar workers have low earning potential. I can’t conclude whether this push of media to paint blue collar workers is an attempt to continue to enlarge the student loan debt in America or the utter lack of knowledge.
Blue collar workers can make upwards of $100,000+ annually without a college degree. The annual salary for an elevator installer and repairer is $99,000 per year, power plant operator, $97,000, powerhouse substation and relay repairer, $88,000, and locomotive engineer $84,000 annually https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/highest-paying-blue-collar-jobs.
For comparison sakes, a degree in healthcare management earns an annual salary of $99,000, Cybersecurity, $98,000 and a degree in nursing leadership and management earns $83,000 annually https://www.wgu.edu/blog/top-10-highest-paying-college-degrees1912.html#:~:text=7.,lucrative%20and%20sought%2Dafter%20position.
Porch.com reports that 45% of blue collar and 48% of white collar workers own a home https://porch.com/resource/industry-inequalities. Around 65% of Americans own homes and a great share of those homeowners are blue collar workers.
In addition to the traditional workforce, blue collar workers have the opportunity to increase their annual earning power exponentially through entrepreneurship with an emphasis on (but not limited to) plumbing, HVAC, and automotive.
Why a blue collar worker is a high value man
As I stated before, I am completely biased as my husband, father, nephew, uncle, and cousins work blue collar professions. These men are fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons who provide an extremely valuable presence in the lives of those around them.
Each of these men have groups of individuals around them that can attest to the power of their presence in their lives. My father was a strong force in my life. He guided me in some of my most emotional times and remains one of my absolute closest friends. He is also the one who introduced me to my husband.
My husband has taught me how to be a better person by shining light on my worst behaviors and challenging me to rise higher. Through the power of The Most High God, he has also made me a wife and mother of two while providing us with our first house. He is a very near friend when I face troubled times and has walked with me through some of my absolute darkest days. There is no other man I would desire to be with above the one that God has allowed me to marry in this life; my high value blue collar husband.
Proverbs 10:4
A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
With Love,
Mother Ocia