Tradies Drill Down On What Peoples Biggest Misconceptions About Them Are So Time To Listen Up – Pedestrian.TV

PEDESTRIAN.TV has teamed up with Blundstone to celebrate tradies.

We all know this world would be a dark place without tradies literally. They keep our lights on, our houses standing and our water flowing. Yet in return, the folks in fluoro seem to cop a lot of judgement from the rest of us.

Why is the world like this?!

Our mates at Blundstone know whats up though and have launched RotoFlex, a range of lightweight safety boots for men and women. Designed with all-new tech built to cushion, ventilate and control moisture, theyre made for next-gen tradies.

To celebrate, were giving five tradies the floor. Fellas from a range of trades are setting the record straight on some of the biggest misconceptions people have about them.

Lets dig in.

We often feel when we enter office spaces that those in a suit give us a certain look or simply perceive us as uneducated scum. From our point of view, this is so wrong because without us dumb tradies, those in suits would not be able to sit in their air-conditioned or fire-protected office space. Phillip, Sprinkler Fitter

Perhaps in the past, people had misconceptions about tradies, thinking they arent smart because they drop out of school, arent educated and have no skills. Which is completely incorrect. Being a tradie teaches you many great lessons which you can adopt in your everyday life, such as work ethic, structure, communication and problem-solving to name just a few. Will, Plumber

People often assume that you are from a low socioeconomic background and werent able to reach a higher education after high school. To become a top-level carpenter, you need to be switched on, have a great understanding of maths, quick problem-solving skills, and decisive delegation for tasks and the team youre presented with. Elijah, Carpenter

Being an electrician is not as physically demanding as some other trades but requires a higher level of thinking. Therefore being a tradie, especially an electrician, can often be mentally draining, rather than physical as you are constantly problem-solving throughout the day at work then, again, not switching off at night. James, Electrician.

People assume were there to rip you off and steal from you. With the prices of materials on the rise and the labour that goes into constructing something, people often dont understand the cost of getting a job done. This leads to people thinking youre trying to rip them off, when in reality, youre just trying to make a fair rate for yourself while giving the best product to your client. Transparency is your best friend here. Elijah

Being a tradie actually has great quality of life as it brings variety, allows you to work outside in the sun, you are part of a team, brings life skills such as problem-solving and youre not stuck behind a desk. It is more practical, active and hands on.

At school, there is a focus on getting a good ATAR to get into uni, only to come out earning $50,000 a year and having $100,000 HECS debt. On the other hand, tradies get paid while they study a four-year apprenticeship, with a $100,000 wage and zero HECS to pay. During school, kids arent made aware of the choice to become a tradie, or the major financial, physical and mental benefits. Instead, it is portrayed as the dumb or second option. Tom, Leading Hand Carpenter.

Every day on site we face different challenges and require problem-solving skills to ensure the job gets done. Im proud to be a tradie, and would much rather wake up and throw a fluoro on rather than having to iron my shirt and put a tie on every morning, Phillip

I also think that tradies are portrayed as grubs with the stereotype that everyone smokes during smoko. This is now inaccurate as most of our generation is actually quite health-conscious, exercising and eating well.

As a Plumber, people automatically assume that all we deal with is poo and blocked toilets when actually there are many different aspects I deal with week to week. Such as roof leaks from all the storms, water leaks from one unit to another, pipe relining due to cracked sewer pipes from tree roots and your general plumbing works and bathroom renovations. Will

As a small business owner, there is no such thing as nine to five. I think most people assume we start early, finish early, and [head] straight to the pub. We also do night shifts and most weekends! Looking back on the pandemic, most trades (if not all), continued to work. This in itself demonstrates not only that we are essential, but how trades of this kind keep the economy functioning. Phillip

A big misconception is that our job is easy. With reno shows like The Block and House Rules, a lot of people find themselves thinking that they can achieve whats on TV. In reality, it takes years of formal training and on-site experience to become a great carpenter. You need the knowledge, skills and physicality to get the job done five days a week. Elijah

I think the general biggest misconception about tradies is that females cant do trades or arent good at trades. There are many females in my company and it is becoming more and more common to see females on the worksite. Tom

And lets not forget, tradies get the ladies! Phillip

So, there you have it. If youve ever made a snarky judgement about a tradie, time to pipe down.

RotoFlex by Blundstone offers stability with the freedom to move. The range is available now, so you can suss out participating stores, here.

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Tradies Drill Down On What Peoples Biggest Misconceptions About Them Are So Time To Listen Up - Pedestrian.TV