[highbrace]

Hey folks, I am at a cross-roads in my life where I am looking to stop guiding and working endless jobs to ski bum and pick up a trade so I can actually have some sort of stability with my family.

Can Anyone out there in telemark land recommend a trade that I should consider pursuing that will allow me a descent wage, and of course and more importantly flexibility and time off in the winter to of course ski when I choose (Powder dayz).

I am considering plumbing because I would be able to start my own business and ski when i want

I am 30 years old and in a mid-life crisis...

[calgarydave]

Plumbing is the shitz, light up your life with electricity.

[bergbryce]

I personally think plumbing or some other trade is a good choice. Every house already has plumbing, heating and electric circuits and they need to be maintained. Do you have a background in the trades? Most guides it seems have mixed it up with construction work when it was available in the past.

I believe it's much easier to find (consistent) work these days in a trade like plumbing, heating and air than something that's related more specifically to new construction, like framing or roofing. The guy down the street who's been around here 25+ years has been doing less-desirable work like floors and painting just to cover the bills for some time now.

I think I recall a discussion about this some time back. Most people get into plumbing via a apprenticeship under an experienced plumber and these can be considerably long (3-4+ years??). Seems like most trades are "regulated" somewhat by unions and there are various hoops that are usually jumped through to get legitimate "certification". There are probably ways around that, how ethical or practical it is I don't have a clue. I'm willing to bet there are some guys here to can speak to the specifics of that.
Good luck man. I'm looking at a career change myself.

[Danno]

I would choose electrician over plumber. While electricity can kill you and plumbing is unlikely to have that result, I am guessing that electricians get fewer emergency calls (just guessing) and the emergencies are less, ahem, sewage related.

I would also be wary of choosing something that requires new construction, like bergbryce says, and also wary of trades that require outside work (like roofer and homebuilder). While working outside can be great and it also could mean less work and more skiing in the winter, it is always better to be in the position of turning down work that is available than being in a profession that simply has no work for part of the year.

Note that these are totally uninformed opinions by a desk-jockey.
_________________
"anecdotes are fine assbaggery is not"
"But of course to Telemark is just one function of ski gear, but to have fun is the other. If I so much want to make Parallel turns all day long, I shall do this as well"

[Rick Cronk]

I've seen media reports about the present growth in wind and solar power related trades. Basically all electric, but these growth trades have their own specific requirements. Having spent time as a guide, you're not afraid of heights, work well in foul weather and have an established respect for dangerous environments.

One report went on to discuss the expansion of college programs to feed qualified candidates into the field. If you remain west it's all growth and then in the years to come, maintenance as well.

Here in the east, we've been terribly slow to catch on and the crews seem to be coming from the west.
_________________
There is a whole lot of reward on the other side of risk.

[Bruce H]

Yes, solar and other alternative energy seems to be a bit of a boom; several companies in our area appear to be successful and in demand. The people who want alternative energy systems are the sort to choose local contractors over a national company.

My opinion: I'd take the plumbing trade over electrical. In my experience, electricians have a very definite solution to a particular problem, with no interest in considering more elegant alternatives that still would meet code. In short, there is little to no room for creativity. In contrast, plumbers seems to have a little more leeway in how they interpret and implement building codes. I do most of both of these tasks myself for my houses, and enjoy both, but have not been impressed with the solutions offered by any of the electricians that I have worked with.

[pin!head]

Nursing, PT or PA. is all tradesman work and a short term degree simmilar to the something like 2000hrs of apprentiships of electrician or plumbing.
_________________
Friends don't let friends ski groomers.

[bergbryce]

[highbrace]

nursing, I am intrigued.
seems like there is a ton of work, anyone no the typical shift schedules and flexibility..
Most mountain towns have some kind of medical clinic..
hmm

[skifreeK]

[XXX_er]

I would say either electrical or plumbing if you want work in a small town, the schooling is much less than nursing

[aaron_wright]

I'm not a nurse, I'm a surgical tech. Scheduling can be great for healthcare jobs. I used to work 3/12s, now I work nights on call Sunday through Thursday. I can ski everyday but usually keep it to 5-6 days a week depending on how much I'm working. 3/12s is very common. I could still get close to 100 days a season when I worked 3/12s if I used PTO to get a week or two a month with five days off. I used to work Monday, Tuesday and Friday. One winter I took off every friday in February and March, it was great.

[the mighty elbo]

If there is an agricultural component to your mountain home...

I recently started a custom butcher business here in the Teton Valley and have as much work as I can handle. Long hours in the fall but now can ski daily and work in PM.
_________________
"To err is human; to air-guitar divine."

[highbrace]

[bergbryce]

For perspective....
I've got a bachelor's degree in a non-medical field. I'm looking at 5 quarters (about 15 months) of pre-requisite coursework and then, 14 months in an actual accelerated 2nd bachelor's program. It's going to be a lot of work no doubt. However, I've been told by many that for second career-ists, nursing offers the best payoff for the time/money investment and likelihood of finding work afterwards.

There are many other ways to get in as well. There are several levels of nursing certification, starting at a CNA (8 week program), LPNs, LVNs (varying lengths of time, most < 2 years) and there are lots of specializations you could also do like phlebotomy (taking blood) radiology, respiration therapy, pharmacy assistant, and so on. Many of those don't require years of schooling and offer a fair amount of opportunity.
An EMT Basic certification can get you into some "Tech" positions in some places too, although some Tech positions require a certification of some sort. I wonder if Aaron's surgical tech position required a cert?

One good way to start researching is to reverse engineer the problem. Look at what (medical) jobs are being offered where you think would like to live. And form a plan from there.
Of course you are in Canada, so things may be different, eh?

I've got several friends who have gone this route and they've all been happy with their choices to get into medical work.
I think it's important too though to look closely at the work and even try to get a bit of experience to see if work in the medical field is going to be right for you. I wouldn't do it just because it's a job and will offer a sick schedule.