One of the great things about being in a skilled trade is that it's one of the few employment niches which seems to be recession proof. One needs to look no farther than a zip in Pittsburgh for proof of that. In the middle of a worldwide downturn, in a city just recently converted from sheet metal bender dependence in the steel industry to a technologically based one, trades persons of all types continue to find success looking for jobs.

The reason behind this is simple. Although manufacturing may move elsewhere due to cheaper costs and technology replaces workers in many other jobs while at the same time allowing only those with a narrowly defined skill set to succeed, skilled trades will always be in demand. There has not yet been a machine invented which can do repair work on strainers when they break down, analyze and repair problems with a house's water supply, and the other jobs trades people do.

In other words, it is the very nature of the skilled trades which have caused them to survive and become reliable havens in Pittsburgh and everywhere else. Hands on work by definition will never be able to be fully carried out by computers alone, no matter how advanced those systems become. So, gaining experience in a skilled trade will mean a lifetime of assured employment installing thermal insulation materials among other duties.

Not only does Pittsburgh offer a variety of jobs to skilled tradespersons, but the training to fill the role is available in the city as well. Allegheny County Community College and several others offer the education necessary to be registered in these trades after being accepted by a firm for an apprenticeship.

Remember as you look for a job in the trades sector that private home owners are just a small part of the business landscape for the trades. This is particularly true in a city like Pittsburgh, where so many big businesses are operating and where recent surveys have found much of the residential land vacant. The problem with this can be seen in a city like Vancouver. Auto body shop business in cities will experience a downturn when the population moves, which results in a net loss in business for that trade. On the other hand, with hundreds of plants, factories, and offices in the area such as we find in Pittsburgh, the loss of residents will never result in loss of revenue for plumbers, electricians, even carpenters and auto workers.

Why? Because all of these offices and plants need just as much, if not more, work done than the average suburb. Wastewater treatment chemicals need to be monitored and supplied by skilled plumbers, industrial vehicles repaired and maintained by mechanics, wiring seen to by electricians. In a good business environment, there will always be work for those in the skilled trades.