Tradesperson
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- This article is about the American and Australian English meaning of the term "tradesperson"; for other uses see Tradesperson (disambiguation)
The training of a trade in European cultures has been a formal tradition for many centuries. A tradesman typically begins as an apprentice, working for and learning from a Master, and after a number of years is released from his master's service to become a Journeyman. After a Journeyman has proven himself to his trade's guild (most guilds are now known by different names), he may settle down as a Master and work for himself, eventually taking on his own apprentices.
Since the 20th Century, this process has been changed in many ways. A tradesman still begins as an apprentice, but the apprenticeship is carried out partly through working for a qualified tradesman and partly through an accredited trade school for a definite period of time (usually around 4 years), after which he/she is fully qualified. Starting one's own business is purely a financial matter, rather than being dependent on status. Few trades still make a distinction between a qualified tradesman and a master, although some still do.
Economically and socially, a tradesman's status sits somewhere between a labourer and a professional, with a high degree of both practical and theoretical knowledge of their field. Tradesmen are often paid rather well for their expertise. In cultures where professional careers are highly prized there can be a shortage of skilled manual workers, leading to lucrative niche markets in the trades.
A Jack of all trades is a colloquial term for someone who holds some degree of skill/qualification in more than one trade, but has not made a continuous career of any one. In many cases, a trade has been largely eliminated by social or technological change, and skilled workers have found employment in similar trades (e.g. typesetters have become mostly obsolete due to electronic printing).
See also
- Artisan
- Carpenter
- Construction
- Electrician
- Jeweller
- Journeyman
- Leatherworker
- Lineman
- Locksmith
- Painter and decorator
- Plumber
- Mason
- Mechanic
- Millwright
- Watchmaker
- Welder
External Links
- [Employing Tradesmen] Information about how best to employ tradesmen (UK Focus)
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