- There's a national day for skilled jobs and it's today
Did you know that May 7th is National Skilled Jobs Day? These odd skilled jobs may surprise you.
Instrumentation Technician
These skilled jobs need workers responsible for maintenance, repair, and calibration of the instruments of various industries. They must ensure safety, efficiently and effectively, typically with mechanical systems.
Wind Turbine Technician 
“Nice mix of rigging, a lot of millwright work and a little or a lot of high and low voltage electrical.
In Europe, a conveyor assembler/tech is its own trade.”
Elevator/Escalator Technician
Also known as elevator mechanics and constructors that install, do maintenance and repair elevators, escalators, and other vertical transportation systems, like escalators.
Canada Parts and Warehousing
It may sound crazy but in Canada you could need a three year apprenticeship to sell parts or stock shelves.
RV Technician
“It’s like a mismatch of a bunch of other trades put together, a bit of plumbing, electrical, automotive, roofing, glazing, siding, framing, welding, etc..” Have you ever worked these skilled jobs?
Fluffing
This “trade” can refer to different jobs like a maid who fluffs a pillow to making a mistake or botching something, in the instance of a performance. There is also fluffing when it comes to public relations, to make a subject more light.
Mechanical Insulator
“Folks in construction know what ya do but anyone who isn’t just assumes you’re probably like a mechanic or something?”
Piano Tuner
These techs need to adjust the tension of the strings in the piano which keeps it in tune and sounding right.
Luthier
These craftsmen need to build, repair and restore stringed instruments like guitars, violins and cellos. These workers need experience and expertise in woodworking, instrument construction and a deep understanding of acoustics.
Tower Hand
For this trade, the job entails climbing and rig towers to install, test, remove antennas. Would you work at one of these skilled jobs?
Metal Spinner
“Quite niche and i had never even heard of it until my current job where we have one guy that makes metal-spun ‘donuts’ for us to cut up and fabricate into industrial mining truck exhaust elbows.
Although niche and specialized, it teaches a lot of hands-on transferrable skills that deal with sheet-metal fabrication and finishing, depending on where you go with it.
I live on Vancouver island BC with a population of almost 900,000, and he’s one of the only metal spinners on the island outside of potential small-scale artisanal metal spinners who make decorative work.
i told my red seal HDM brother when i first started at the job and he thought i was screwing with him at first.”
Union Handyman
“I’m a union Handyman for a large home builder working on low rise residential, and I’m involved in a little bit of all major steps from foundation to closing and will sometimes fix deficiencies after closing.
The pay is great, I have set hours every week with minimal chances of being laid off and I’m home by 5:30 every day.
The work I would describe as some new issue happening every day but you have to manage 15 houses at a time while also taking the time to build Ikea furniture in the admins trailer or dig 3 feet underneath 15 feet of foundation in a cold dark basement so the concrete guys can underpin after they fucked up. Once in a while the super will buy lunch or we’ll have a barbecue and the Christmas party is open bar, also if you finish building the site you’re basically shipped off to the closest site or whichever is most convenient for the tall foreheads at head office.” What do you think of these skilled jobs?
Scenic Technician
Scenic technicians specialize in building, assembling, painting, and rigging scenery for stage productions. These specialists work alongside scenic designers and technical directors.
Radiator Repair
We needed a car radiator repaired and, lo behold, there’s a guy that does this. He was actually looking for an apprentice, too. I imagine you get to do some torch work, and … I have no idea!
Did you know all the skilled jobs on this list? Let me know what you think in the comments!