Going to college might not be financially rewarding for many, but neither are trades. I worked in the construction trades for about two years before switching to engineering, and later software. In retrospect, switching careers paid off several fold. As a white male, without having served in the military, I could not get into the carpenters union, not without losing a couple years waiting in line. So my only option were small time contractors, remodels and the like. Poor pay, no benefits, underemployment, long daily commute. The worst part for me was the very slow learning rate. There was no training. I had to steal the knowledge, in the fake it till you make it fashion. I wouldn't get to do new tasks otherwise. I found engineering (civil) and software development very much in the spirit of craftsmanship. I still think of myself as a tradesman, just without all the crap surrounding manual trades in the US.