Plenty of jobs like this, but there's a catch: the kids have to get off, and stay off, drugs

they won’t be applying

NY construction company offering next year’s high school grads a summer internship with a job paying $47 per hour, plus benefits, upon completion. That’s at least $27 an hour higher than the starting pay for MBA gender studies/Starbucks graduates, and $47 an hour higher than is available to newly-minted BAs in Victimhood Ceramics.

I hear ads offering opportunities like this all the time, and while not every social warrior/petition signature collector is qualified to work with their hands and their minds, many are, and could easily earn in the six figures within a year of starting work, all without incurring college loan debt.

But most of these employers screen out drug users, either because of their corporate policy or because they’re required to by state and federal regulations, and many young people are unwilling or unable to quit drugs. A couple of years ago, Daughter Kate attended an apprentice information/recruiting meeting hosted by the Oregon Carpenter’s Union held on a Friday. The program was explained, and the attendees were invited to return the following Monday to fill out applications “but”, the union rep cautioned, “there will be a drug test, and after that, apprentices are subject to random testing for the entire three-year course”. Kate told me that of the approximately 100 people at that Friday meeting, 10 showed up on Monday.

I’ve heard similar stories, including one executive of a major trucking company back in 2015 or so who told an NPR interviewer that they had to weed out, you should pardon the expression, up to 80% of their applicants because of failed drug tests.

Only a Democrat could think zonked-out bridge builders or semi-truck operators roaring through traffic is a good idea, so either the Democrats stay in control and eliminate drug testing, or kids will have to grow up if they want to earn a decent living. “Grow up” and “earn” are tough words to hear, so I’m guessing the stoners will join their liberal arts graduate friends and vote to keep the Democrats in power.