She became a plumber, he chose the woodworking life. What drew them to blue-collared work?

The Straits Times Podcasts

Synopsis: Almost every weekday, our ALL-IN-ONE channel showcases discussions on Singapore youth perspectives and social issues, geopolitics through an…

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When it comes to charting their career paths, it’s likely most young Singaporeans would opt for white-collared jobs.

Hands-on skilled trades? Not so much.

Yet, The Straits Times reported in January that a growing number of younger people are choosing to go into traditional skilled trades such as plumbing and landscaping.

In this episode of The Usual Place, I speak with two millennials who have chosen not to follow the conventional script and have built businesses with their own hands.

Ms Geraldine Goh, 31, is a licensed plumber, who started her own business Agraffe in 2017 after a stint as a facilities management officer at a town council. She was studying mechanical engineering at a university, but dropped out after two years.

Meanwhile, Mr Ahmad Alhabshee, 36, started his own furniture company Urban Salvation about 11 years ago. He designs and handcrafts bespoke wooden furniture using sustainably sourced materials.

He branched out on his own after he was slighted by a former employer, who judged him for not having enough academic qualifications.

What convinced both of them to take on blue-collared work and become their own bosses? What does it mean to go against expectations in a society that still measures success with grades and paper qualifications?

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:50 The misconceptions of being a female plumber

8:53 Why I dropped out of NTU to work at a town council

12:32 The harsh reality of the furniture business

20:05 30 years of experience vs. a licence

28:35 Why modern men can’t fix a $1 door hinge

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Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Teo Tong Kai, Eden Soh and Chen Junyi

Executive producers: Danson Cheong, Elizabeth Khor & Ernest Luis

Editorial producers: Elizabeth Law & Lynda Hong