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Mandy Ho

Kelly Turnbeaugh

English 1010

8/4/2018

Rhetorical essay

Blue-collar workers are more than just a text book intelligence. In the articles “Blue

Collar Brilliance” by Mike Rose, and “10 High-Paying Blue-Collar Jobs” by Vicky Valet they

both give light on this statement. Rose defends his case on the belief that intelligence is not

based solely on schooling and IQ test numbers. He provides his research and studies he has done

throughout his life proving that the use of tools, knowledge, and skills you learn on the job as a

blue-collar worker is far more than what we are lead to believe throughout history by white

collar workers who are based on schooling alone for most jobs. Valet also states that the blue-

collar jobs require diplomas or education, and on-the-job training, and some further education.

The experience they get from actually doing the job is where the we the true intelligence is.

Rose’s mother worked as a waitress in coffee shops and restaurants, she quit school in the

seventh grade. Through her experiences and on-job-trainings she expanded her knowledge and

skill-set. Rose discovered the waitress job included memorizing, monitoring orders, intuition,

psychology beyond knowledge of everyday normal aspects of the job. A job most people over

look as just a meaningless or no knowledge required job. Joe, Rose’s uncle left school in the

ninth grade to work for general motors. His job was a consistent area of learning, multi-tasking,

improving efficiency, hands-on, continuous problem solving, management and budgeting.

“Intelligence is closely associated with formal education- the type of schooling a person

has, how much and how long- and most people seem to move comfortably from that notion to
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belief that work requiring less schooling requires less intelligence.” This is a generalization we

still are dealing with, even through all these years. Society needs to realize that going to school

isn’t what we should base a person’s intelligence or ability to do a job. More jobs are requiring

degrees, yet the degree does not prove that they can even handle the real outcomes of the day in

day out tasks of the job.

Eight years ago, he came up with “cognitive biographies” of blue-collar workers.

Through close examination of the cognitive demands of a range of blue-collar and service jobs,

from waitressing, and hair styling to plumbing and welding he seen what knowledge and skill

development they portrayed. Realizing that it was learning through observation, trial and error,

physical and verbal assistance, and mental activities.

Valet states, “there is a talent shortage in America’s blue-collar sectors, and it’s projected

to grow. This is due to the aging baby boomers and increase millennials who are more attracted

to the safety and hefty paychecks associated with white-collar roles. There’s a negative

perception of the work of blue-collar jobs, widening the skills gap which contribute to the lack of

interest for these jobs.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the top high paying jobs in blue-collar and

service occupations-which includes “precision production”, “craft and repair occupations, “as

well as “machine operators and inspectors” and “handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers and

laborers” excluding any managerial or supervisory roles. Top of this list is nuclear reactor

operators, electrical and electronics repairers, gas plant operator, electrical power-line installer

and repairer, signal and track switch repairers.

All of these jobs require a high school diploma or the equivalent and may require

additional education, as well as on-the-job training. From the two articles they are similar in the
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discussions of blue-collar workers, even though in the article Valet states what the requirements

of schooling of the blue-collar jobs it still gives an idea that it’s not a lengthy amount of

education to do these jobs and still involves on-the-job training unlike the lengthy amount of

education in white collar jobs. Not a lot of background or information to explain in greater detail

the jobs or the actual numbers in a list from 1-10, just a brief article with percentage increases.

I liked the what Valet said, “Considering the tight nature of the labor market and the

projected talent shortage, it might not be far-fetched to think that this trend will continue.” There

isn’t a lot of potential out in the economy who want to do these jobs thinking that they are not

what will make them money. When according to the numbers they are above average salaries

with less money paid out for school. These are jobs we are still in need for, which with the way

it is trending they will continue to have wage increases until we develop technology to do these

jobs for us. It will happen one day when we are doing less for ourselves and relying on more

technology to do it all for us.

To sum up these two articles the questions that comes to my mind is, “What will happen

to the blue-collar jobs and the potential workers of blue-collar jobs?” Are we going to continue

to let society control the mindset to think that intelligence is based how much schooling you have

completed or what job you are doing? It is sad to think that we overlook the common-sense

measures, and the ability to adapt to environments within a job as a form of intelligence.

Rose used his research and study of personal experiences to draw in his audience and to

personalize the article to hold your interest. When readers can vision their selves in the story or

relate to it they are more likely to follow what is being said. Valet uses research and statistics to

prove her points and information given in her article. Some readers like to see numbers and the

statistics, others are bored when there isn’t information to back up what all the details are
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involved. Blue-collar jobs vs. White-collar jobs and Education vs. IQ all very different and hard

to give an actual comparison when so there is a lot that is involved with both topics. We could

argue the facts of each and the differences all day. When it comes down to it intelligence is

some thing we acquire all through life within a job and outside of a job and education.
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Works Cited

Rose, Mike. Blue-Collar Brilliance.

Valet, Vicky. 10 High-Paying Blue-Collar Jobs