The Age of the Educated Man is Over, the Time of the Labouring Man Has Begun

For years, society has been pedalling a dream: get a degree, and success will follow. You’ll be whisked into an office with air-conditioning, sit in endless meetings about "strategic alignment," and enjoy a steady salary as you gaze at pie charts on a screen. That was the dream, a neat little plan handed down to young men as the only way to a prosperous life. The only problem is, it’s all nonsense.

While an entire generation was sold on the idea that university was the only path to success, the labouring man, the one who never bothered with a degree, who went straight into the trades was getting on with his life. He was fixing pipes, rewiring homes, and building everything from kitchens to skyscrapers. And guess what? He’s making more money, and has a better standard of living than most people in white-collar jobs. I’ve got mates who are tradesmen and earning more than their GPs. These lads, who once might have been looked down upon, are now the ones laughing all the way to the bank, or more often than not a holiday in the sun, while the "educated" class grapples with debt and job insecurity.

I know this because I’ve lived on both sides. I started out as a labourer, then joined the military, where I learned real discipline on the bottom rung. After being wounded and medically discharged, I decided to go to university as part of my post-military career path. I got my bachelor’s and master’s degrees (quite an achievement for someone who left school at 16 with no exams) and landed a respectable white-collar role. Eventually, I went back to my roots, manual labour and I can tell you, it’s far more rewarding, both financially and personally, than anything my degrees ever got me.

The age of the educated man is over, the time of the labouring man has begun. If you’re a young man thinking about your future, it’s time to rethink what you’ve been told.

The False Promise of Higher Education

We’ve been sold a massive lie: that a degree guarantees success. The whole narrative is that if you don’t go to university, you’re doomed to a life of low-paying, back-breaking work, while your more "educated" peers climb the corporate ladder. Well, that script is as outdated as the floppy disk.

While young men were being funnelled into university to rack up £50,000+ in student debt, I watched my mates who stuck with the trades; the plumbers, the electricians, the carpenters, build stable, prosperous lives. No debt, no soul-sucking office politics, no climbing over colleagues for a promotion. They learned practical skills that people genuinely need. And now, they’re earning more than most of the university grads who spent years in lecture halls. One of my mates is pulling in more than his GP. Imagine that, more money for building kitchens than for prescribing antibiotics or diagnosing cancer.

Meanwhile, there’s a hidden tragedy in the lives of many graduates. Having racked up massive student loans, many take on low-paying jobs simply to avoid hitting the salary threshold where they would have to start repaying their loans. They end up staying in low-paid, insecure jobs for years, locked in a vicious cycle where they avoid paying back their loans but never escape the trap of low wages. They’re the very people who were sold on education as the path to success, but are now stuck in the jobs they were promised they would never have to do. University isn’t what it used to be, perhaps it never was. Many graduates end up in jobs that have nothing to do with their degrees, often earning less than tradesmen who didn’t even bother with university. Degrees don’t guarantee anything anymore, except debt.

Invest in a Van and a Paintbrush, Not a Degree

Here’s some real advice for young men with ambition: forget the degree. Instead, invest in something that will actually give you a future. Buy a van, get yourself some tools, and learn a trade. A paintbrush or a hammer might end up being your best ticket to financial freedom. The beauty of this path? It doesn’t take years of study or bury you in debt. You don’t have to sit in classrooms listening to lectures on things that will never apply to the real world. Instead, you can get to work quickly, learning valuable, practical skills that will make you indispensable. And unlike university, where you end up with tens of thousands in student loans, you’ll have no debt hanging over your head.

Let’s break it down. A decent used van will set you back around £5,000 to £10,000. Tools for the trade you want to pursue whether it’s; plumbing, electrical work, or painting will cost you another few grand. Compare that to the £50,000+ you’d blow on university fees, and you’re already ahead of the game. Instead of paying off student loans for the next 20 years, you’ll be earning good money within a year or two.

And here’s the best part: you can end up being your own boss. Once you’ve mastered your trade, you can set your own hours, choose your clients, and charge what you’re worth. Plumbers, and electricians routinely charge £40-50 an hour, if not more, the humble painter can easily earn a grand a week. You could easily be earning £50,000 to £60,000 a year, if not more, some with the right skills and motivation double that. And all without a single student loan in sight.

AI Won’t Paint Your Walls

Here’s where the real twist comes in. While the laptop class, those who assumed their white-collar jobs were safe for life have been busy sharpening their PowerPoint skills, artificial intelligence (AI) has been quietly advancing behind the scenes, ready to take over the very jobs they thought were untouchable. Jobs in finance, marketing, customer service, and even law are increasingly being automated. AI can now handle everything from data analysis to writing reports to managing customer inquiries—all for a fraction of the cost of a human. The roles that were once seen as safe are being gobbled up by automation. What happens to all those people who spent thousands on degrees for jobs that no longer exist? They’re left scrambling, wondering where it all went wrong. But here’s the thing: AI can’t paint your house. It can’t crawl up a ladder and fix your guttering, rewire your electrics, or build your new extension. The trades require hands-on skill, the kind that no machine can replicate. While AI is busy eliminating office jobs, the labouring man’s work is indispensable—and will only become more valuable as the world becomes more automated.

Labouring Work: The Best Exercise Money Can’t Buy

There’s another massive benefit to working in the trades, the physical side of it. Unlike sitting behind a desk all day, tradesmen are constantly on the move, lifting, carrying, building, and engaging their entire body. It’s a workout without the gym membership. You’re getting exercise while earning money, staying fit, and avoiding the sedentary lifestyle that comes with office work. But it’s not just about movement. Many of these jobs are outdoors, meaning you’re often working in the fresh air, whether you’re on a construction site, painting houses, or working on a roof. Being out in nature, away from the office air conditioning and harsh fluorescent lighting, is a benefit most white-collar workers never experience. You’re not trapped in a cubicle you’re out in the real world, using your hands, breathing fresh air, and staying physically active.

Labouring work doesn’t just build homes and fix things, it keeps you healthy. There’s an inherent satisfaction in using your body to create something, and the physical benefits of this work often go underappreciated. It’s the best way to combine earning a living and keeping fit, with the added bonus of being in touch with the world around you.

Post-Brexit: The Shortage of Tradesmen

Thanks to Brexit, a massive number of skilled workers from Eastern Europe in particular Poles, and others who filled the trades went home. The result? A massive shortage of tradesmen across the UK. Fewer workers means higher demand, and higher demand means higher prices. The shortage has left a gaping hole in the labour market, and the British tradesmen are now reaping the rewards. As demand for skilled labour skyrockets, tradesmen are in the driver’s seat. They can charge premium rates, knowing full well that people need their services more than ever. This shortage isn’t going to fix itself anytime soon, either, so the smart money is on learning a trade and getting in while the demand (and pay) is soaring.

The Rise of Single Motherhood and the “Handless” Generation

There’s another factor driving the demand for skilled trades: the rise of single-parent households, particularly single mothers. In homes where there’s no "man of the house" to do the traditional handyman tasks; fixing boilers, repairing shelves, or assembling flat-pack furniture, families are increasingly relying on tradesmen to do the work. For these households, calling a plumber, painter, or electrician isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. The absence of a man in the house to handle these jobs has created a dependence on professionals, driving up demand for tradesmen even further.

And let’s not forget the younger generations, millennials and Gen Z who’ve been raised on smartphones and technology but can’t change a lightbulb to save their lives. These generations are completely “handless” when it comes to basic DIY tasks, which means they’re utterly dependent on professionals for even the simplest jobs. This growing skills gap creates even more demand for tradesmen, and that demand will only grow as these generations get older. If you’re a young man looking for a secure future, this is fantastic news for you. The demand for people who can do real, practical work is only going to increase, and the more helpless the younger generation becomes, the more they’ll need you.

You Don’t Need University to Learn

Now, don’t get me wrong. This isn’t a call to forsake learning altogether. Far from it. In fact, we live in an age where a young man can bypass the mind-control drivel of the university system free from all the woke, politically correct nonsense and educate himself better than ever before. With good books, educational podcasts, and online lectures, you can learn almost anything, without stepping foot into a university. This is not about avoiding education; it’s about choosing your education wisely. You don’t need a university professor to teach you how the world works. Pick up non-woke, real-world knowledge through self-study and build your mind, free from the limitations of government-controlled schooling. Learn business skills, marketing, financial literacy, whatever complements your trade. Study history or philosophy by reading the greats all unencumbered by the latest educational fad, or through the lens of some old liberal professor. This is about choosing independent learning and skipping the indoctrination that has infected modern universities all while making an honest living.

Mutual Respect Among Tradesmen

One thing that can’t be understated is the mutual respect that men who work with their hands have for one another. In the trades, respect is earned through skill and competence not through a degree or how well you can navigate office politics. There’s an unspoken bond between men who work in the trenches together, day in and day out, facing the same physical challenges and pressures. When you see someone else pulling their weight, solving problems on the spot, and getting the job done, it earns respect. This camaraderie doesn’t exist in most white-collar jobs, where office politics and competition for promotions often breed resentment and frustration. In the trades, it’s different. You rely on the men around you to do their part, and that shared struggle builds a brotherhood that’s hard to find anywhere else, in fact it reminds me a lot of the military. The physical nature of the work, the problem-solving under pressure, and the mutual reliance create a kind of respect and solidarity that’s sorely lacking in the corporate world.

Labour and Masculinity: The Missing Element in Office Jobs

Manual labour isn’t just about money, it’s about tapping into something masculine that’s often missing from white-collar work. Working with your hands, using your physical strength and problem-solving skills to build or fix something, connects to a primal part of what it means to be a man. Physicality, independence, and the satisfaction of seeing something tangible at the end of the day are all part of the appeal. In contrast, many white-collar jobs leave men feeling disconnected. Sitting at a desk, typing away, or clicking through spreadsheets doesn’t offer the same sense of accomplishment that comes from manual labour. You can’t see the results of your work in the same way, and for many men, this creates a feeling that something is missing. You’re working, but not really creating, and that disconnect can lead to dissatisfaction.

Tradesmen, on the other hand, see their results. At the end of the day, week or month a house is built, a wall is painted, or a system is fixed. That kind of visible, tangible success is deeply satisfying, tapping into the masculine drive to build, fix, and create. That’s something most office jobs simply can’t provide.

Conclusion: forget the degree, pick up the van keys and off you go!

If you’re a young man wondering what to do with your life, the message is clear: learn a trade. Forget about university and the cycle of student debt. Instead, invest in a van, some tools, and a skill that people will always need. You’ll be your own boss, earn more money, and have the freedom to control your own future.

The world is changing, and the labouring man is winning. AI might be taking over the laptop jobs, but it won’t be painting your walls or fixing your electrics anytime soon. And as the demand for skilled trades continues to grow, those who know how to work with their hands will be the ones reaping the rewards.

The age of the educated man is over, the time of the labouring man has begun, and there’s never been a better time to get in on the action.

And, as the Bible wisely states in Ecclesiastes 5:12:
"The sleep of a labouring man is sweet”

The labouring man rests easy at night, knowing he’s earned every penny and built something real.