No job or work is unimportant; everyone plays a vital role in the order of our society, be it a white-collar job or one that's associated with skills or craft. Craft making or skills-based jobs are no less than any other job, and they are even mostly an easier avenue to being self-sufficient, achieving financial stability, and building a business brand or empire of your own than it is to create a white-collar job brand. Although I work as a teacher, which is a white-collar job, I still recognize and appreciate those whose job is based on their skill or craft they learn. In fact, in my opinion, I believe it's highly essential for everyone to learn at least one craft or another in their lifetime.
I remember how after my secondary school education I went to learn data processing and gain knowledge surrounding computers, while some of my friends went to acquire skills such as tailoring, hairstyles, and the like. And by the time we gained admission into the university and I was struggling to make ends meet, my friends who learned skills back then began to use their skills as a means to earn and fend for themselves during their undergraduate days, because back then a fairly used sewing machine was sold for as low as 13,000 naira. Meanwhile, if I were to delve into my own skill, I'd need funds going above 100,000 naira to get a laptop and other necessities that could establish me.
This may make me envious of these guys at some point, but beyond that, I've always been passionate about learning myself, and this was what pushed me to acquire skills during my undergraduate days. Personally I'll advise high school graduates to learn either a soft skill that's in line with the future of technology or learn a craft skill that can come in handy to help them fend for themselves and be self-sufficient during their undergraduate days; else, they might struggle, especially if their parents aren't well-to-do.
But beyond that, it's a good thing to learn a skill; take, for instance, even though I don't work as an artisan, whenever I have simple clothes to sew, I can use my wife's sewing machine to do that, and I've got mine as well. Why it's good to learn a skill or craft is because one can easily establish themselves, and with the education you have, you can rebrand your craft to be seen and perceived as a world-class brand; it's how you carry yourself that people will carry you and your business.
Learning a skill or craft today and mastering it can help one establish a brand or business of their own in a locality and push and advertise their products or designs on social media to get more audience and prospects and customers that'll patronize and share their contact with their friends of friends.
All photos are mine.