Fewer young people in many countries are choosing to train for skilled manual trades such as plumbing or carpentry.
A full IELTS Writing Task 2 answer to this question, with a paragraph plan, ideas you can use, and the vocabulary that fits this topic.
The question
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Fewer young people in many countries are choosing to train for skilled manual trades such as plumbing or carpentry.
Why do you think this is happening? What could be done to encourage more of them?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
How to read this question
A problem/solution question in two parts — why it is happening, then what could be done — and both parts must be answered with roughly equal space. Missing the second is the fastest way to cap this essay at Band 5 for Task Response, and it happens constantly when candidates get absorbed in the causes. The other requirement is specific to this type: your proposals should address the causes you gave. If you blame status and then propose better funding, the two halves of the essay are about different problems.
Paragraph plan
Introduction — Paraphrase, then signpost both answers: the causes are status and the expansion of university; the remedies are visibility and a credible alternative route.
Body 1 — Why — decades of policy and parental advice treating university as the definition of success, plus the invisibility of trades in schools.
Body 2 — What could be done — restore a serious apprenticeship route, make earnings visible, and get trades physically into schools.
Conclusion — The shortage is a status problem before it is a training problem, so the remedy has to change perception as well as provision.
Model essay
Band 8.5–9.0 model essay
305 words
In numerous countries around the world, a declining proportion of young people are pursuing training in skilled manual trades, such as plumbing, carpentry or electrical work. This is largely attributable to shifting social perceptions and the promotion of university education, whereas targeted financial incentives and rebranding of these professions could reverse this trend.
The principal reason behind this decline is the pervasive belief that university degrees represent the only pathway to a respectable and prosperous career. To clarify, since childhood, many students are consistently encouraged by parents and teachers to pursue academic qualifications, while manual trades are frequently portrayed as a fallback option for those who underperform academically. This stigma discourages capable young people from even considering such careers, despite the fact that skilled tradespeople often earn substantial and stable incomes, sometimes surpassing the salaries of graduates in oversubscribed academic fields. Furthermore, the physically demanding nature of manual work, combined with limited public awareness of the technical expertise these trades actually require, makes them appear less appealing than office-based professions.
To reverse this trend, governments and educational institutions could adopt several measures. First, offering subsidised or fully funded apprenticeship programmes would reduce the financial burden of training and make these careers more accessible to young people from lower-income households. Second, authorities could launch public awareness campaigns highlighting the earning potential and technical sophistication of modern trades, thereby dismantling the outdated perception that manual work is inferior to academic careers. Schools could also invite successful tradespeople to speak with students during career guidance sessions, demonstrating through real examples that these careers offer genuine long-term financial and professional prospects.
In conclusion, the declining interest in skilled manual trades stems primarily from social stigma favouring university education, but this can be addressed through funded apprenticeships and awareness campaigns that reposition these professions as legitimate and rewarding career choices.
Created by a Band 8.5–9.0 IELTS Writing achiever — Premium. Sign up free to read the rest of this essay and unlock every model on the site.
This is a problem and solution question. The essay above shows you what a strong answer looks like when it is finished. What it cannot show you is how to get there from a blank page in forty minutes.
That is what our Writing Study Library is for: the structure we teach for this exact question type, the paragraph pattern that goes with it, and the sentence openers for each stage — so the essay is planned before you start writing rather than assembled as you go.
Introduction: Paraphrase the decline of young people training for manual trades like plumbing or carpentry and preview that the essay will explain the cause and propose ways to encourage more entrants.
Body 1: Answer why this is happening: university is seen as the only respectable career path while trades are stigmatised as a fallback for weaker students, despite tradespeople often earning stable, substantial incomes.
Body 2: Answer what could be done: fund apprenticeships to remove the financial barrier for lower-income students, and run awareness campaigns and school visits by tradespeople to rebrand these careers as skilled and lucrative.
Conclusion: Summarise that the decline is driven by stigma favouring university degrees, and that funded apprenticeships plus awareness campaigns could reposition trades as legitimate, rewarding careers.
Word or phrase
Meaning
Used in a sentence
pervasive
spreading widely throughout a place or group of people
The principal reason behind this decline is the pervasive belief that university degrees represent the only pathway
stigma
a mark of disgrace or negative perception attached to something
This stigma discourages capable young people from even considering such careers
oversubscribed
having more applicants or interest than available places
sometimes surpassing the salaries of graduates in oversubscribed academic fields
apprenticeship
a period of practical, paid training in a skilled trade
offering subsidised or fully funded apprenticeship programmes
subsidised
partly paid for by the government or another organisation
offering subsidised or fully funded apprenticeship programmes would reduce the financial burden of training
dismantling
taking apart or systematically ending something
thereby dismantling the outdated perception that manual work is inferior to academic careers
sophistication
the quality of being complex, refined or technically advanced
highlighting the earning potential and technical sophistication of modern trades
reposition
to change how something is perceived or presented
awareness campaigns that reposition these professions as legitimate and rewarding career choices
Created by a Band 8.5–9.0 IELTS Writing achiever — Premium. Sign up free to see the ideas and vocabulary for this topic and unlock every model on the site.
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Common questions
Do I have to answer both questions equally?
Roughly equally, yes. Causes and solutions are two separate obligations, and running out of time before the second is the most common way this type is capped at Band 5 for Task Response. If time is short, write a shorter second paragraph rather than none.
Must my solutions match the causes I gave?
Yes — this is what examiners look for on problem/solution questions. If your causes are about status and your solutions are about funding, you have written two essays about different problems. Naming the cause inside the solution sentence is a simple way to guarantee the link is visible.
Can I answer the first question with only one reason?
You can, if it is developed thoroughly. One cause traced through a real mechanism is stronger than three listed. Just make sure the depth is genuine and not the same idea restated.
Should the introduction preview both answers?
A brief signpost helps — it tells the examiner immediately that you have registered both questions. Keep it to one sentence; a long preview eats time that development needs.
