>> first and foremost is the perception of plumbing. >> reporter: trevor caldwell is vinnie sposari'sstigma that goes along with getting your hands dirty-- "just a plumber." not a person, just a plumber. and i don't want to be that guy. >> reporter: or that gal. >> you're doing manual labor. some people tend to look down on that. and that makes people not want to go into it, clearly. >> reporter: sarah schnabel isn't a plumber, but an ithaca, new york, electrical apprentice, another well-paying trade which can't find good help these days, a frustration for schnabel's boss, brian lamorte, and for his colleagues. >> i know lots of guys in the trade who are contractors, and they're looking for help. >> reporter: and willing to pay for it. >> we have recently raised our rates as a business to $90 an hour, and we are not pushing the envelope. we were $75 a little while ago, and $65 a little while before that. it's getting to the point where you probably pay us more to come fix your light switch than you do to go to the doctor. >> reporter: so, again, why no takers? >> i do think, for peopl