Shortage of Skilled Trade Workers

[Wolferz]

I hold an associates degree in electronics and I have a CDL.

No electronics jobs to speak of in my current vicinity because they were all sent overseas or to Mexico. DHS is doing their best to take away my CDL with a ton of new regs and requirements including fingerprinting at my expense and the communist state of Pennsylvania is going right along with them and are now demanding a copy of my medical card. Well, I'm disabled and can't get one of those LOL. So, the six grand I spent to get the license is headed down the frigging tubes. Thank you Shrub!

I'll spend the rest of my days parked on my backside, drawing a disability stipend and terrorizing GT.

[Platapus]

There used to be loyalty. Both on the part of the employer and the employee. We can play chicken-and-egg about which side broke the trust first.But who really cares? Regardless of the cause, it is a problem here that only seems to be getting worse.

Employees don't feel loyalty to a company which can dump them at a moment's notice. Companies don't feel loyalty to employees whom they feel are fungible resources.

In my job, I have to look at a lot of resumes. It is amazing how different people evaluate resumes.

Take a person who has been with the same company for 20 years and is looking to relocate.

To me, this is a good thing. It shows me that he sticks with a company for the long term. I admire that in an applicant

To others, in my company, they don't like this. It shows a lack of initiative and a desire for staying in a rut.

Now in some industries it is desirable to have a varied career and jumping jobs shows advancement and a desire for new experiences. In other industries (mine), flitting from job to job every two years is not a good indication.

I am lucky, I work for a company that recognizes loyalty....it does not always reward loyalty but that's for another rant.

But then in my company, if you have not been with the company for at least 20 years, you are still the new guy and your name is not even included in the "anniversary" section of the corporation newsletter. We have tons of people with the company for 30+ years and it starts getting noteworthy when you pass 45 years with the same company. Every month we have a few going over 40 years!

I have been with the company for just under 10 years and I am still one of the FNGs.

However, this does not sit well with our younger employees. We have lost a lot of good talent because they were of a mindset that they should only work for a company for 2-3 years and then move on. That may work for many industries but not mine.

[soopaman2]

Originally Posted by Wolferz

I hold an associates degree in electronics and I have a CDL.

No electronics jobs to speak of in my current vicinity because they were all sent overseas or to Mexico. DHS is doing their best to take away my CDL with a ton of new regs and requirements including fingerprinting at my expense and the communist state of Pennsylvania is going right along with them and are now demanding a copy of my medical card. Well, I'm disabled and can't get one of those LOL. So, the six grand I spent to get the license is headed down the frigging tubes. Thank you Shrub!

In other words, this is just a huge excuse for corporate America, to justify outsourcing.

go unionized, even if we are the modern day right wing pariah, Organize and fight, or just bend over and take it. Shareholders over workers right?


I expect no friends, too many rightwing, anti labor people on this board, they think the people that build what they drive on is worth mexican fencejumper wages.


(edit try being someone who builds stuff, then gets crapped on for doing so)

[Wolferz]

Just out of curiosity, Platapus, what industry is that and how many lifers die at their post?

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Wolferz

Just out of curiosity, Platapus, what industry is that and how many lifers die at their post?

I work for what is called an FFRDC (Federally Funded Research and Development Center), It is often, humorously and erroneously, called a "think tank" . It is one of many non-profit organizations that are funded by the government to handle such issues. By law we are severely restricted in what sorts of business we can and can't do on order to maintain our unbiased position in the industry.

We do operations and procurement research for the government. The reason longevity is so important is that much of our value to the government is based on our individual (and to some part corporate) reputation. The government is simply not going to base a policy or ops decision based on a report from someone without a proven track record. It is not fair or even logical, but it is how my world works.

Most of our work is in evaluating the work of government contractors. Contractor A is telling the government one thing, Contractor B is telling the government another thing. Government assigns us to evaluate and report back to the government.

Most of our people have Multiple Master's degrees or Doctorates as often we need to evaluate technical designs.

In some way, many of our employees die at their post. When you "retire" from my organization, most likely you will be put on a casual employment status. This is kinda like a ready reserve for researchers. When there is a particularly tricky problem, we have the ability to bring back some of these old timers who have the industry history (hell they made the history!) to assist on the problem. Then we kick them out!

It is a sweet deal and in about 30 years, I hope to be one!

[BrucePartington]

You guys have just described the story of my last 20 years in this neck-of-the-hood, after I completed my technical trade training in Automotive Technology, in Pitt, PA.
And I paid for tuition and all from my own sweat.
I simply should have not returned here. Proper recognition for my competence has almost always deliberately denied. I've even been tried to be made out to be incompetent.

I have more on my chest than you could possibly believe.

I may come back to this later. I have some things to take care right now.

[Wolferz]

Originally Posted by soopaman2

In other words, this is just a huge excuse for corporate America, to justify outsourcing.

go unionized, even if we are the modern day right wing pariah, Organize and fight, or just bend over and take it. Shareholders over workers right?


I expect no friends, too many rightwing, anti labor people on this board, they think the people that build what they drive on is worth mexican fencejumper wages.


(edit try being someone who builds stuff, then gets crapped on for doing so)

Workers have rights? Since when? Certainly not in this state. A commonwealth that supports At Large employment practices. In other words, you can be terminated for no reason whatsoever or you can terminate your employment under the same criteria.
I'm puzzled Soopaman, What does your post have to do with what I said that you quoted? I didn't mention anything regarding unions, which I have been a member of the IBEW in the past. I didn't drive truck long enough to get into the Teamsters union. But, I probably would have joined.
I don't make a habit of leaning to either side. I stay centered, which could account for a great many of our problems these days. Too many people wishing to be left or right and wasting their time and effort drawing lines in the sand to invite conflict with the opposition. When the left and the right presume to be the only correct choice, they're both equally wrong.
My last electronics job was terminated by a large French company that bought us out and moved the plant to Mexico. We built value added cables. You may even have one or two of them connecting your hardware. Yes, I built cables and the testing rigs we used for quality control and we all got crapped on by a big corporation that bought the company. They came in with the usual platitudes. Don't worry, your jobs are safe. LIARS! When my supervisor told me to start packing up the test equipment for shipment to Mexico, I was less than cordial with him as I walked out the door. He already knew what was going on and didn't have the balls to tell us. Being a borderline genius, I already knew what was going on and I wasn't going to be a party to it. All he got from me was an impolite hand gesture.
The funniest part of this whole story is, my wife's first cousin was an assembler on the main factory floor and they wanted her to go to Mexico to train their new slave labor force and the crazy woman did it!

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Wolferz

commonwealth that supports At Large employment practices. In other words, you can be terminated for no reason whatsoever or you can terminate your employment under the same criteria.

I think it is called "at will employment". That concept is a dual edged sword. Some think it is a good idea, some a bad. I think they are both right.

I remember when I was hired in my first company after retiring from the military. I had to sign a document acknowledging that the company could fire me at any time but if I wanted to quite I had to give them 2 weeks notice.

Sure, I will sign. It is not legally binding in my state.

On the whole, I agree with At Will employment. It provides the company a venue to get rid of deadwood/problems. However, the problem is that OTHER regulations often prevent this from happening.

[soopaman2]

I simply find it vile how the bridgeworkers, roadworkers, steelworkers, Electronic workers are minimized in this modern environment.

I wasn't crapping on you Wolferz, just conveying the working mans opinion, alot of uncompassionate people who think un college educated should make minimum wage, Yes they are here. they will wake up soon.

Someone will tell me how stupid I am because I pave roads.

I been told before I am below those who went to college.

(yet I make more...Hmmmmm?)

[Wolferz]

Originally Posted by soopaman2

I simply find it vile how the bridgeworkers, roadworkers, steelworkers, Electronic workers are minimized in this modern environment.

I wasn't crapping on you Wolferz, just conveying the working mans opinion, alot of uncompassionate people who think un college educated should make minimum wage, Yes they are here. they will wake up soon.

Someone will tell me how stupid I am because I pave roads.

I been told before I am below those who went to college.

(yet I make more...Hmmmmm?)

Thanks for the clarification of what I surmised
Paving roads is a noble and honest profession that most take for granted. At least until they have to drive on a washboard full of chuck holes.

I still recall how crappy it was running a semi across I-40 in Arkansas before they finally repaved the whole thing from start to end. This included the full length of Tennessee too.

[Wolferz]

Originally Posted by Platapus

I think it is called "at will employment". That concept is a dual edged sword. Some think it is a good idea, some a bad. I think they are both right.

I remember when I was hired in my first company after retiring from the military. I had to sign a document acknowledging that the company could fire me at any time but if I wanted to quite I had to give them 2 weeks notice.

Sure, I will sign. It is not legally binding in my state.

On the whole, I agree with At Will employment. It provides the company a venue to get rid of deadwood/problems. However, the problem is that OTHER regulations often prevent this from happening.

They call it Employment at large here in the Keystone State. Not a big surprise. This state is usually the closest to last in modernizing everything. I lived here five years before they finally got around to putting mile markers on the interstates. Then they went overboard with it, placing markers every tenth of a mile. Somebody in Harrisburg has a relative in the sign making business me thinks.
Twenty and out guy, eh? Congrats on your perseverance.

[the_tyrant]

Service based skilled trades are a great choice.

In Ontario, a plumber makes nearly the same as someone in the finance industry.

http://www.workingincanada.gc.ca/rep...2&action=final


http://www.workingincanada.gc.ca/rep...2&action=final

However, manufacturing cannot thrive in the west in the same conditions.

How can you compete, when Asian workers work for cheaper, and actually hugely overqualified, are extremely dedicated, and is much more grateful for the same benefits and opportunities than the average American?

10$/hour is the minimum wage where I live, that is how much you pay the most mundane employees who barely have to think on the job, with no "complicated" responsibilities, and no experience. For 10 usd in China, I can find 2 university grads with 5+ years of work experience (workers are often hugely overqualified in Asia), and they will be extremely thankful if the same opportunities and working conditions that a "standard" job in the west are provided.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Wolferz

Twenty and out guy, eh? Congrats on your perseverance.

Nah, just means that I was lazy and willing to live off the tax payers.... according to some.

[Stealhead]

Originally Posted by soopaman2

Someone will tell me how stupid I am because I pave roads.

And those people most likely would not know the first thing about paving a road.

There was some of this thinking in the military if the person does x job they must be inferior grunts,grease monkeys,civil engineers,and cooks get looked down by some.I was a grease monkey so most of my friends where GMs or CEs once the people in the medical squadron decided to throw a kegger and posted flyers in the other dorms when we showed up they said we where unwelcome we used our superior strength to assault the keg take control of it and remove it to a more welcome location the MPs where called said they did not see anything choosing to side with their looked down upon brothers and sisters.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Stealhead

to assault the keg

No, no no... you didn't assault the keg. You liberated it.