Developing Trade and Technical skills in America

Omega Man · Jan 20, 2019

I was watching one of my favorite shows recently- Ship Shape TV- http://shipshapetv.com Not that I have a boat but I do have the next most troublesome toy- A Motorhome :eek

In this episode they highlighted an organization called Skills USA- https://www.skillsusa.org This is an organization that encourages and promotes training for young people that are interested in working with their "hands".

Here is an overview of the 2018 competition held at the Louisville Expo Facility-

If you have some skills- share them

OM

henzilla · Jan 23, 2019

Have noticed a lot more trades advertising apprenticeship/career opportunities here on local broadcasts. There definitely is a need for the trades and a few high school efforts funded in part by grants to introduce youth to another productive and monetarily satisfying career.

dennisdarrow · Jan 23, 2019

Education, the world of, from k through 16 needs to get the picture. Banished were working with one's hands to, learn computer skills and one doesn't need to know or learn to use one's hands to make a living or vocation. There after we have raised a generation of students that can't read a tape, ruler, or actually use fractions. For me, it is more than grants and that kind of thinking; but to banish this thought process that is going on in the schools now: science, engineering, and math. Yes, there is a need for these folks but for most, it's your hands, common sense derived from working with those hands, and get rid of the "exclusivity" of becoming an engineer...….God bless these USA.....Dennis

jandhumphreyme · Jan 23, 2019

I think there is a need for both skills, hands on and computer. That said, I believe that young children could benefit far more from the "old timey" shop class of yesterday, than the time they now spend behind a computer screen. These classes taught problem solving, mastering basic coordination, working with equipment, thinking through projects on a step by step basis, patience, and perseverance. They also encourage pride in one's overall ability a sense of accomplishment at the completion of a project. There is plenty of time in the later grades to master computer skills. I've meet way too many engineers who could doodle in differential equations but not have the reasoning ability to apply their training to real world situations, don't believe it ask some mechanic's who have to fix some of their brilliant designs.

henzilla · Jan 24, 2019

H forwarded this to me today..LMAO :bolt

I came through an apprenticeship program and had this discussion a few times over the years as I moved thru management ranks after I slowed the pole climbing some. The engineers saw no humor having me as their supervisor either. Was told more than once I hadn't paid my dues :scratch

52184 · Jan 24, 2019

“The society that values its philosophers more highly than its plumbers shall soon have neither good philosophy nor good plumbing”

While John Dewey had a point, it wasn’t that we shouldn’t have philosophers. As with most things in life, balance adds richness. Better we should find a way for both philosophers AND plumbers to acquire the skills and training they need without a crushing burden of debt.

Best,
DG

EUGENE · Jan 24, 2019

henzilla said:
H forwarded this to me today..LMAO

View attachment 72379

I came through an apprenticeship program and had this discussion a few times over the years as I moved thru management ranks after I slowed the pole climbing some. The engineers saw no humor having me as their supervisor either. Was told more than once I hadn't paid my dues

I was an inside electrician for 35 years with an apprenticeship program. Yes I did paid me dues!

pglaves · Jan 24, 2019

"If as a culture and society we come upon a fork in the road, we need to take both paths."

Me: 2019

MCMXCIVRS · Jan 24, 2019

My best class in high school was shop class. I went straight into an apprenticeship in auto mechanics after leaving school and earned my ticket in four years. I worked in that trade for another five years before changing careers to firefighting. The trade ticket was worth a lot in getting hired as a firefighter (as well as several years of volunteer fire service time) and I continued to practice that trade part time for several years more. The knowledge and skills have proven invaluable over my lifetime and have saved me countless thousands of dollars by being capable of repairing not just autos but most any machine we own.

I do agree more youth need to be directed towards trades as career paths. I believe our societies need to give trades much more respect. I recall while still in high school and even when in my apprenticeship that trades were only recommended as a last resort for the individual who had "little chance for much success in life". Contrary to that attitude, trades need smart hard working people who are able to learn and understand complex issues and systems and trades-persons deserve to be seen as the skilled and intelligent people they are.

52184 · Jan 24, 2019

PGlaves said:
"If as a culture and society we come upon a fork in the road, we need to take both paths."

Me: 2019

You can do that, since you’re always riding with Voni!

Best,
DG

Omega Man · Jan 25, 2019

Steve, that was perfect.

Average age of an electrician or plumber here in Mass- 57. They are doing quite well.
OM

rich · Jan 25, 2019

I'm in my 40th and final year as an electrician. I served all those years in the oil & gas industry. Good electricians are tough to find, young ones even harder. In small town ND you struggle to find an electrician or plumber, the good ones are extremely busy and will get to you when they get to you, if they take the job at all.

When a youngster asks me for career advice, I always say plumber, electrician, or the HVAC industry. It's only going to get more lucrative for them as time goes by.

jandhumphreyme · Jan 25, 2019

Average age of construction workers at our company is around 53 or so ... Been attending way to many retirement party's in the last couple of years. Mine's three to five years out (three per financial planner, five by my wife's spending), there's 12 years difference between myself and the next youngest guy in my dept. Got some young fire-pissers but no field experience to speak of.

shortythorne · Jan 25, 2019

Rich said:
When a youngster asks me for career advice, I always say plumber, electrician, or the HVAC industry. It's only going to get more lucrative for them as time goes by.

Either schools are not teaching the basics such as general math, or they are passing the students without making sure they know what is being taught. You cannot depend on a computer for simple common sense & reasoning. Twenty years ago, we had a young man working for us in our business. He was a high school graduate but could not use a ruler. It is sad. You have to know some basic math to do any of these jobs.

henzilla · Jan 25, 2019

Probably a little of both Gail.
Having run the linemans training a few years before I retired, basic math skills are needed and we were surprised at some of the levels of comprehension between recent high school new hires. Some school districts are more successful. My mom and grandmother were teachers, another thread another time.

A group of us formally trained IBEW certified linemen pushed apprentice training into the city owned utility for years after we moved there After several accidents/deaths in a short time finally gave it the priority and funding we had been urging .Sad we had to lose people to make a change.

It was a typical son of a son and friend hiring pattern before this and we found several non readers and ruler challenged amongst the OJT and uncle "trained" and holding journeyman level positions...maddening. We got tutoring help for several and put everyone through basic math and electricity. Some just retired as the changes were passing them by.
The current electrical worker there gets a lot of book time and either progresses thru the three year program or find another career path early.

lkchris · Feb 1, 2019

Spend about $3 at the iTunes store or similar and download the episode of Dan Rather Reports titled "The German Jobs Machine." In Germany, it's decided at 10 yrs/4th grade whether you are college or trade school material. Pretty economically successful country ... in fact if you visit, you may conclude you've come from a 3rd world country.

jpdicarlo · Feb 24, 2019

A problem I see is the fickleness of the employers in these fields.
When I entered the job market in the 70s it was not uncommon for employers to take in rookies, both with and without college degrees, and train them accordingly to fill the jobs openings they had. But when employers were less hungry, like after the 2008 Bush recession, that willingness to train apprentices went out the window. Employers could find experienced job hunters so gave up on their training programs.
The inability to count on those apprentice programs being available forces young people make other decisions.

ragtoplvr · Feb 24, 2019

JeffDiCarlo said:
A problem I see is the fickleness of the employers in these fields.
When I entered the job market in the 70s it was not uncommon for employers to take in rookies, both with and without college degrees, and train them accordingly to fill the jobs openings they had. But when employers were less hungry, like after the 2008 Bush recession, that willingness to train apprentices went out the window. Employers could find experienced job hunters so gave up on their training programs.
The inability to count on those apprentice programs being available forces young people make other decisions.

In addition the willingness to cut staff and outsource at a whim has damaged the reputation of many fields. For example, as an engineer I would not advise anyone to go into that field, as a engineer that also used to program (embedded software) I would advise anyone to go into that field either. And I survived the downturns successfully and I am still an engineer. If I had it to do over, I think prosthetics and orthothodics would be a wonderful career field.

I am convinced that the majority of executive management just wants money for nothing, and is incapable of leading a manufacturing company.

Rod

jpdicarlo · Feb 24, 2019

Yeah, what Rod said.
I ended my engineering career in my 50s primarily because of management decisions to continually move operations to areas with cheaper labor costs. Invariably, their decisions failed to return the promised profit boon.
But given the good run I had, I'm still reluctant to say I wouldn't recommend engineering to youngsters today. There are just a lot of caveats that would go with it.

pglaves · Feb 24, 2019

It is called the "gig economy" for a reason. Short term employment. As few benefits as the law allows. No loyalty from or to the company. Everything for the next quarter so the CEO can get his bonus. No regard for the longer range. It is a downward spiral. I am very happy I am retired and pity the folks just entering the work force. We are on the path of economic failure. Long live the billionaires who buy $350 million dollar yachts, and sorry sucker but you need to be looking for another job.

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