The devaluation of post-secondary education

[fujimoh]

Originally Posted by Gas Man

Honestly I think we need more blue collar workers... more welders, and skilled trades. But it's hard work, and oh no.... you might get dirty!! To make worse, you might not be able to wear dockers and a collared dress shirt!! And perhaps the $30/hr job won't be enough for you...

I know some welders and machinists who are definitely making upwards of 30/hr

[Papa_Complex]

Originally Posted by Gas Man

Honestly I think we need more blue collar workers... more welders, and skilled trades. But it's hard work, and oh no.... you might get dirty!! To make worse, you might not be able to wear dockers and a collared dress shirt!! And perhaps the $30/hr job won't be enough for you...

When I came out of college, the first job I was offered was as a machinist's apprentice. I turned it down, because I was damned well going to use the education I paid for. I might not be making what I am now if I'd gone that way, and I might have been out of a job a few times along the way (which I was anyway, with the path I chose), but I would have been making more money faster than I did. Hell, I wish I had that skillset now.

There's nothing wrong, nothing embarrassing, about being in a skilled trade.It's good, honest work and a good income.

[OneSickPsycho]

Originally Posted by Papa_Complex

When I came out of college, the first job I was offered was as a machinist's apprentice. I turned it down, because I was damned well going to use the education I paid for. I might not be making what I am now if I'd gone that way, and I might have been out of a job a few times along the way (which I was anyway, with the path I chose), but I would have been making more money faster than I did. Hell, I wish I had that skillset now.

There's nothing wrong, nothing embarrassing, about being in a skilled trade.It's good, honest work and a good income.

Man, I wish I had the balls and could afford to just turn my ship around and go for something like that... I love working with my hands, but I have zero skill... One of the few things I wish I wouldn't have listened to my dad about... Using my head instead of breaking my back... I think I could have done both, and would probably go home every day a bit more satisfied.

[Mr Lefty]

Originally Posted by Gas Man

Honestly I think we need more blue collar workers... more welders, and skilled trades. But it's hard work, and oh no.... you might get dirty!! To make worse, you might not be able to wear dockers and a collared dress shirt!! And perhaps the $30/hr job won't be enough for you...

it's funny... until people NEED someone to do that, it's thought to be useless or beneath them...

I've been searching for a place locally that has welding classes, but unfortunately none that I can do with my work schedule. it's a skill I want badly.

[Papa_Complex]

Originally Posted by Mr Lefty

it's funny... until people NEED someone to do that, it's thought to be useless or beneath them...

I've been searching for a place locally that has welding classes, but unfortunately none that I can do with my work schedule. it's a skill I want badly.

Have you checked community colleges? Many do night school classes, for that sort of thing. Also things like heavy equipment operation, which is something I'd like to try.

[OneSickPsycho]

Originally Posted by Papa_Complex

It definitely gives a sense of accomplishment to go home at night, after seeing something concrete that's been created by you own skill. I used to look at the 30 computers I would build in a day, or the stack of repaired equipment that was ready to ship out, and know that I'd done something worthwhile.

Then I became a manager and didn't see that physical manifestation of my own skill. Took some time to wrap my head around the fact that I was still producing, but not in the same way.

Now it's even more abstract because, while I'm still able to see things fixed and know that I've done something concrete, my actual 'product' is educated young people. The computers are just incidental to that.

Sometimes you just have to make something solid, to feel good about what you do.

Yeah, I'm so much happier working on special projects than I am doing my daily grind for that very reason... Something about zerobasing a department budget, then creating a new budget model from scratch.... or developing a new commission structure... or creating a plan to restructure that makes me want to come back the next morning. Sorta the same thing...

The other part of the fabrication is that I could use it for my hobbies... I'd love to be able to build my own bike or do some robotics projects that I've long since given up on... Sure, I could pay someone to do it, but that's ridiculously expensive and doesn't have that same sense of accomplishment.

[fasternyou929]

Originally Posted by Gas Man

Honestly I think we need more blue collar workers... more welders, and skilled trades. But it's hard work, and oh no.... you might get dirty!! To make worse, you might not be able to wear dockers and a collared dress shirt!! And perhaps the $30/hr job won't be enough for you...

Have you seen Mike Rowe's speech on that topic, by chance?

[azoomm]

Originally Posted by fasternyou929

Have you seen Mike Rowe's speech on that topic, by chance?

I passed it around on FB a while ago... here you go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h_pp8CHEQ0

[Homeslice]

Originally Posted by Gas Man

Honestly I think we need more blue collar workers... more welders, and skilled trades. But it's hard work, and oh no.... you might get dirty!! To make worse, you might not be able to wear dockers and a collared dress shirt!! And perhaps the $30/hr job won't be enough for you...

But where is the demand for those industries? The homebuilding industry is a huge driver of blue collar jobs, but that's not going to come back until the glut of foreclosures is gone. And with offshored manufacturing, we're becoming a country that creates nothing except video games and movies.

My friend who is a plumber has 20 yrs of experience and has earned almost $150K at times, is having a hard time finding anything decent that isn't 200 miles away.

[tommymac]

Originally Posted by Homeslice

But where is the demand for those industries? The homebuilding industry is a huge driver of blue collar jobs, but that's not going to come back until the glut of foreclosures is gone. And with offshored manufacturing, we're becoming a country that creates nothing except video games and movies.

My friend who is a plumber has 20 yrs of experience and has earned almost $150K at times, is having a hard time finding anything decent that isn't 200 miles away.

Gotta think bigger, lots of infrastructure projects going on that have a demand for skilled labor. We will always need roads bridges and other things like that to be built so there will be work for soem of these guys, but its also feast or famine witht he work with guys getting laid off based on the needs of the job.