Posted on 06/29/2010 5:10:15 PM PDT by Kaslin
When did "blue collar" become a dirty word in America? Right about the same time America gave up its position as the world's producer and instead became the world's most conspicuous consumer.
That's not to bash free enterprise; we need to purchase and consume. But this cultural shift has created an "industrial tsunami" that threatens our free enterprise system.
America faces a crisis of epic proportions. The U.S. Department of Labor forecasts that by 2012, there will be a shortfall of nearly 3 million skilled worker positions in America. The average age of skilled workers in many trades is 54-56 years old, and as this veteran group retires, there are not enough trained workers to replace them. Today's shortage sharply reduces the growth of U.S. gross domestic product — certainly not a help in the current economy.
As I've traveled the nation and met with business owners, I hear the same story. Employers are desperate for skilled workers to fill essential jobs. Many say privately that their companies may have to close or move operations to another country because of this shortage — despite the offer of good pay and benefits. We're experiencing the loss of the once-vaunted production edge that America enjoyed.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
Yep. Too often we see industries lamenting the lack of skilled tradesmen yet they act as if having access to these workers is their God given right.
It's disturbing to see our modern captains of industry whine and cry over an unskilled labor pool.
The vast majority of public schools aren't suited to give them the employees they want. So who does that leave to offer the training?
They expect a skilled craftsman to pop up out of the ground like a mushroom just because they offer the position.
These crybabies are the same as a kid with a BS in Art History who think they've earned a $100k entry level position.
And these largely union free States provide an example of the extreme opposite example of a heavily unionized state.
Down here in the South, the Right to Work is a great concept - however the trades labor pool has been overwhelmed by a tsunami of Spanish speaking only criminals.
Our remaining manufacturing plants are packed to the rafters with illegal aliens.
Low wages, discrimination and dangerous working conditions become accepted.
And these largely union free States provide an example of the extreme opposite example of a heavily unionized state.
It would also help if young American males had fathers, brothers, uncles, cousins and their peers working in these trades.
They have to be exposed to the reality of hard, dirty physical work - and of potentially high wages.
Otherwise, what's on offer is clowning around in the service industry serving food and booze.
I have to wonder what they are calling “good pay and benefits”.
A couple of years ago a friend of mine, who’s a shift manager at a large bakery, told me how they couldn’t get competent technicians for the equipment in his plant. I’m qualified to do that job, so I asked him what they were paying. “$8.00 an hour,” he said. He wasn’t talking about raw trainees, either. This company expected experienced maintenance techs to work for this ridiculous wage.
Its not just the cost of training (which is substantial), but also the “risk” that the trainee will not work out or leave after getting ~$100K worth of training or so. Then the company has to start from scratch and time has been wasted—and you still have the same risk on the next guy. Its psychologically easier to wish that the right person will show up with the right training. And, when it doesn’t happen, they whine.
I have some sympathy. These companies are in a tough spot. Prior to the 70s, the “risk” part of the equation was a lot lower. But those people are likely retiring now—without replacements.
That is not completely true. I spent three days last week with a company that fabricates steel. They need people that are certified welders and to operate the fabrication machinery. They manufacture a unique product with sales world wide.
The problem is that young guys either won’t pass the drug test or don’t come to work or both. This is pretty much epidemic.
The hiring process requires substantial expenditures that are essentially wasted when the project schedule is trashed because employees decide not to come in. The abuse of prescription drugs puts everyone at risk. A drugged forklift driver can hurt his co workers bad in the blink of an eye.
Or sitting in a cube surfing the net, going to some meetings, sending some emails. We’re on our second generation of video game kids, too. People increasingly choose the virtual world over the real one. The trades require real world skill and demand results that are measurable. In the corporate world, just being able to sling some BS will do. Just look at our president.
At least you admit it...
There are lots of people right on this site, that are in denial, and like to think this illegal invasion has still only affected the southwest....
Those of us that have traveled and have friends throughout the country, know better than that.
At what school did your nephew get his auto/motorcycle training, if you can recall?
One would think that after the devastation of slavery, Civil War and Reconstruction that Southerners would understand the consequences of illegal, immoral labor.
Huckabee is a prime example.
The problem is that young guys either won’t pass the drug test or don’t come to work or both. This is pretty much epidemic.
These males - who are expected to run dangerous machinery and produce a quality product have been subjected to decades of worthless, feminized schools.
It’s time to start bitching about that instead of the congregants.
Back in the 70’s my sister and her boyfriend had just come off the Alaskan Pipeline as pipefitter welders and the new boom was nuke plants. I was about to graduate from HS so I checked in to it and decided to go to welding school that in those days was nationally known for turning out “slick” pipe welders. After graduating I went to Local Union of Plumbers & Steamfitters and went right to work. At that time in June of 1979 our base wage was $16.64/hr..
As much as I hated the union the additional level of training that we received was excellent if you applied yourself. Unfortunately not everyone did because afterall it was a union and all you had to really have to go to work was warm blood flowing through your veins. There in lay the problem, those with demonstrable skills making the same as those who couldn’t care less because the money was the same.
To answer your question about wages when I left the union in the 90’s we were up to $34/hour and now they are in the mid $40’s...
There's a few billion people outside of our borders who will be glad to take that generous wage.
The Stupid Party is hand in hand with the Domestic Communists to ensure that wage scale.
“It’s disturbing to see our modern captains of industry whine and cry over an unskilled labor pool.”
I know I’ve heard them complain that US schools are turning out people who are too dumb to even be trained to do skilled labor. I find that very believable.
That's interesting. It looks like welder's pay might have kept pace with inflation, but it's hard to understand how a shortage of 500,000 could have developed. Often these days, the stories about shortages in skilled jobs are nothing but a justification to bring in more cheaper foreign workers.
Unions have served some good purposes in the past, but the ones I've dealt with, one of their main activities these days seemed to be giving the slackers and problem employees something to hide behind.
They had better get some reps in the schools if they're expecting a different result.
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