Nine months in trade school. Job guaranteed.

cnn.com ^ | 3/14/2012 | Parija Kavilanz

[RoosterRedux]

As millions of young Americans struggle to land jobs, students in manufacturing trade schools are sitting in a sweet spot. They're being hired even before they graduate.

Two weeks ago, students from the manufacturing program in Chicago's Wilbur Wright-Humboldt Park vocational college attended a local job fair.

"Five of our students were hired in just one day," said lead instructor Bryant Redd. The new hires are from a class of 41 students who are still four months away from completing a nine-month advanced certification program in computerized numerical control (CNC) machining. In the program, students go beyond basic machining with classes in computer design, machine shop technology and machine shop math.

Manufacturers in the Chicago area are busier than ever lately, and they're "begging" for more workers trained in advanced manufacturing skills like CNC machining, said Redd.

It's not just in Chicago. Factory work has picked up considerably nationwide, making skilled workers a valuable commodity, said Marc Smierciak, associate dean of instruction at the vocational college.

[beaversmom]

My brother worked for years as a mechanic. He got so good and fast at it he was making a lot of money. Unfortunately, that was his downfall and the shop he worked for wanted to cut costs by hiring someone with less experience and, therefore, didn't have to pay as much. He's in his 50's now and worked for Bobcat since then, but got layed off from that due to the economy--they had to close the shop. Probably because of his age and experience, he's had a tough time finding another job. Being an auto mechanic is hard work. It's hard on your body, but it was good to him financially. He was able to pay off two houses over the years and buy his last one outright. He technically doesn't have to work now, but he would love to be working again. When someone is used to being a hard worker their whole life, it makes it hard when you are forced to completely stop.

I love the blue collar/working man professions. I love our garbage men. I love it that I can call a plumber up on a Sunday night and he can fix a leaking pipe in our crawl space. I love it that my brother has the know how to put new upper and lower ball joints and control arms on our vehicle. The blue collar man (woman) makes the world go around. They add to my life unlike any college educated lefty parasite on the tax-payer i.e. the political class. God bless our country that we still have these types around; although, they seem to be somewhat of an endangered species. Hopefully, that will change.

[RoosterRedux]

Hahah!

Blue collar people as you call them are not endangered. If they disappeared, the world would collapse upon itself.

We are all blue collared to the extent we work for the love of work itself.

Without work, we die!

God bless you and your brother. Keep on keeping on!

[hinckley buzzard]

There is a lot of that kind of work going begging around Cleveland as well. Steel and auto and associated industries are hiring. But there are few qualified workers, even though many of them have been on unemployment longer than nine months.(Hint hint)

[hinckley buzzard]

Janitors and housecleaners make $20.00 hour

Good! Let them do that then. What's the big deal?

[hinckley buzzard]

I have a PHD and many years experience and my auto mechanic charges more per hour than I do. And he has lots of business. There is nothing wrong with "blue collar" work. Skilled trades with good business sense are the road to wealth in this darkening age.

[autumnraine]

Thank you!

[autumnraine]

You are the second person to tell me that exact employer and area. I see it as a sign...

Thanks!

[varyouga]

Your post also made me realize something else. When I was a kid and opened up electronics they looked like this pic. You could fix almost anything by hand and you learned electronics hands-on. There were also many more moving parts like tapes and turntables. Today's super-slim, sealed, stationary, printed electronics don't give kids a chance to learn about hardware.

Inside the ipad:

[Plumberman27]

I agree 5 years minimum in the field before they do anything. You may want to go to Utube and do a search for So you want to be an architect.

[mountn man]

My senior year of HS I had no idea of what I was going to doafterwards.

My buddy's dad took me under his wing and called me up one day. He was taking his son out to the local community college to check out their auto program. I was a young guy who liked cars, it sounded good to me.

SO I started with auto mechanics, but the teachers suggested we take welding courses to be more rounded.

I took a gas welding course and did OK. My teacher suggested I take arc welding, that is was more useful. About halfway through, a lightbulb got switched on, and my skills skyrocketed.

I ended up finishing all but one auto class, and took every welding class available.

Today, I could walk into just about any shop or factory anywhere and handle whatever welding they have.

Instead I work in the trades as a pipefitter, sometimes welding, sometimes not. I have or have held certs in 8 pipe welding skills. From mild steel to stainless to chrome. I have worked on high rises, in steel mills and nuke plants. Currently I'm at the largest construction project in the country, at the BP refinery in Whiting, In.

Providing something major and unforseen doesn't happen, crippling this country, I'll make over $100k.

Oh, by the way. I have been welding for over 30 years now and have been a pipefitter for close to 24.
I still LOVE what I do.

As far as auto goes. I don't really use it at all per se. What I do use about my education in it, is it allows me to think mechanically. To understand how things work. I can figure most things out, because I was taught to be a mechanic, and most things in my world are a form of mechanics, just not auto mechanics.

Good luck to your son.

[PapaBear3625]

One of my daughters is going to the community college to learn to be a nurse. Two years at the CC and she has her Associates in nursing and can sit for the RN license exam. Then she can go an get her BS in nursing while working as a nurse part time. After that, you can earn your MS in some specialty while you work, get your certification, and make real money.

[CatherineofAragon]

"I have a PHD and many years experience and my auto mechanic charges more per hour than I do. And he has lots of business. There is nothing wrong with "blue collar" work. Skilled trades with good business sense are the road to wealth in this darkening age."

Completely agree. Hopefully more kids, who've been coddled and indulged, will wake up to this truth and at least consider this path to success.

[petitfour]

Thank you for posting this! I will share it with my son! He wanted to take the full Welding class this year in high school, but he didn’t have time in his schedule. One of his Auto teachers has been making him learn welding as a part of that class. What my husband loves about what our son has done so far in high school is son’s ability to take a broken metal part of a piece of furniture or whatever and to remake the broken part. Hubby’s office chair broke, and I was all for going out and purchasing a new one. Instead, hubby made our son take it apart and find the broken part. He asked son if son could make a new part. Son said he could. I am sitting in that chair now, and it’s almost as good as new. It also helps that our son is respected by the Auto, Metals, and Welding teachers. They allow him to do whatever he asks to do. He is very fortunate to be in a school that has so many programs on campus that train these skills. His biggest beef with Metals and Welding classes is that they go sooooo slow for him.

[Aria]

Thanks for posting! I have given this article to my co-worker for her stepson - who would never make it through college and I am giving this to an 18 year old girl I am mentoring. Her fiancee is working as a cook at Red Robin and if he takes this article seriously it could really impact their lives. They’re both trying to climb out of a bad background.

This is very practical information.

[RoosterRedux]

Good to hear, Aria! Best of luck to the girl you are mentoring and friend's stepson!

It's also a great way for college bound kids to pay for their college. My brother worked his way through college (he had previously blown the money my father had set aside). He graduated with good grades (totally out of character) and NO debt...and because he was 25 before he graduated, he was more mature.