Same here - and if they can somehow manage to pass the basic math test, good luck finding some that can pass a drug test or background check.
It’s hard enough filling the general labor positions, let alone the ones that call for any kind of specific technical skill. Industrial Maintenance, Electrical Technician, any type of Mechanical or Electrical Engineering...it’s a dry market finding those types of candidates in this area. For every one solid Engineer, there’s 3 positions for them to choose from, so I have to be very competitive in order to ‘win’ them to our company.
For every technical/engineering ad I place, probably 80% of the responses are from foreign nationals living in the US on student visas, looking for sponsorship. 10% of the remaining 20% don’t have the skills/experience/education qualifications.
Johnny and Susie just aren’t taking technical classes at school anymore it seems. They’re more interested in being Psychology/History/Sociology/Music Theory/Whatever majors. The foreign students are the ones taking all the heavy science classes. If we sponsor an H1B visa candidate, they make the same wage as their US Citizen counterpart, and chances are they have advanced education beyond BS degree. In most cases, they work their guts out and are grateful for the work.
I find it interesting here on FreeRepublic (and in life in general) that the loudest "bring back American jobs" clamoring always seems to come from people who don't run businesses and have never hired anyone. And the reality check about the quality of American workers comes from the business owner who can't find Americans who are capable and willing to work in the American jobs that are out there.