Wanted: Blue-Collar Workers - Who will power America’s new industrial revolution?

City Journal ^ | Autumn 2011 | Joel Kotkin

[Evergolightly]

I am amazed at the work ethic of the young college grads I have hired. They really feel a job is simply an unnecessary requirement to their providing themselves liesure time.

Getting in before 8 and staying past 5 is a major inconvenience to them.

[Evergolightly]

Where is the opportunist who runs and RV dealership who can trundle a few hundred up their and start camps to lease out?

That is the American way!

Opportunity knocks!!!!

[mo]

The story of American jobs and labor is deeply intertwined with predatory Federal, state and local taxation and regulation....

South Koreans sleep soundly on their border with NORKS because of American Taxpayer dollars and the American GI.

Why can’t Texans, New Mexicans, Arizonans and Californians?....BECAUSE

Illegal immigration is THE KEY to the perpetuation of the status quo in DC......

Predatory tax and regulatory policies-actions that basically serve to perpetuate and grow governments-leave what business is left in the country seeking disposable labor.

Illegal Labor is the Feds out for preserving the status quo regarding Taxes and Regulation. Interestingly, that is WHY the Feds encourage in-state tuition etc for illegals under-the-table -their presence providing disposable labor allows Federal, State and local regulatory and tax excess in the status quo to continue

[ExCTCitizen]

Pings for later.

[caltaxed]

The article is spot on. We do subcontract machining and welding, and the large machine shops are at full capacity now. The most common complaint is that none of these shops can find any talented machinists.

It takes about ten years to become a journeyman machinist and the work is stressful, demanding and not many people are successful at it.

Most successful machinists start at an earlier age, as it requires a high level of discipline which needs to be forced into a younger man's ego.

[smalltownslick]

“At our plant, you have lots of people with 20 to 30 years’ experience,” says Kirk, who has three high-skill openings that he can’t fill. “But there’s no apprenticeship program—no way to fill the future growth. We are simply running out of people.”

The obvious is staring her right in the face. Start one NOW while those highly skilled people are still there.

[Roccus]

The most common complaint is that none of these shops can find any talented machinists.

...and near the end of the article is the money quote that explains why

“But there’s no apprenticeship program—no way to fill the future growth."

[Roccus]

Heh-heh. Got inturrupted by a phone call between finishing my comment and clicking “post” and you jumped right in..GMTA

[smalltownslick]

Didn’t mean to do that!! :)

[Reeses]

Here in Seattle, ONE THIRD of computer programmers are foreign born.

Here in NJ it's about 90% Indians in IT. Most Americans and Asians have been pushed out by third world labor at half the price. Did you know the average IQ in India is 80, lower than Arab countries? The Indians here average around 110 my guess, so India must be exporting half their brains.

We're at a low in the business cycle. What happens during the next boom once Barky is evicted? There won't be many Americans that know how to do current technologies. They will be able to name their price.

Windows 7 is a mishmash of crap. How does Apple produce a much better user experience with fewer programmers? I doubt they hire so many half-priced imports.

[Elsie]

...half the price.

[Elsie]

...half the price.

Just doin' the work that Americans won't do.

[Elsie]

...so India must be exporting half their brains.

But there are 1 BILLION of them, and only 350,000,000 of us!

(There'd be more; but it wasn't convenient.)

[Mygirlsmom]

A good part of the US population has simply dropped out. I know firms that simply can not find enough young people who can read, don’t do drugs, are willing to learn something new, and will show up on time. Its surprising the amount of people who can’t manage even that.

It goes even further....MGD's company just fired an engineer, a fairly young, but established recent hire within the last 9 months. The guy is married, just bought a house. Failed his random "whiz quiz".

This guy should have known better than to be so stupid.

[Mygirlsmom]

Start (an apprenticeship program) NOW while those highly skilled people are still there.

Easier said than done. Many young people lack the motivation and foresight to be able to successfully complete an apprenticeship, which starts out at a relatively low rate of pay. They come in, work for a few days and then say, "This is too hard and too messy. Why should I work so hard when I can make more on unemployment?"

[familyop]

"But things look very different to Karen Wright, the CEO of Ariel Corporation in Mount Vernon, Ohio. Wright’s biggest problem isn’t a lack of work; it’s a lack of skilled workers."

Wrong. Liars. There will be much more manufacturing in the USA again, after we have new blood in business, academia and politics. Starve the B, and see ya'll on the other side of the slide.

It's only against the law and the intents of our leadership for men to start new manufacturing businesses for a short while. Let's see who the real survivors of this economy will be first.

[hinckley buzzard]

Medina County Ohio, a pleasant and growing area outside Cleveland, has a shortage of welders, machinists, and truck drivers. Unemployment under 6% and employers can't find enough workers. In the old days the workers would find the jobs, but this is 2011. Apparently there are no blue collar unemployed any more.

[familyop]

"A new hire in this position must have knowledge of programming, metallurgy, cutting-tool technology, geometry, drafting, and engineering."

As a machine op. LOL! Liars.

"Today’s factory worker is less Joe Six-Pack and more Renaissance man."

That's the reason for the lies. No straight men allowed. Only homosexuals need apply.

[RipSawyer]

“I blame the failed ‘everybody must have a college degree”...
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It really is absurd the way college has been devalued. A bachelor of arts is now equivalent to maybe a REAL eighth grade education. I have not met a recent graduate of our local university who could hold his own with a “C” average high school graduate of the 1950’s era. That school is cranking out history majors who literally could not pass a test to ENTER a 1955 era public high school here. I went to a graduation ceremony in ‘06 and it seemed as if ninety percent of those receiving degrees were graduating with “high honors”.

[steve8714]

Here are the skills most lacking; Read and write at the level needed for modern industrial production, get to work unimpaired on time every day, and work in the group without causing upset. That’s all I look for in my temporary business, and these skills are uncommon indeed.