Good help is hard to find

[procraftmike]

Sad state of affairs when A young person has to go to college to get a degree in metal fabrication and welding. Now the kid is stuck with $40,00 in financial aid? debt he will make payments on for 30 years. Hell of a good start in life. Whatever happened to trade schools that taught those skills. Oh, ya, congrats to your son for turning his life around!

Actually, it is a trade school, but they call it college these days, a technical college....lol. His first semester is just under $2500. I put away money each month for both of my boys since they were very small. A small amount over 15-18 years adds up. I am happy that he is putting it to use...

But I agree, if I had to do a 4 year college all over again at today's cost, I very well might take a different path. Some of the debt these kids are accumulating with college these days is insane...with no real guarantee that they will make that much more than someone with less education.

It's a different world now than when I grew up...both school wise and work ethic wise.

 

[BigRed57]

I myself am only 33 years young. I work in a paper mill and have seen first hand what you guys are saying. We had a guy come in last year on a bet with his friends that he could get a Job at our mill. Our guys make $24 an hour in the first year on up into $40+ an hour after 15 years. Guy comes in and bitches because he didn't get to eat lunch for a day or two. Told him that's how it is sometimes and sometimes you can take 1.5 hr lunch. Then he says his time is worth more than what he makes. Keep in mind we take in some with only a HS edumacation. He left and laughed saying good luck to us all. Others have come in and you try to explain a process every way you can to make them understand it day after day. Then a week later they are like....I still don't understand. These young people are killing me! Like y'all have said...they think they are entitled to something and worth $100k a year when the truth is they aren't worth $8 an hour. I went to a trade school and got myself a Machine Tool & Die degree. I also have a welding certificate. I do not claim to know everything and I will always take advice to learn more from a lifetime machinist or welder. They can sometimes show me in ten minutes what I have struggled with all my life and say hey that's easy....all you have to do is this,....RESPECT YOUR ELDERS KIDS.....WITH AGE COMES WISDOM

 

[Tooljunkie]

I had many jobs/employers in my lifetime. I learned you dont need to give a shyte to do quality work. i care about the work i do, i just didnt give much concern for the people i worked with. The taking time off or not working a full 40 hours, ever. 13 days off in 3 years (including ilness) and no raise, not one dime. And he is still pissed cause i walked away.
That was 12 years ago.
My parts supplier just bought another store, looking for decent help, a couple dollars above minimun wage. Not a single bite.

There is one young fella i know, wouldnt say crap if he had a mouthful, wouldnt know he owned a cel phone and would jump at the oppurtunity if i offered him a job. He spends time in my shop helping just for the experience, in exchange i repaired his truck. Great kid. Only one i know.

I wish it was easy, its not.
Good truck drivers are already employed. Guess it goes for all employees.

 

[Daren Todd]

I had this kid once, he was pretty sharp and was able to tackle smaller fixes I didn't want to have to deal with like working on automatic faucets. Started out real well, then I couldn't keep the kid awake! As soon as he got in the truck in the morning, boom he was passed out. No problem....quick jerk of the wheel and his head smashing off the door window and he was up...hey did you see that deer kid?!?

Well he decided to fall asleep under the counter! No prob bob.... Found a nice piece of sheet metal and a good piece of 2x and banged on that metal right next to his head like I was in the blue man group .
Christ...I used to drink with the best of them at his age every night, make it to work on time, and be productive. Hell, I had to so I had beer money! Kids are too soft today

Used to turn the heat on high, blasting full tilt. Would aim the duct towards there crotch, and shut off all the rest of the vents when someone fell to sleep in a vehicle Used to catch the occasion rumble strip. And the quick swerve was always a must. Bloody turkeys everywhere

Used to play drums with a couple hammers to the steel work bench when they were hung over, and even better when they are trying to nap That ping next to there head will rattle there teeth Can't imagine what it feels like hung over

Managed to pull off the shaving cream trick except we substituted old nasty axle grease instead. Had his head on a work bench and kept swatting Flys. We waited till he started snoring and then slipped the grease in his hand If we weren't at work, there would have been a video on YouTube That one was priceless