Thread: An observation on the unemplyoment rate.

Originally Posted by gugi

...I hear free market solves all, and college education has been outpacing inflation for a long time, so it's either something really worth the money, or people are voluntarily making terrible choices.

Good post. Education costs have been outpacing inflation by a long shot...precisely because the free market does not exist in the education market. Wherever government (especially the federal government) meddles, costs skyrocket and results go into the toilet. True of education, true of healthcare. I can't wait until the government takes over the market for shaving.

Yes the lack of a skilled workforce is a huge problem.

I've been machining since 85, never went to school for it and have no degree in anything. I can run the life out of an engine lathe though. Ever turn a #2-56 on a (conventional) lathe? Most every thing I do these days is CNC though.

Here's the thing. Ray is spot on, most of the kids coming out of the community college can program using Mastercam and various other programs but sorely lack in the real world knowledge it takes to make a machine sing. A lot of companies want 1 or 2 "machinists" on staff and desire to fill the majority with "operators". Load part push button, boring. There is a reason custom machined pieces can cost a small fortune, they are a bitch to make, and to do it right takes skill. To do it quickly and correctly, lots of skill. In my opinion machinists are the most underpaid trade. The rational behind this is the amount of knowledge required to do things quickly and correctly. If you are very good you understand advanced math, mechanical assembly, mechanics, some chemistry, metallurgy and basic physics. The just average, probably not so much.

We here in Washington are soon going to run into a problem. No skilled machinists to be found. If you are good you are working. This is going to be a crunch for us because Boeing just signed its biggest contract in history. Who will make the flight critical components? Well me for one, but me and those like me can not make them all. We still have medical devices and every thing else to build. There are not enough hours in the day. Not just WA though its every where.

Another problem, nobody wants to get their precious little hands dirty. Woosies. Well I don't like to get dirty either, but I like to eat and have a roof over my head. So dirty it is, don't shirk the work. The only time I have been unemployed for longer than 6 weeks was by choice, my choice. Even then it was rare and welcomed.

Because of how I was raised and am "frugal" (my Mrs. pronounces that word cheap), I can do much of what I need my self. Build an engine (never from scratch though), roof a house, build a shed, tear out a wall and replace it no big deal. Need help, call dad, (grandpa, friend, neighbor) that's how I learned. Now my daughter and son in law do the same and I am happy to help and so is his father. Not because we have to but because we value the American Spirit and our way of life.

I could go on for hours on this subject, but its bedtime

Proud to be Middle Class
Jeff

Oh yeah THERE IS NO GAP IN UNSKILLED LABOR. The gap is unemployed fools to LAZY AND UNWILLING TO GET OFF THEIR DUFFS to get out of bed and go pick apples. Our governor sent prisoners to go finish the job. The pickers made around $150 a day.

No real problem. All they have to do is file a petition and they can bring in all the machinists they want from Asia at cut-rate prices.

Brilliant points TURNMASTER. I think there are too many young people who think they are "owed" something. That or they foolishly listened to the college counseler who told them that lesbian studies of the 1960s masters degree was gonna get them far. No one wants to get dirty. GOT THAT RIGHT!!! Young folks want to do IT, electronics, video game development, bake cupcakes, make choppers or whatever else is the flavor of the week on the boob tube. There is plenty of work to be done- Retail, food, fast food, warehouse, shut downs, Military Service etc. I can assure you that all the occupy (flea party) folks could work and pay off the loans and their debts if they wanted to. They just don't. I have done all manner of work. Not bragging, but just saying. I have not liked it all, but it paid the bills. My lights stayed on, my kids were fed and I thanked God for it all.

Originally Posted by TURNMASTER

Yes the lack of a skilled workforce is a huge problem.

Originally Posted by TURNMASTER

Oh yeah THERE IS NO GAP IN UNSKILLED LABOR. *The gap is unemployed fools to LAZY AND UNWILLING TO GET OFF THEIR DUFFS to get out of bed and go pick apples. *Our governor sent prisoners to go finish the job. *The pickers made around $150 a day.

Unless you want to be consistent, and use the same standard when defining a 'gap'.

Originally Posted by TURNMASTER

A lot of companies want 1 or 2 "machinists" on staff and desire to fill the majority with "operators". Load part push button, boring.

And when they change that business model there will be more skilled machinists. This is something that depends primarily on the people with skills to run a business, not on the ones with skill to machine.

Originally Posted by TURNMASTER

In my opinion machinists are the most underpaid trade.

Or just lacking the skill to negotiate a better pay for themselves. For example, bankers generally don't seem to have this problem.

I think it's getting warm in here...Anybody else a little warm?