really???

[BigH]

Originally Posted by 5picker

There is no doubt we are not teaching the younger generation vocational skill sets.
Many programs have gone away from our schools and many parents seem to be too busy with their own lives to teach their children.

With that said, this isn't anything new.
I am simply amazed at the number of daily posts on this forum (and others) where someone has no clue about a basic problem/repair.

Originally Posted by Scrapper

I agree with 5picker. I graduated HS in '72, my youngest brother graduated in '80. The HS we went to had the following courses.

Electronics and electrical (5 courses).
Metals shop, metal fabrication, gas and ac/dc welding (6 courses).
Drawing and drafting (2 courses in drafting).
Auto maintenance and auto mechanics (6 courses - maintenance, auto electronics, engine mechanics 1 & 2, manual transmissions, automatic transmissions).
Wood shop & cabinet making, (3 courses).

Advanced cabinet making (the 3rd course) students went to my uncle's cabinet making shop next door to the HS.

Students in metal fabrication and auto mechanics classes went to a separate building to maintain school buses and work on their own cars/trucks.

Metal fabrication classes built a greenhouse when I was in electricity class, my electricity class wired the greenhouse. In my junior year I was a student aid & my senior year I was a lab/teaching assistant.

To get to the point, those courses are no longer taught in that HS. The greenhouse is gone and the auto mechanic building is used for storage for the school board members, in other words full of personal junk.

It's a shame. That HS had the highest ranking in the state for vocational skills courses.

I've worked in the electrical/mechanical/maintenance/cnc/fabrication/plc/etc area my entire life and the large well paying company I work for has a heck of time finding replacements as my piers retire. We contacted a local tech school trying to find new recruits and was told the classes are now a small fraction of the size they used to be and the few students taking the 'hands on classes' take them to polish their resume, fill a requirement or are taking the course for their current employer.

After several months (on several different occasions over the last several years) of searching to no avail we actually resorted to hiring people way underqualified and are training them ourselves...nothing wrong with that but the time of investment getting someone up to speed is a significant gamble and its not paying off. -The first smart kid we tried this on is leaving to be a programmer as soon as he finishes his classes. My company has actually had meetings at the director level to combat this issue...

I guess I'm out of touch but it blows my mind that a job paying the starting salary we are offering can't get any young talent. We do get some applicants that are nearing the last decade of their working life but the work history of job hopping for the last decade is just the first red flag before the interview. We have picked up a couple good folks in that age group that their company was moving/going out of business/or something...but no eager youth...the young workforce has better things to do.

Of course we pay attention to other companies adds for people of this skill set and demand is very high so its not just my company. I wonder if more specific tech fields are having the same issue...plumbers/electricians and such?

One thing is for sure...you either do things yourself or you pay to have things done for you and the percentage choosing the later is on the increase.

[Chrisc40]

"We do get some applicants that are nearing the last decade of their working life but the work history of job hopping for the last decade is just the first red flag before the interview. We have picked up a couple good folks in that age group that their company was moving/going out of business/or something...but no eager youth."

Sounds to me like your company needs to realize what the score is i.e. older workers "a couple" and youth ZERO.

If your company stopped looking specifically for "youth" and followed the equal employment opportunity they are supposed to they might find more workers. They'd also stopped contributing to ageism which is a good thing.

[TheWolfPaq82]

I taught my kids to drive, but not one of them was allowed to take the test for their license until they could change a tire, fill the tank at the pump or with a can...in case they forgot to go to pump. My daughter was the first to have a flat and she changed it while her boyfriend stood there with this shocked look on his face. (he didn't know how to do it)

[Chrisc40]

Originally Posted by TheWolfPaq82

I taught my kids to drive, but not one of them was allowed to take the test for their license until they could change a tire, fill the tank at the pump or with a can...in case they forgot to go to pump. My daughter was the first to have a flat and she changed it while her boyfriend stood there with this shocked look on his face. (he didn't know how to do it)

So he just stood there and did nothing? If so that's wrong on so many different levels...

[timfromma]

I divorced my kids' mother when they were very young (5 years and 2 years). With the exception of a few weekends and holidays, I missed most of their childhood. My kids are adults now (23 and 21) but the number of, what I consider to be basic skills that they do not possess is staggering. I do my best to fill in the gaps as much as I can but it's hard since I don't see the too often. Had they spent more of their time with me growing up, I like to think things would have turned out differently.

[BigH]

Originally Posted by Chrisc40

...

If your company stopped looking specifically for "youth" and followed the equal employment opportunity they are supposed to they might find more workers. They'd also stopped contributing to ageism which is a good thing.

I'll quote myself for you "We have picked up a couple good folks in that age group that their company was moving/going out of business/or something...but no eager youth...the young workforce has better things to do."

What part of this topic (which is about the youth of today) did you not understand as it related to my post?

I'm sorry you had trouble understanding...My company will hire anyone qualified without red flags in their resume/references but reading and comprehension is required. You're out...

[Chrisc40]

Originally Posted by BigH

I'll quote myself for you "We have picked up a couple good folks in that age group that their company was moving/going out of business/or something...but no eager youth...the young workforce has better things to do."

What part of this topic (which is about the youth of today) did you not understand as it related to my post?

I'm sorry you had trouble understanding...My company will hire anyone qualified without red flags in their resume/references but reading and comprehension is required. You're out...

Guess I hit a nerve. Nothing to get me excited about to go further into discussing it.

[spock123]

Originally Posted by timfromma

I divorced my kids' mother when they were very young (5 years and 2 years). With the exception of a few weekends and holidays, I missed most of their childhood. My kids are adults now (23 and 21) but the number of, what I consider to be basic skills that they do not possess is staggering. I do my best to fill in the gaps as much as I can but it's hard since I don't see the too often. Had they spent more of their time with me growing up, I like to think things would have turned out differently.

There is no way in gods green earth I could ever leave my kids, if there was no other way I would be there every other weekend. I would spend every dime I had to fight for custody of my kids. With that being said I can change a flat tire but first rodeside assistant would turn me down.

[timfromma]

Originally Posted by spock123

There is no way in gods green earth I could ever leave my kids, if there was no other way I would be there every other weekend. I would spend every dime I had to fight for custody of my kids. With that being said I can change a flat tire but first rodeside assistant would turn me down.

Unless you can PROVE that mom is unfit, there is no way you would ever get custody. Trust me on this.

[Cypressloser]

I grew up on the farm and lived there all my life, changing and fixing tires was an everyday task and my kids learned by watching. They mastered 13 speed Eaton transmissions before they had their learners license.

My youngest son drove his 6 speed Golf Diesel on his road test, the examiner freaked out when she saw him floating gears and not using the clutch .He bought his 1st house at 21, didn't spend a dime on trades he did all the work by himself except furnace and some electrical.

My youngest daughter is the opposite, she also learned many skills as a kid but now she needs help adjusting the thermostat (especially down), and thinks driving with a flat is no biggy and oil changes are optional.

[Scrapper]

BigH, The company I worked for would have you sign a contract before sending you to training saying you would stay there for at least 5 yrs after you graduated the training course. If you stayed for just 5 years then got fired or quit to go somewhere else they made you sign a paper that you would not take a job that utilized the same type of training. You could get around the stipulation by staying for 10 years.

[spock123]

Originally Posted by timfromma

Unless you can PROVE that mom is unfit, there is no way you would ever get custody. Trust me on this.

I would fight to spend more time with my kids. Mom would stay in court. I am in a bad situation right now and I’m building my war chest, not with wife. I may not win but at the end of the day there are going to know they have been in a fight.

[davel1971]

My son would jump start his buddies all the time a few years ago when still in school. He couldn't even get anyone to hold one end of the jumper cables. Scared they would get shocked.

[Seasonal]

Any winterization thread here seems to point out how handy most people are, in general these days. The funniest comment that I read this year was "I don't have to winterize my RV because my dealer did it before it was delivered in spring.".

I think about the people that I work with and the ones that have children. Often, they themselves are not too handy. Seem to pay for everything and don't even own a screwdriver. It wouldn't be possible for them to help their children like my father helped me because they are not handy.

[timfromma]

Originally Posted by spock123

I would fight to spend more time with my kids. Mom would stay in court. I am in a bad situation right now and I’m building my war chest, not with wife. I may not win but at the end of the day there are going to know they have been in a fight.

I wish you all the best and hope all turns out ok.

[asquared]

This thread has run its course and has been wandering off topic a few times. The site team is closing it down.