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Manufacturing Jobs Aren't 'Cool' Enough For Kids Today

Is the labor shortage in manufacturing part of an image problem?

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by Dain Fitzgerald

Staff Writer t

Image: oreilly-depalma.com

It's an honest day's work. So what. Kids today don't want just any job - they want a cool job.

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Is it essential that more young people become interested in a career in manufacturing?

Comments (view in Forum)

  • u
    seedtick
    !
    Well, I don't see it that way...they line up for manufacturing jobs where I live. One problem in high schools today is the lack of proper counseling for students who won't go to college. Counselors tend to ignore anyone who is not going to college...they don't seem to understand (or care) what these kids need. Tradidionally, these kids go into the military, retail jobs, construction work, or manufacturing. And, they become good honest hard working citizens who pay their own way and contribute to our nation in a positive way. It is quite alright to encourage all high schoolers to attend college. But, you don't just kick them out the door on graduation day without proper counceling because they don't want to go.
  • Fishbone345
    !
    "Don't want to go"? A lot of these kids you seem to think are choosing, can't go because of how pricey higher education is now.
  • u
    seedtick
    !
    @Fishbone345 Yeah...but they do not all WANT to. Those who cannot go because they cannot afford it have the option of government grants or loans. They can go to technical school. I made the earlier statement because I know something about it. I sat on an industrial advisory board for a local technical institute. Local industries paid for many scholarships there each year and students who excelled could earn a scholarship to our sponsoring university. We had jobs programs for those who wanted them. The biggest problem was getting counselors to tell students about it. Many of them had parents who did not care one way or the other. Many parents just wanted them out working after high school and did not encourage them to attend college or technical school. So, try to twist it anyway you wish, but not all kids WANT to go to college when they leave high school.
  • Takosan
    !
    Someone please explain to me that if we have have a shortage of jobs, why is it that all of the foreign people in our country are working, legal or illegal? I have not talked to one illegal latino that is not working..just saying
  • u
    tomincali
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    i search for the answer yet could not find anything other than how good it is to hire immigrants instead of citizens. it seems some see it as the immigrants both legal and illegal are more deserving of employement.

    congress must see it this way too being they will bring in another million immigrants to put into our job market.so it seems all are for helping other more deserving folks than their own fellow citizens.

    is there some kind of kick backs for hiring other than citizens?
  • u
    Lorth
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    Many times the legal or illegal immigrant will work circles around the citizen. Why? That's easy - the immigrant is making 10 or 20 or 50 times what he would be making in his own country. How much harder would you be willing to work for a ten or fifty fold increase in pay?
  • marine1
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    @Lorth chances are a good american bread and born person would figure, the less he does at work the more people someone will have to hire to help get the job done??
  • Takosan
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    It is my opinion that 1. immigrants really want the jobs. 2. they will work for cheaper wages. 3. in most cases they do a better job.

  • View all 6 replies >

  • VVP
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    Well of course they want something cool. They were promised from birth that they were special and able to do anything if they put their mind to it and all doors would be open.

    So why on earth would they be excited about pumping gas, making burgers, or assembly line work? Thats for people in Mexico, Tawain or China making 20c an hour amirite?

    In all seriousness... That is exactly why this is. That is also why many kids are too lazy to work, They cant find work in something cool, so they dont want to do anything that isnt. They were promised, can you really blame them for expecting the world to deliver what their parents wrongfully promised them?
  • Post Removed by Moderators
  • o
    Stratton
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    I bet a manufacturing job will seem cool when they find themselves unemployed with two kids, in debt and unable to put food on the table.
  • u
    tomincali
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    ca schools have been pushing kids away from manual labor for some time now. taking out shop class and replacing them with computer class,leaving those who like manual labor out of all things unless they take a class outside of school.
  • u
    DrMoonshine
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    You realize the computer industry was what kept us afloat during recession in the 90s right? It's also what's keeping us up right now. If you want a manufacturing economy, you have to step back a few more decades.
  • u
    tomincali
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    @DrMoonshine you realize that manual labor put us at the top before computers came into play right. you know what the baby boomers did before that made the country what it was until what is starting to look like now. our kids need to be taught in school other things besides computers,don't get me wrong computers have their place,yet not all are cut out to sit at a desk.

    ok look at our schools gpa's before the computer age,the world at their finger tips and still worst than before.
  • u
    DrMoonshine
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    @tomincali You just repeated what I said. "A few decades back". Anyway, that has nothing to do with baby boomer's lack of parenting skill. A person can have all the opportunities at their fingertips, but that doesn't change the person. All our foreign legal immigrants are doing well though, and using all the opportunities at their disposal.
  • u
    tomincali
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    @DrMoonshine the immigrants are doing so good do to some sort of special treatment. thing is we need to stop it all for awhile. did you know congress brings in around 75,000 a month? and out of those quite a few go right into the welfare rolls,besides the special schools we have built just for them,at least here in ca.

    it is not bad parenting. even fast foods are turning kids down for jobs with good grades and attendance,yet hire someone fresh here. the media refuses to show that side of the deal so all who do not know personally have to take the word of msm. when a citizen is passed over for fast food jobs something is wrong.

  • View all 12 replies >

  • o
    ibcingu
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    Yah, because they're a bunch of lazy little shits. They're the ones who are gonna want to live off the government. Want to be able to stay home & live in their "gamer" world instead of the real world.
  • u
    Cheenoguy
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    Nobody grows up dreaming about working in a factory. Right out of school most of are hopeful for our future. I avoided a real trade those first few years and chose not to work in a factory. I eventually started a career I didn't want when the time was right.
    One thing I have noticed is that many if the manufacturing jobs around here pay minimum wage or near it. There is also little opportunity for advancement. So what is the motivation to take one of these jobs when McDonalds pays almost as much and is easier?
  • u
    DrMoonshine
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    But minimum wage jobs are for people who didn't do well in school or lack aspiration to become something. That's like asking an aspiring engineer if they would rather be the receptionist at the front of the office building. You don't know these kids personally, don't put your failures on them.
  • u
    DrMoonshine
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    Many may laugh at someone pursuing a history degree. I know I do at times. But if it's something they really want to do with their life, they'd spend every ounce of energy to get there. During college they would write letters to other historians, inquire history professors from other college, study abroad to investigate, and make as many connections as they can in their field. But the typical graduate does nothing special in particular. Just does the coursework, graduate, and complain on why they can't find a job with a degree they never emerge themself into. Applies with a lot of majors. These people can only blame themselves.
  • Keyjo
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    OJT.
    Good Pay.
    Good Benefits Packages.
    Things once associated with manufacturing jobs when unions had some teeth.
    Is it the kids who want a free ride, or the manufacturers?
  • Pragmatist
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    I thought the article mention that over half a million jobs in manufacturing have gone unfulfilled. Where are those jobs and why aren't other people trying to get them?
  • Pragmatist
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    @Keyjo I see, so they require a college education and/or technical school training? Fading are the days when you could fumble your way through high school and still earn a "acceptable" (?) living doing straight manual labor (like coal mining)
  • Keyjo
    !
    @Pragmatist
    Pretty much. Today an Associate's Degree isn't even hardly the paper it's printed on. A highschool diploma isn't anything. This why I believe that free public education should extend to four years of college or technical school.
    That's what most free world nation's already do. That is why Europe has so far surpassed the United States in educational and social rankings. Asia has too surpassed the U.S. scholasticly.
  • Blknred
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    Alot of the youth are lazy and don't know how to manage their finances.most of the younger people we get don't last more than a couple of months.
  • Decent-Dissent
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    I have one of these, and on a given day i have 2 thoughts
    1- monkeys could do this job, if you gave them ciggarrets.
    2- remember the Jetsons where everything was made by robots? I have bever fealt more robotic.
  • Rocker
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    I've been in manufacturing for 40 years in almost every level, starting out sweeping floors (back when that was a job) for $2.35 an hour, progressing thru Tool and Die, Engineering, and now management.

    Personally, I really don't think it's a question of cool or not.
    It boils down to physical labor and they just aren't motivated enough to put forth the effort.
    I started to put a "for less than <wage value> " in there behind the 'effort' but I don't think money even affects the concept of 'work'.
  • u
    Faceman
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    in my book its a 50/50 fault.the parents are at fault because they spoil there kids with every thing they want and dont make them earn it. on the other hand the schools should have more technical programs like what i had i took auto mechanics and my school also offered wood working welding ag science auto body work and so on.if more schools would offer these types of classes even as early as 6th grade
  • u
    Jayden
    !
    Engineering is the highest educated lowest paid job in the nation.The fact is you can go to school and learn half as much but make more as a plumber.It all comes down to choice and without any certification required by law to do the job employers can just hire who they please for less and in many cases illegals which drag wages down further by simply having the choice.It consistently shows through every career choice that knowledge or college degree means very little in the U.S. and that unless the job is secured or shielded by law in some way it will be low pay or off to China.But i love these articles that avoid discussing the true problem and try to say it's simply a perception or a cool factor with kids today that's the problem b/c they don't really want to talk about the real problem.It would blow the lid off the fact that college degrees are actually worthless and not the reason anyone earns more money in America.
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