pyotr filipivich writes:

Other issues are the general perception that there is no demand for
machinists or other skilled workers: the US is a service based economy and
outsourceing everything that merely deals with real goods (like
transforming raw material into finished goods.)

A few years ago I read somewhere that the total number of jobs in
the skilled metal trades is still declining, but the number of
people entering those trades is declining *faster*, which causes
temporary labor shortages. But the decline continues.

There is a catch 22 at work here, there aren't enough machinists
available, so work is sent overseas, there aren't any jobs for machinists,
so why train to become one?

I'd be surprised if there weren't enough machinists around here
(Milwaukee). It sounds like Seattle is in a similar situation.
I think you could find people to train if the jobs were there.
A lot of tech schools were started for exactly that reason, back
when there were jobs to be had (now they're starting fly-by-night
computer schools for the same reason).

I just spent two and half years to complete the two year machine
technology program at Renton. [hey, I finished a four year bachelor's
program in six.] Now I'm ready to start the long road to competency, aka
"job experience". Ghods willing, I can get a journeyman's card in four
years, which will leave me fifteen years to build up a nest egg so that I
can retire at 70.

I'm just a few years younger than you, and I've considered doing
something like that. What makes you think those jobs will be
here for another 15 years?

(Someone else mentioned being able to work "anywhere in the
country"-- maybe part of the trick is to move to a city that's
not exporting jobs like crazy...)