Everybody Wants To Go To College; Nobody Wants To Be A Plumber
and so we have a scarcity of skilled blue collar people. In this
area, you can wait up to 6 months for stump grinding, asphalt paving, spot welding, masonry repair, painting, etc. More often than not, messages requesting estimates are ignored. You gotta damn near beg people to work for you. |
The people that go home the dirtiest are the happiest!
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and so we have a scarcity of skilled blue collar people. In this
area, you can wait up to 6 months for stump grinding, asphalt paving, spot welding, masonry repair, painting, etc Painting, really?? What area would this be in? Any place with a shortage of latinos |
"BroJack" wrote in message ... and so we have a scarcity of skilled blue collar people. In this area, you can wait up to 6 months for stump grinding, asphalt paving, spot welding, masonry repair, painting, etc. More often than not, messages requesting estimates are ignored. You gotta damn near beg people to work for you. Painting, really?? What area would this be in? |
Offer to pay them enough and they will.
Supply and demand, demand and supply. "BroJack" wrote in message ... and so we have a scarcity of skilled blue collar people. In this area, you can wait up to 6 months for stump grinding, asphalt paving, spot welding, masonry repair, painting, etc. More often than not, messages requesting estimates are ignored. You gotta damn near beg people to work for you. |
"BroJack" wrote in message ... and so we have a scarcity of skilled blue collar people. In this area, you can wait up to 6 months for stump grinding, asphalt paving, spot welding, masonry repair, painting, etc. More often than not, messages requesting estimates are ignored. You gotta damn near beg people to work for you. I know a few plumbers, electricians, etc. The good ones make a good living and have no lack of work. I know plenty of white collar workers that are laid off. If you want to learn a trade, you have a living for life. Ed |
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"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message m... "BroJack" wrote in message ... and so we have a scarcity of skilled blue collar people. In this area, you can wait up to 6 months for stump grinding, asphalt paving, spot welding, masonry repair, painting, etc. More often than not, messages requesting estimates are ignored. You gotta damn near beg people to work for you. I know a few plumbers, electricians, etc. The good ones make a good living and have no lack of work. I know plenty of white collar workers that are laid off. If you want to learn a trade, you have a living for life. Ed How hard is it to get into these fields? Do you have to work as an apprentice or journeyperson or something like that for x number of years for some of them (isn't plumbing and electrician and masonry like that)? What's the educational requirement for something like electrician or plumber? |
BroJack writes:
and so we have a scarcity of skilled blue collar people. In this area, you can wait up to 6 months for stump grinding, asphalt paving, spot welding, masonry repair, painting, etc. More often than not, messages requesting estimates are ignored. You gotta damn near beg people to work for you. Nonsense. You just have to pay them enough. Of course, the trades like to set up all kinds of "protections" and "codes" that foul up the marketplace. Maybe you live in a place like that. |
You can blame the government schools that have largely been run by
liberals. Voc. Tech used to be a mainstream part of our education system but it's been slashed in recent years. (BroJack) wrote in message ... and so we have a scarcity of skilled blue collar people. In this area, you can wait up to 6 months for stump grinding, asphalt paving, spot welding, masonry repair, painting, etc. More often than not, messages requesting estimates are ignored. You gotta damn near beg people to work for you. |
"Richard J Kinch" wrote in message . .. BroJack writes: and so we have a scarcity of skilled blue collar people. In this area, you can wait up to 6 months for stump grinding, asphalt paving, spot welding, masonry repair, painting, etc. More often than not, messages requesting estimates are ignored. You gotta damn near beg people to work for you. Nonsense. You just have to pay them enough. Of course, the trades like to set up all kinds of "protections" and "codes" that foul up the marketplace. Maybe you live in a place like that. Assuming that 'protection' statement is true; which it might very well be, it testifies to why doing you own home repairs/renovations can be so satisfying, economical and popular. There is a British (do it yourself) news group uk.d-i-y which discusses much the same areas as here and constantly bemoans the increasing amount of control, registration of craft people required (all in the interests of 'protection of the consumer' and safety of the general populace of course!). I hope this is less so in "The land of the free"? Too much 'control' limits enterprise, growth and prosperity IMHO! Of course there is always litigation! In other words if you manage, for example, to burn down your own house and it is deemed it was because you used a 30 amp breaker on 20 amp wiring, your house insurance company may decline to recompense you? In this part of Canada I think we are somewhere in between the two extremes of a lot of government legislated regulation/control and rampant, unsafe and in some societies construction which takes place only with graft and corruption. (For example; places where buildings fall down because extra stories were added unsafely, schools with combustible roofs that catch fire without exits to reasonable standards, nearly 100 children are killed!). Here common sense 'generally' prevails and while there are most definitely botched jobs (and/or some incompetent does not clear a heavy snow load off the roof of a shopping mall or supermarket, it collapses and someone is killed), there is a general level of competence or knowing someone who will help, do it for you, or knows how to do it correctly. For example a person who is rough carpenter knows someone (or relative) who is a welder. They in turn know where to get a deal on plumbing fixtures and have a buddy/mate who is a plumber and does a bit of work 'on weekends'! And so on. Also a general willingness if you are practical helpful person oneself to share the information and/or occasionally help out, works wonders. My neighbour doesn't understand electricity at all (he wouldn't mind me saying it either) so I help him fix anything electrical on his tractor trailer rig and his house electrical repairs. I have always been puzzled and annoyed, by this attitude that because someone has several initials (degrees) after their name i.e. not blue collar, they are more knowledgeable and therefore are superior in attitude and get paid more than those of us who 'Don't mind getting our hands dirty', either as professionals or doing our own work. Great people the degree holders probably, but sometimes in limited fields of expertise. Anyway got to go and finish fixing our 20 year old dishwasher, a small faulty microswitch in the water inlet circuit btw, so avoiding buying a new d.washer or an expensive house visit (they only come to this area on Tuesdays) by Sears! Rant over. Have fun. |
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and so we have a scarcity of skilled blue collar people. In this
area, you can wait up to 6 months for stump grinding, asphalt paving, spot welding, masonry repair, painting, etc ... ... Voc. Tech used to be a mainstream part of our education system but it's been slashed in recent years. ALL education in the USA has been slashed. Despite my being in the computer/engineering field and having been in the "academic" tract in high school, I wholeheartedly support diversity in education. I wanted to take more shop classes but the academic schedule conflicted with that. A friend told me how his high school principal DESTROYED many shop areas such as the metal foundry, all to clear space for more computers. But the funding dried up so there's plenty of nothing now. I'm embarassed at the fraud being perpertated on schools in the name of "computer education": overpriced systems, sub-standard software, maintenance contracts, etc. but is anyone really learning anything? I wish I could see a reversal of this trend. |
I'm embarassed at the fraud being perpertated on schools in the name of
"computer education": overpriced systems, sub-standard software, maintenance contracts, etc. but is anyone really learning anything? I wish I could see a reversal of this trend. There are organizations that help school students build their own computer systems (for in school use), really cheap. That is, the students themselves BUILD the computers. It's tough to get ripped off if you build it yourself. Oh, and if you learn to build it yourself, that is a real education right there. -Dave |
On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 12:36:26 -0600, Andy Hill
wrote: and so we have a scarcity of skilled blue collar people. In this area, you can wait up to 6 months for stump grinding, asphalt paving, spot welding, masonry repair, painting, etc. More often than not, messages requesting estimates are ignored. You gotta damn near beg people to work for you. As most readers here know, home repair is not rocket science-but code and state law treats it as such. For example where I live, to become a contractor, I would have to work as an employee of a contrator for two years. Requirements are much worse for general contrator plumbing and electrical. Now I can build a house a year for 3 out of the next 5 years "for my own use" and repair my own house, but doing anything else is illegal. Do you realize that code allows you to change a light bulb and plug something in without getting a permit? Yep, that's it. For anything else, you need a permit. Where I live, it took a state law to establish that merely carring supplies to the site does not have to be done by an electrician. AQ |
Where do you live? I have no problem getting work done in San Jose.
"BroJack" wrote in message ... and so we have a scarcity of skilled blue collar people. In this area, you can wait up to 6 months for stump grinding, asphalt paving, spot welding, masonry repair, painting, etc. More often than not, messages requesting estimates are ignored. You gotta damn near beg people to work for you. |
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