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[Roger2561]

After spending a lot of time looking around, I finally found a welder who stopped by the house to look over the project to which I'm hoping he can find a solution.  I mentioned that I had been having a hard time finding welders/fabricators who do house calls.  He told me that in general it'll get more difficult as time goes on to find qualified welders; young people are not going into the trades, they find it beneath them to do "menial" work.  I think I'll have a talk with one of my nephews, he's a very good welder (self taught) but with some guidance where he could hone his skills, he'd do well.  It's too bad that society is at point where many people don't value the mechanic, welder, builder, etc...  How will someone get their homes built, cars/trucks fixed, welding things back together, etc... if these kids aren't encouraged to cultivate their skill?  Do you folks find the same problem where you live?  Or, is this a product of living in the shadows of an Ivy League/liberal institution?  Roger     

[E Yoder]

I'll bet it's everywhere.... around here young people who want to learn HVAC, plumbing, electrical are fewer and fewer. Good tradesmen have more than they can do it seems. Sometimes it's tough to get a call back if you need work done on a heating system.
It's a shame, there's something about getting your fingers dirty that feels good. I enjoy driving by houses and remembering the work we did. And made friends along the way.

[hondaracer2oo4]

I am a 30 something who saw this problem when I was in high school. The problem I think is that the public school systems point everyone to a college education. I tell high school aged kids that if they want to make real money and real soon out of high school then the money is in the trades because no one can do anything for themselves anymore and they be need to hire a trade to do it. I am I fireman and although it isn't your typical "trade" it is one and we do well. My brother in law is a nuclear valve welder. Went to 18 months if trade school and makes 75k plus per year at 20 years old.

[Roger2561]

I'll bet it's everywhere.... around here young people who want to learn HVAC, plumbing, electrical are fewer and fewer. Good tradesmen have more than they can do it seems. Sometimes it's tough to get a call back if you need work done on a heating system.
It's a shame, there's something about getting your fingers dirty that feels good. I enjoy driving by houses and remembering the work we did. And made friends along the way.

A classmate from high school (1980) is a "plumber".  I called 2 weeks ago for the yearly service of the oil furnace.  The earliest he can get to it is 2 months from now and that's with 4 men working for him; they are out straight.  Not only is he doing service calls he pretty much has the monopoly of any residential HVAC installs.  He's my age (I'm quickly approaching 56) and he's thinking of retiring when he hits 60.  As of now, there's no one who I trust more to clean and service my oil furnace him.  Roger 

[mlappin]

The state of affairs with the younger generation is just sad. I have a friend that is a journeyman sheetmetal worker. They go thru pre-apprentices left and right and take em up as fast as they sign up. Finding one that can actually show up to work on time three days in a row is the first challenge. Finding one that can actually read a tape measure is another challenge. He said one kid told him something measured 56” and 3 little marks…..

Last high school kid we had working for us was thoroughly disappointing, you could literally draw him a picture and he still couldn’t follow directions, that is if he ever quit texting or checking Facebook long enough to work. I had hoped for better as he was my ag teachers grandson.

[Smokeless]

Yea ,an army could invade right down Main Street USA  nobody would see anything until they shut off the ESPN , TV , Internet. Face book. Then it would be to late.
It took two years to find a good mechanic at the bus garage. had to let two go from lack of motivation. And being late or missing.

[slimjim]

Honda hit the nail on the head, I have been looking for a young apprentice for years, I think my mistake was to not charge a huge sum for education, had I put those snot nose sheets $50,000 in debt then they probably would have been lining up, instead, here we are!

[coolidge]

Have the same around here also, I have a son in college to be a doctor. Daughter with two more years of high school, wants to be a veterinarian. My youngest (4 yrs old) wants to be a train engineer. I keep telling my wife the youngest is going to a vocational school for welding, plumbing and heating, and electrician. Dam it I want to retire.

Ohh and my wife is back in school to become an Attorney.

[mlappin]

I have a cousin who’s a conductor, company says he has to attend school so he can drive the choo choo, he doesn’t want to, I offered to take his place. Dude really? You'll get to drive a freakin train!!!!

[aarmga]

I have a cousin who’s a conductor, company says he has to attend school so he can drive the choo choo, he doesn’t want to, I offered to take his place. Dude really? You'll get to drive a freakin train!!!!

And free schooling so you can make more money!

[mlappin]

I have a cousin who’s a conductor, company says he has to attend school so he can drive the choo choo, he doesn’t want to, I offered to take his place. Dude really? You'll get to drive a freakin train!!!!

And free schooling so you can make more money!

He likes being a conductor and just doesn’t want the added responsibility of being an engineer. He’s not a slacker or shirker by any means but god forbid if he was the engineer and some moron with a minivan full of kids goes around the crossing arms.

[ST98]

Kids in their lower twenties having to take "life skills" classes.  WTF is that.  You can't even do your laundry  and so on.  We have folks around here that learn and do great work. Most of those don't speak English well but they can figure stuff out.  Unfortunately those who want and will do some of that skilled laborer aren't in vogue now........

[coolidge]

I asked my daughter which is more important to her. Her phone or car.    She said phone.

Imagine that.

[mlappin]

Kids in their lower twenties having to take "life skills" classes.  WTF is that.  You can't even do your laundry  and so on.  We have folks around here that learn and do great work. Most of those don't speak English well but they can figure stuff out.  Unfortunately those who want and will do some of that skilled laborer aren't in vogue now........

Yah, no sh*t. they also learn how to balance a check book in those classes…

Seriously, are you f*cking kidding me, my mom was a CPA, Dad always did his own books for the farm, I knew how to balance a checkbook before I ever had a checking account. I’ve heard people complain because schools aren’t teaching common sense stuff anymore like that…

Wanna know something? Balancing a check book and doing laundry is something the parents should have taught em while they were home, period.

[aarmga]

I have a cousin who’s a conductor, company says he has to attend school so he can drive the choo choo, he doesn’t want to, I offered to take his place. Dude really? You'll get to drive a freakin train!!!!

And free schooling so you can make more money!

He likes being a conductor and just doesn’t want the added responsibility of being an engineer. He’s not a slacker or shirker by any means but god forbid if he was the engineer and some moron with a minivan full of kids goes around the crossing arms.

By no means can you be lazy when you are a conductor!  That is one of the most important jobs under the engineer.  Keeping the cars in order, hooking and in hooking. Jumping and kicking cars.  Lots of work!