Big shoes to be filled

[brooksbeefarm]

I met Porter when i was 17 yrs. old, i was carry out for a super market. Porter came through the check line and i put his items in a small bag, surprisingly he ask if i would carry them to his car,i did and he ask if i was still in school, i told him i was and i was on the COE program. He ask what the hourly pay as a carry out got, i said $0.65 an hour, he gave me a $0.75 tip. nice man.One of my wives best friend married his nephew (he was no good) they had two children and divorced. Porters sister still lives in Springfield,Mo. Jack

[DLMKA]

"It has been my observation that college educated people don't necessarily like to get their hands dirty or blistered."

i r college edjucated .....errr educated! (lol)  ........slow come on up my way, and i will show you what dirty and blistered is........

I work for a company that makes big yellow machines and lots of big engines.  I work with people on a daily basis with masters and PhD (post hole digger) degrees in engineering but so many are just book smart and if you took their PC and spreadsheets away they couldn't function.  I'm usually the one that gets to solve problems that teams other people have worked on and couldn't get it figured out.  But, you gotta have a degree to get in the door.

[Slowmodem]

"It has been my observation that college educated people don't necessarily like to get their hands dirty or blistered."

i r college edjucated .....errr educated! (lol)  ........slow come on up my way, and i will show you what dirty and blistered is........

I work for a company that makes big yellow machines and lots of big engines.  I work with people on a daily basis with masters and PhD (post hole digger) degrees in engineering but so many are just book smart and if you took their PC and spreadsheets away they couldn't function.  I'm usually the one that gets to solve problems that teams other people have worked on and couldn't get it figured out.  But, you gotta have a degree to get in the door.

Here's a thought about groups and meetings:

[Slowmodem]

slow come on up my way, and i will show you what dirty and blistered is........

I know that all too well.  We burn around 900 tons of coal every day here at work.  Lots of black dirt and dust and flyash and shovels, and....well, you get the picture.

[riverbee]

greg, now there's some words of wisdom in the pic you posted......

[Perry]

I thought you worked at a nuclear power plant. 

[Slowmodem]

I thought you worked at a nuclear power plant. 

I worked at a nuclear plant from 1980 - 1995.  I have worked here at a coal plant since 2001.  (in between I was a victim of downsizing and in that time I owned a night club for a while and drove a truck over-the-road for 3 years).

[Riverrat]

A college diploma is nothing more than a piece of paper to hang on the wall proving you are capable of finishing something you started. Experience is what builds resumes without experience a diploma is nothing more than a piece of paper. I got one hanging on my wall. In the last 25 of 30 years of interviews and changing jobs in the machining industry I have never had an interview based around my diploma or college education other than asking where I went to school, However, every interview focused on my experience and what I have done after getting the diploma. I would venture to guess 80 percent of those with college educations are not working in the field they obtained a degree in. Which leads to why you see college graduates complaining they are working at McDonald

[Slowmodem]

A college diploma is nothing more than a piece of paper to hang on the wall proving you are capable of finishing something you started. Experience is what builds resumes without experience a diploma is nothing more than a piece of paper. I got one hanging on my wall. In the last 25 of 30 years of interviews and changing jobs in the machining industry I have never had an interview based around my diploma or college education other than asking where I went to school, However, every interview focused on my experience and what I have done after getting the diploma. I would venture to guess 80 percent of those with college educations are not working in the field they obtained a degree in. Which leads to why you see college graduates complaining they are working at McDonald

I heard an interview on the radio news on the way to work this evening about the December job numbers released today.  They were talking to a woman that had been looking for a job in her field she got a degree in.  She said there's not much work available for someone with an English major.  Hmmmm.  Am I missing something here?  Do guidance councilers and such not tell people going into college that there are majors where you can make a living, and there are majors that are nice to have but not many folks make a living with?   

[Perry]

I think another unfortunate reality is that what the next generations are looking for in work has little to do with what is based in reality. With all the hi tech being offered, computer this, digital that (with the exception of this forum of course  ), everyone appears to be trying to get that high paying job where you don't actually have to get dirty.
And thinking about it, I guess that's normal.
The problems result when there is a saturation  of the workforce in that area. Meanwhile, who is going to fix my car, leaky toilet, snow-blower, grow food, etc.? Small engine mechanics and appliance repair folks are as rare as young beekeepers. All the stuff they build today is throw away based.
What I am seeing however, is a very small back to the land based movement where young couples are doing what many of us thought about back in the 60's and 70's. Many of the vendors at the Farm Markets are young folks trying to eek out a living doing it "their way", and it's tough for them!
We have our son's education set up where he will not have to incur heavy debt should he decide to pursue post secondary (University) education, but if he decides that going to a good trade school is what will make him happy, I'm all for it. Those are the folks that won't have to look for work.