Do People Just Not Want To Work Anymore?

[minnesotapaintlady]

Our public high school still has all the shop classes.  Construction, metal fabrication, woodworking, design engineering, automotive tech, small engines...

About 30% of graduates from there go into the trades, and they have separate tracts based on your career aspirations...trade school/technical college, 4 year college and selective 4 year college, but lets be real, while there's a lot of great jobs in the trades, there certainly are drawbacks to going that route too and reasons parents encourage college probably more than they should.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Jan 5, 2022 13:28:10 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Jan 5, 2022 13:19:42 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

I could have sworn all the teachers I know majored in something else and minored in education.

All the science teachers I know were once in a research lab.  One friend wen5 to an area where the closest research lab was 50 miles away.  She started teaching, and never looked back (until she retired). 

So  your friend is one of those people corrupting our youth and encouarging them to go into fields like chemistry or physics or biology which we all know have absolutely no real world applications whatsoever and all research does is allow you to pontificate about fruit flies.

::Saying this as millions around the world get vaccinated against a disease we had no prior knowledge of with vaccines that were developed thanks to labs already working on it and turned it around into a market ready product in less than a year::

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Jan 5, 2022 13:45:50 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Our public high school still has all the shop classes.  Construction, metal fabrication, woodworking, design engineering, automotive tech, small engines...

About 30% of graduates from there go into the trades, and they have separate tracts based on your career aspirations...trade school/technical college, 4 year college and selective 4 year college, but lets be real, while there's a lot of great jobs in the trades, there certainly are drawbacks to going that route too and reasons parents encourage college probably more than they should.

We have the trades too.  Some are still on site like shop class the others are done at a center that is funded through the local community college.  You can graduate HS with a certification in a trade.  You do that in place of taking traditional classes beyond your generals.

[minnesotapaintlady]

Jan 5, 2022 13:19:42 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

I could have sworn all the teachers I know majored in something else and minored in education.

When my ex and I went to college teaching was a side program you did along with your major.  He majored in Math and also got his secondary ed certificate or something like that.

[Lizard Queen]

Jan 5, 2022 13:48:02 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Jan 5, 2022 13:19:42 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

I could have sworn all the teachers I know majored in something else and minored in education.

When my ex and I went to college teaching was a side program you did along with your major.  He majored in Math and also got his secondary ed certificate or something like that.

Yeah, you couldn't just major in education.  A lot majored in psych to go into Ed. My old roommate majored in English to become a teacher.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Jan 5, 2022 13:45:50 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

Jan 5, 2022 13:28:10 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

All the science teachers I know were once in a research lab.  One friend wen5 to an area where the closest research lab was 50 miles away.  She started teaching, and never looked back (until she retired). 

So  your friend is one of those people corrupting our youth and encouarging them to go into fields like chemistry or physics or biology which we all know have absolutely no real world applications whatsoever and all research does is allow you to pontificate about fruit flies.

::Saying this as millions around the world get vaccinated against a disease we had no prior knowledge of with vaccines that were developed thanks to labs already working on it and turned it around into a market ready product in less than a year::

Yep.  Sarcasm appreciated!  

[Lizard Queen]

Jan 5, 2022 13:45:50 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

Jan 5, 2022 13:28:10 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

All the science teachers I know were once in a research lab.  One friend wen5 to an area where the closest research lab was 50 miles away.  She started teaching, and never looked back (until she retired). 

So  your friend is one of those people corrupting our youth and encouarging them to go into fields like chemistry or physics or biology which we all know have absolutely no real world applications whatsoever and all research does is allow you to pontificate about fruit flies.

::Saying this as millions around the world get vaccinated against a disease we had no prior knowledge of with vaccines that were developed thanks to labs already working on it and turned it around into a market ready product in less than a year::

You know that's not what that poster said at all, and if we're going to continue to jump down people's throats because we disagree on some things, we're gonna chase all the people with diverse viewpoints away.

[pulmonarymd]

Jan 5, 2022 13:58:58 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

Jan 5, 2022 13:45:50 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

So  your friend is one of those people corrupting our youth and encouarging them to go into fields like chemistry or physics or biology which we all know have absolutely no real world applications whatsoever and all research does is allow you to pontificate about fruit flies.

::Saying this as millions around the world get vaccinated against a disease we had no prior knowledge of with vaccines that were developed thanks to labs already working on it and turned it around into a market ready product in less than a year::

You know that's not what that poster said at all, and if we're going to continue to jump down people's throats because we disagree on some things, we're gonna chase all the people with diverse viewpoints away.

That particular poster said that people teach because they couldn't get any other job. She has an ax to grind and a political viewpoint that led to the comment. Maybe she should stop insulting teachers.

She believes she lives in a conservative utopia, all blue states are hell holes, and that conservatives are better people. 

[formerroomate99]

Jan 5, 2022 12:32:55 GMT -5 giramomma said:

Jan 4, 2022 16:29:58 GMT -5 formerroomate99 said:

According to Mike Rowe, the dirty jobs guy, there’s 10 million well-paying jobs out there that don’t require a four year degree, that aren’t being filled because our K through 12 system has spent the last 40 years pushing college and looking down on the trades. That problem is going to get exponentially worse when the baby boomers retire.

I can kind of see why the high schools with this route. A lot of the college prep classes don’t require much in the way of equipment and are taught by people who really can’t get a job any place else. There never has been a red hot job market for poets or historians Meanwhile, the trades classes are taught by people who have marketable skills, and they usually require a lot of very expensive equipment. And things like test scores and college admissions are very much driven by the college prep crowd.

I don't doubt that we need more folks in the trades.

Do you know how most teachers go through teaching.

They get a teaching degree. Not a history degree and then decide to go teach. I've worked with teachers for about 20 years. My oldest girl is likely going to go to college and major in education. I have known exactly 2 teachers that got their teaching credentials after specializing in the arts. And frankly, they only got the credentials because the school district said you had to.

How popular do you think I'd be if I went into my kids' general hs classes and said "Huh, english teacher. Sux that you couldn't cut it being a poet." Huh math teacher. Sux that you were't good enough to cut it at Tesla." and on and on it goes.

And, I'm sorry, but marketable skills like strong communication and critical thinking skills can be found in all types, not just in the trades.

I knew a lot of people in college who loved history and literature and art who were smart enough to get a teaching certification because they knew the job market in the fields they loved wasn’t that great. But since a lot of people pursue that strategy, my friends would be a lot easier to replace than a guy who’s teaching welding. That doesn’t mean what they’re doing isn’t important. It just means that the ratio of qualified applicants to open job positions is different.

I think my kids teachers are doing a much more important job than what I’m doing, but out here in the real world, it’s me and not them who’s getting a dozen calls and emails from headhunters every week offering six-figure jobs. It would never occur to me to go make fun of my kids teachers, since I’m very grateful that they’re doing a job that I know for a fact I couldn’t do.

[formerroomate99]

Jan 5, 2022 14:25:51 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

Jan 5, 2022 13:58:58 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

You know that's not what that poster said at all, and if we're going to continue to jump down people's throats because we disagree on some things, we're gonna chase all the people with diverse viewpoints away.

That particular poster said that people teach because they couldn't get any other job. She has an ax to grind and a political viewpoint that led to the comment. Maybe she should stop insulting teachers.

She believes she lives in a conservative utopia, all blue states are hell holes, and that conservatives are better people. 

I knew a lot of people in college who majored in the humanities and we’re smart enough to get a teaching certification because they knew that it was their best chance of being able to keep a roof over their heads.Different disciplines are going to have very different job markets, all of which are local,. There’s no need to get your knickers in a twist every time somebody mentions something so obvious.

[daisylu]

Jan 5, 2022 13:00:56 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

The reason all the "shop: classes have been cut from high school has everything to do with money. Budgets get voted down and have to be cut, so those classes were cut, as the idea was that many of these fields will have job numbers continue to decrease. Any other explanation is nonsense.

Nothing is stopping employers from providing apprenticeships if they need employees. They can pay for the training instead of outsourcing it to high schools and the taxpayer. If they are so short of employees, they can use this as an incentive to attract prospective employees. Isn't that how the free market works

That is how DH got started with his employer. They hired him under an apprenticeship program in connection with the local high school at age 16 - he is still there 26 years later. He got credits his senior year by working there. They have not run that program in decades though.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Another thing I noticed when browsing when did 5-7 years become "entry level" experience in a field?  I noticed that a lot in several postings around the area.  They advertised themselves as jobs for new graduates but when you actually look into the details it's not even close.  This wasn't unique to one type of job or field either.  I hit the generic "entry level" button just to see what came up.

The pay sure as heck doesn't reflect them wanting you to have 7 years experience though.  There were some where the starting salary was lower than what McD's is currently offering around here right now.

And then they bitch they can't fill the position?   Companies need to MASSIVELY change their thinking.  This isn't a worker problem this is a corporate America problem.

[pulmonarymd]

Jan 5, 2022 15:27:36 GMT -5 formerroomate99 said:

Jan 5, 2022 14:25:51 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

That particular poster said that people teach because they couldn't get any other job. She has an ax to grind and a political viewpoint that led to the comment. Maybe she should stop insulting teachers.

She believes she lives in a conservative utopia, all blue states are hell holes, and that conservatives are better people. 

I knew a lot of people in college who majored in the humanities and we’re smart enough to get a teaching certification because they knew that it was their best chance of being able to keep a roof over their heads.Different disciplines are going to have very different job markets, all of which are local,. There’s no need to get your knickers in a twist every time somebody mentions something so obvious.

My knickers were fine. You are the one who insulted humanities majors with your remark. If it was not meant to be derogatory, you could have phrased it better.

I know there is a bias against humanities degrees on this board, but there is an acute need for people who can write and communicate clearly in many fields. Many people with "approved" degrees cannot communicate their ideas in a manor that is needed, and many people in tech have no clue as to how they need to make their products user friendly. This is an acute problem in health care, and it does not seem to be getting any better

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Jan 5, 2022 15:52:33 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

Jan 5, 2022 15:27:36 GMT -5 formerroomate99 said:

I knew a lot of people in college who majored in the humanities and we’re smart enough to get a teaching certification because they knew that it was their best chance of being able to keep a roof over their heads.Different disciplines are going to have very different job markets, all of which are local,. There’s no need to get your knickers in a twist every time somebody mentions something so obvious.

My knickers were fine. You are the one who insulted humanities majors with your remark. If it was not meant to be derogatory, you could have phrased it better.

I know there is a bias against humanities degrees on this board, but there is an acute need for people who can write and communicate clearly in many fields. Many people with "approved" degrees cannot communicate their ideas in a manor that is needed, and many people in tech have no clue as to how they need to make their products user friendly. This is an acute problem in health care, and it does not seem to be getting any better

Same in science.  There are a lot of things out there that would do good in the world but the people generating the science can't communicate their way out of a paper bag. 

There is an entire marketing department at the university designed to help with this.  All those people have humanity related degrees.

I'm also noticing more demand for humanities degrees in regards to data management.   Being able to generate data is awesome but if you can't explain to a potential client or donor what it all means it's just numbers on a screen.

Humanities don't mean you're stuck being an underwater basket weaver as these boards tend to assume.   A lot of these positions pay quite well too.  Hindsight being a bitch I really wish I had at least minored in a social science or humanities related topic.  I could have probably obtained a dual AA at IWCC if I had thought about it.  It would have given me so many more directions to go in than guzzling the hard science Kool-aid has.   I encourage my girls to be a lot more open minded than I was when it comes to exploring majors, don't dismiss any outright because someone told you you can never get a "real" job with it.

Plus on the subject of the thread who is it exactly that got to determine what a "REAL" job is?  And if that were actually true why do they find themselves suddenly unable to fill them?  Maybe it's because people are waking up to the lies corporate America has fed us concerning how the world works.

[formerroomate99]

Jan 5, 2022 15:52:33 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

Jan 5, 2022 15:27:36 GMT -5 formerroomate99 said:

I knew a lot of people in college who majored in the humanities and we’re smart enough to get a teaching certification because they knew that it was their best chance of being able to keep a roof over their heads.Different disciplines are going to have very different job markets, all of which are local,. There’s no need to get your knickers in a twist every time somebody mentions something so obvious.

My knickers were fine. You are the one who insulted humanities majors with your remark. If it was not meant to be derogatory, you could have phrased it better.

I know there is a bias against humanities degrees on this board, but there is an acute need for people who can write and communicate clearly in many fields. Many people with "approved" degrees cannot communicate their ideas in a manor that is needed, and many people in tech have no clue as to how they need to make their products user friendly. This is an acute problem in health care, and it does not seem to be getting any better

Making applications and gadgets user-friendly is user experience design. It has its roots in human factors engineering and is not a humanities degree. There aren’t that many companies out there that have a mature UX department. But that is starting to change.

As for the original post that you responded to, it wasn’t from me. In the original post, the person said that she knew someone who moved to an area where there weren’t a lot of lab jobs so that person went into teaching and loved it. I don’t see why something like that would be a controversial statement, unless you’re one of those people that thinks certain people should be smacked down even when they say something benign.

[pulmonarymd]

Jan 5, 2022 12:32:55 GMT -5 giramomma said:

Jan 4, 2022 16:29:58 GMT -5 formerroomate99 said:

According to Mike Rowe, the dirty jobs guy, there’s 10 million well-paying jobs out there that don’t require a four year degree, that aren’t being filled because our K through 12 system has spent the last 40 years pushing college and looking down on the trades. That problem is going to get exponentially worse when the baby boomers retire.

I can kind of see why the high schools with this route. A lot of the college prep classes don’t require much in the way of equipment and are taught by people who really can’t get a job any place else. There never has been a red hot job market for poets or historians Meanwhile, the trades classes are taught by people who have marketable skills, and they usually require a lot of very expensive equipment. And things like test scores and college admissions are very much driven by the college prep crowd.

I don't doubt that we need more folks in the trades.

Do you know how most teachers go through teaching.

They get a teaching degree. Not a history degree and then decide to go teach. I've worked with teachers for about 20 years. My oldest girl is likely going to go to college and major in education. I have known exactly 2 teachers that got their teaching credentials after specializing in the arts. And frankly, they only got the credentials because the school district said you had to.

How popular do you think I'd be if I went into my kids' general hs classes and said "Huh, english teacher. Sux that you couldn't cut it being a poet." Huh math teacher. Sux that you were't good enough to cut it at Tesla." and on and on it goes.

And, I'm sorry, but marketable skills like strong communication and critical thinking skills can be found in all types, not just in the trades.

That seems to be your statement formerroomates

[pulmonarymd]

Jan 5, 2022 16:54:11 GMT -5 formerroomate99 said:

Jan 5, 2022 15:52:33 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

My knickers were fine. You are the one who insulted humanities majors with your remark. If it was not meant to be derogatory, you could have phrased it better.

I know there is a bias against humanities degrees on this board, but there is an acute need for people who can write and communicate clearly in many fields. Many people with "approved" degrees cannot communicate their ideas in a manor that is needed, and many people in tech have no clue as to how they need to make their products user friendly. This is an acute problem in health care, and it does not seem to be getting any better

Making applications and gadgets user-friendly is user experience design. It has its roots in human factors engineering and is not a humanities degree. There aren’t that many companies out there that have a mature UX department. But that is starting to change.

As for the original post that you responded to, it wasn’t from me. In the original post, the person said that she knew someone who moved to an area where there weren’t a lot of lab jobs so that person went into teaching and loved it. I don’t see why something like that would be a controversial statement, unless you’re one of those people that thinks certain people should be smacked down even when they say something benign.

I am not talking applications. I am talking about listening to the users and understanding their needs. I am talking about teaching them how to use the applications. Knowing how to explain these things in lawman's terms is important into whether these applications ever work as intended. Understanding the users experience is a "soft" skill, and something many people with stem degrees struggle with. Or are you going to tell me you know no one(including physicians) who have that problem?

[Sharon]

My Dad and now my brother are tradesman and run the small family business.  My brother would love to hire a couple more people and can't get anyone remotely qualified. 

He needs someone who has a clean driving record, or even has a drivers license that isn't suspended.  They also do a lot of work that involves federal contracts so they are drug tested frequently before they can enter various jobs sites.  As soon as he tells them that they will be drug tested they don't show up for the interview.

They are willing to train but people want to start at journeyman wages, not apprentice wages.  Dad would tell them you can make those wages once you know something and bring me some value, but they wanted to start at the top of the pay scale.

[Deleted]

Jan 5, 2022 17:58:30 GMT -5 Sharon said:

My Dad and now my brother are tradesman and run the small family business.  My brother would love to hire a couple more people and can't get anyone remotely qualified. 

He needs someone who has a clean driving record, or even has a drivers license that isn't suspended.  They also do a lot of work that involves federal contracts so they are drug tested frequently before they can enter various jobs sites.  As soon as he tells them that they will be drug tested they don't show up for the interview.

They are willing to train but people want to start at journeyman wages, not apprentice wages.  Dad would tell them you can make those wages once you know something and bring me some value, but they wanted to start at the top of the pay scale.

A lot of the new hires at my job complain about not making enough money in a FB group I’m in. They get upset about not making the same money that us “old heads” do, for the same work.

They start off making over $17/hour and get 2 raises/year, plus 2 COLA’s/year if there is inflation. I started at over $11/hour back in the stone ages. Back then, some of the old heads told us they didn’t work hard anymore, that’s what we got hired to do. And they made a lot more money than we did. But I didn’t concern myself with what the old heads had going on or what they said, I focused on me and what worked for my life.

For years, my employer hired many more women than men, and people in the know in my facility said it was because a lot of men failed the drug tests. During the pandemic, they stopped the drug testing, and a lot of men have been hired since then, so maybe it was true.

I don’t think the starting wages are all that bad, especially not in this area, where the cost of living isn’t that bad compared to other parts of the country. Maybe the people complaining the most live in more expensive areas. But still, this is a job that doesn’t require any special skills or a college degree, and has decent or better benefits, so I’m inclined to think a lot of the complainers should just hush.

[TheOtherMe]

I am wondering what my seasonal tax prep job is paying by now.  They wanted all kinds of experience.  The 2nd year I was there, I made $10.25 an hour, after an increase for "longevity" after the first year.  They expected perfection and wrote people up for every error they made.  

Today, I would not do that job for less than $17 or $18 an hour.  I made $20 an hour at my last tax prep position in Colorado and that was for the 2009 season.  At least they wanted perfection but knew it wasn't possible.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I will also say that my current job is toxic enough that there is no way they could afford to rehire me when I eventually move on.

The pay in and of itself is not bad for the area but the company culture is the anthesis of everything I am.

The university if it could match my current salary and promise me stability I'd go back in a heartbeat.

Pay is obviously a big factor right now but I think company culture is just as big especially for those of us who are essential workers. Life is too short to spend it being treated like garbage. I'm sure there are people out there who realized they could survive on a smaller salary and left. Same with people making lateral transitions.

Money isn't everything despite what companies believe. If you're new and improved salary isn't getting people in the door it's time to examine your culture.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Or another one while the salary was higher gross at the hospital than the university their benefits were so expensive I actually netted less.

Add on it was toxic to boot.

I imagine things like health insurance are also playing a larger role in the decision to stay, go or accept a position. Covid has really driven home how at mercy we are in America to employer attached insurance.

It's always played ig role in my decisions. Companies need to examine those too and I'm not talking just throwing in a free fit bit upon signing up.

[minnesotapaintlady]

Jan 5, 2022 18:35:16 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

I am wondering what my seasonal tax prep job is paying by now.  They wanted all kinds of experience.  The 2nd year I was there, I made $10.25 an hour, after an increase for "longevity" after the first year.  They expected perfection and wrote people up for every error they made.  

Today, I would not do that job for less than $17 or $18 an hour.  I made $20 an hour at my last tax prep position in Colorado and that was for the 2009 season.  At least they wanted perfection but knew it wasn't possible.

I was asked by a friend to apply for a seasonal tax prep job with Baker Tilly. it was part-time WFH and $20/hour, but they wanted you to agree to a minimum of 20 hours a week.  She sent me the app back in October when work here was insane (not that it's any better now) so I set it aside and kind of lost track of time.  It's probably too late at this point.

[TheOtherMe]

Jan 6, 2022 8:45:30 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Jan 5, 2022 18:35:16 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

I am wondering what my seasonal tax prep job is paying by now.  They wanted all kinds of experience.  The 2nd year I was there, I made $10.25 an hour, after an increase for "longevity" after the first year.  They expected perfection and wrote people up for every error they made.  

Today, I would not do that job for less than $17 or $18 an hour.  I made $20 an hour at my last tax prep position in Colorado and that was for the 2009 season.  At least they wanted perfection but knew it wasn't possible.

I was asked by a friend to apply for a seasonal tax prep job with Baker Tilly. it was part-time WFH and $20/hour, but they wanted you to agree to a minimum of 20 hours a week.  She sent me the app back in October when work here was insane (not that it's any better now) so I set it aside and kind of lost track of time.  It's probably too late at this point.

Not necessarily.  BIL's office is short one person.  I know the place where I last worked was hiring at this point.  Not many returns are getting prepared just yet.

It might be worth checking it out.  

It starts getting busy with return prep around the 3rd week of January.  BIL works for H & R Block, so he is busy doing all those who want money now and are willing to pay the outrageous fees and interest to get it.

[NastyWoman]

Jan 5, 2022 14:52:47 GMT -5 formerroomate99 said:

Jan 5, 2022 12:32:55 GMT -5 giramomma said:

I knew a lot of people in college who loved history and literature and art who were smart enough to get a teaching certification because they knew the job market in the fields they loved wasn’t that great. But since a lot of people pursue that strategy, my friends would be a lot easier to replace than a guy who’s teaching welding. That doesn’t mean what they’re doing isn’t important. It just means that the ratio of qualified applicants to open job positions is different.

I think my kids teachers are doing a much more important job than what I’m doing, but out here in the real world, it’s me and not them who’s getting a dozen calls and emails from headhunters every week offering six-figure jobs. It would never occur to me to go make fun of my kids teachers, since I’m very grateful that they’re doing a job that I know for a fact I couldn’t do.

And the highlighted text really should give us all pause. I retired from a six figure job but you could not have offered enough money to get me to work as a teacher.

[minnesotapaintlady]

Jan 6, 2022 9:02:06 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

Jan 6, 2022 8:45:30 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

I was asked by a friend to apply for a seasonal tax prep job with Baker Tilly. it was part-time WFH and $20/hour, but they wanted you to agree to a minimum of 20 hours a week.  She sent me the app back in October when work here was insane (not that it's any better now) so I set it aside and kind of lost track of time.  It's probably too late at this point.

Not necessarily.  BIL's office is short one person.  I know the place where I last worked was hiring at this point.  Not many returns are getting prepared just yet.

It might be worth checking it out.  

It starts getting busy with return prep around the 3rd week of January.  BIL works for H & R Block, so he is busy doing all those who want money now and are willing to pay the outrageous fees and interest to get it.

The link she sent me doesn't work anymore, so all the positions must be filled.  This was for a "no experience needed" job.  The link redirects to all of theirs now and I see they have experienced remote work for Jan-April, but it requires a minimum 3 years of tax prep experience and completed a minimum of 30 returns.  Do my own and the kids count? 

[bean29]

Jan 4, 2022 15:24:29 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Jan 4, 2022 13:11:02 GMT -5 nidena said:

I put in an application at Bath & Body Works.  I loved working in the beauty dept at Victoria's Secret and this would be a whole store of lotions and potions, not just one section.  It won't pay the same but I'd rather do something fun, making less, than something that has me stuck in a cubicle and staring at a computer screen, making more.

I'd go broke if I worked at that store. I'm only allowed to go twice a year.

I don't have a limit on how often I go in B&BW, but it probably is close to 2x a year.  I swear you walk into that store with a coupon intending to buy maybe 3 things and  spend $30 or so, and you walk out with a huge bag of stuff that you spent $60-100 on because you were stacking your coupons and getting such good "deals".

Jan 4, 2022 at 3:29pm formerroomate99 said:

According to Mike Rowe, the dirty jobs guy, there’s 10 million well-paying jobs out there that don’t require a four year degree, that aren’t being filled because our K through 12 system has spent the last 40 years pushing college and looking down on the trades. That problem is going to get exponentially worse when the baby boomers retire.



I can kind of see why the high schools with this route. A lot of the college prep classes don’t require much in the way of equipment and are taught by people who really can’t get a job any place else. There never has been a red hot job market for poets or historians Meanwhile, the trades classes are taught by people who have marketable skills, and they usually require a lot of very expensive equipment. And things like test scores and college admissions are very much driven by the college prep crowd.

I don't doubt that we need more folks in the trades.



Do you know how most teachers go through teaching.



They get a teaching degree. Not a history degree and then decide to go teach. I've worked with teachers for about 20 years. My oldest girl is likely going to go to college and major in education. I have known exactly 2 teachers that got their teaching credentials after specializing in the arts. And frankly, they only got the credentials because the school district said you had to.



How popular do you think I'd be if I went into my kids' general hs classes and said "Huh, english teacher. Sux that you couldn't cut it being a poet." Huh math teacher. Sux that you were't good enough to cut it at Tesla." and on and on it goes.



And, I'm sorry, but marketable skills like strong communication and critical thinking skills can be found in all types, not just in the trades

.

It was maybe 10 years ago when Governor Scott Walker Broke the teacher's Unions in WI.  I always thought people here were nuts b/c I never considered Teaching an Easy Job.  But people were acting like anyone could Teach and there was very little value the Teachers Brought to the Classroom.  Now we have had 10 years of minimal enrollment in Teaching Programs at the University, Salaries and benefits are much less and there is very little job security. Schools desperately need teachers, but no one is applying.

I have two Nephews that have Tech Ed Degrees and are in the Teaching Profession.  The oldest just turned 40 this year, and he has a Masters in Principal ship or something like that.  He wanted more $$ so he created a job for himself.  He created a program where he oversees student work-study classes and is the liaison between the schools and the  employers.  He works with Multiple School Districts and employers vary from Manufacturers, Retail like Walgreens and CVS Pharmacies (He was telling his Mom that his 17 year old sister should give up on the restaurant and try for a Pharmacy Tech- he said they are paying about 18/hour to HS students rn and the Trades like the Carpenter's union.  To make the trades a viable internship the schools have to work to make the set up accommodating to the Trades' needs.  I know there is one district in particular that their graduates are getting at least a year of apprenticeship credit upon graduating.  I think DN said the kids start at like 7 or 7:30 am with their Classwork for their work study class and then leave campus for their jobs.  DN is also running work study classes that kids can get all their "work" hours completed by working jobs during the summer.  DN says they used to stick the slackers and problem children in Tech Ed classes, but now Employers looking for tech ed grads have a lot of mechanized computerized equipment and they need people with some background in Computer Science/Engineering/Mechanics but not necessarily someone with a BS degree - so I guess if your view of Tech Ed is from 20 years ago or more, things have changed.  DN also says that shop classes are a very dangerous place from someone who is goofing around or doing drugs,  he has no tolerance for misbehavior.  He kicks kids out and allows very little deviation from classroom rules.  He apparently has had to "educate his administrators on why this is necessary-both due to the potential for student injury and he possibility that very expensive equipment might get damaged.

My DH has a teaching degree, he taught for maybe one year, then started selling Computers and then was recruited into selling Insurance.  He is very good at explaining his products to people.  DH says Teachers are very desirable employees.  He says it is all the Teaching Methods Classes that teachers take.  How to explain things to people and How to present the material/speak to a group.  My DN wife also has a teaching degree.  She also only taught for a few years, now she sells printing/advertising to businesses.  It appears that she is doing very well and has no thoughts of returning to the classroom.

Personally every time I look at this tread and see the title "Do People Just Not Want to Work Anymore? I always think yeah, I don't want to work anymore either.  I am going to be 58 this year.  I used to think I would work until 68 or maybe 65, lately I think I will be lucky to make it to 60.  Realistically I have to work at least 4-5 more years, unless we sell some assets or refinance them.  I think I calculated the mortgage on one investment property we have has about 3.5 years to go until it is completely paid off.  

[steph08]

Jan 5, 2022 15:27:36 GMT -5 formerroomate99 said:

Jan 5, 2022 14:25:51 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

That particular poster said that people teach because they couldn't get any other job. She has an ax to grind and a political viewpoint that led to the comment. Maybe she should stop insulting teachers.

She believes she lives in a conservative utopia, all blue states are hell holes, and that conservatives are better people. 

I knew a lot of people in college who majored in the humanities and we’re smart enough to get a teaching certification because they knew that it was their best chance of being able to keep a roof over their heads.Different disciplines are going to have very different job markets, all of which are local,. There’s no need to get your knickers in a twist every time somebody mentions something so obvious.

I was a humanities major twice (BA and MA) and neither time was I "smart enough" to add on a teaching certificate. I purposely steered clear of it.

I am the breadwinner of my family over my STEM degree husband and make a ton of money for the rural area where I live. Humanities majors can't keep a roof over their heads, though. I wish someone had told me that before I built this new house. 

[swamp]

Clearly you suck steph. Us humanities people are just too stupid to know it.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Well FWIW I am an STEM major but it has been made known numerous times on these boards that I picked the wrong one so I also suck.

You can't just pick an STEM major it needs to be one of the 3 approved YM STEM majors.  Engineering, IT or nursing.

I won't lie I'm underpaid but that isn't due to solely to what field I chose to go into.  Omaha is constantly rated as below average salaries if you look on Glassdoor.  I've noticed some companies are boasting of their "new increased salary" but when you look they went from $10 to $11.50.   Then bitch because nobody applies and claim it is because workers are too lazy.  Uh huh, can't be you haven't raised your salary more than a $1.50 in over a decade, can't possibly be that.