Wednesday, August 01, 2012

Egads! Uppity Wisconsin Asks the Right Question

Recently, Tim Sullivan (ex-CEO/Bucyrus-Erie) has been making noises about mandating 'shop training' in schools.  Seems that he and others can't find enough "technically qualified" people standing in line to work at B-E, or something.

Uppity Wisconsin commented:

...Sullivan is chairman of the Governor's Council on Workforce Investment. He wants Walker to change how the state spends hundreds of millions of dollars each year in federal job training funds. He would do that in part by tying the funds to local education reform. Regional groups applying for the federal funs would have to justify their proposals by offering commitments to reform public education from kindergarten through twelfth grade at every pubilc school in the their region, along with changes at all the region's public technical colleges. Does the region need more highly skilled welders, as Sullivan reports? Well, then, if your area wants to grab federal dollars to train more pupils for work, then you had better have a plan to train welders.

Ummmnnnhhhhh.....they're a bit over the top, as usual.  But they pose a very good question.

Not that long ago, public (and private) education gave kids a VERY sound "three R's" foundation.  One was expected to know elementary algebra and geometry to graduate from HS, and pretty-good students got Algebra 2 (now known as FST) and physics or chem.

That was in addition to knowing English grammar, spelling, and composition.

Some high schools also offered "vocational" training, but there were only a few--such as Boys' Tech HS in Milwaukee.

Then the kid graduated and went to work, WHERE HIS EMPLOYER TRAINED HIM in all the necessary crafts, whether electricity, mechanical drafting/design, welding, machining, (etc.)

Now it seems that the Capitalist Types expect the taxpayers (schools) to assume the costs of training workers for B-E et.al.

These are the "Capitalists" who "made it all on their own", eh?

Really??

8 comments:

jimspice said...

Did you catch this one? "New Specialty School Coming to Northwoods." http://www.wjfw.com/stories.html?sku=20120801171005

If you follow the link, you can see the course fees, ranging from $1,300 for one week to $18,000 for 24 weeks.

Anonymous said...

"Then the kid graduated and went to work, WHERE HIS EMPLOYER TRAINED HIM in all the necessary crafts, whether electricity, mechanical drafting/design, welding, machining, (etc.). Now it seems that the Capitalist Types expect the taxpayers (schools) to assume the costs of training workers for B-E et.al."

Exactly! Why would today's capitalist spend their profits to train those individuals, only then to see their prodigy potentially leave for greener pastures? It makes financial sense for them. Furthermore, if the schools won't provide the skills, then the companies can look elsewhere...enter foreign workers.

Tim Morrissey said...

For another interesting, no, FASCINATING example of this, Google the stories about Marinette Marine's inability to hire AND TRAIN welders. (Hint: their parents won't let the little darlings work for Marinette Marine because they think the Defense Dept's HUGE contract to build and maintain Littoral Combat Ships is not "sustainable".)

Dad29 said...

One doesn't have to be a skilled historian to know about the convulsive employment history at B-E (or Oshkosh Truck, P&H, etc., etc., etc.) to understand parental warnings.

You're on for 10 years, off for 5 (or more.)

J. Strupp said...

The big problem I have with this is the idea that manufacturers can't find enough qualified workers. This is, of course, a bunch of crap. You hear this everywhere and it defies basic econ. "Not able to find qualified workers" is simply a function of wages. Manufacturers could easily raise their wages to attract more qualified workers (they do exist in the workforce). The real issue here is the disconnect between the manufacturers inability to find the workers they seek and the wages they THINK they can pay them. Bottom line: Stop whining. You want quality labor? Steal it from another company, Import it from another country but, either way, you're gonna have to pay more for it.

steveegg said...

Points Of Order Time:

- As part of the 3 Rs at the non-vocational tech schools, one used to learn how to learn.

- One of those "R"s used to be sufficient to allow those who went to work at Marinette/Oshkosh/B-E/et al to be able to budget sufficiently to survive the lean years. As for the Little Crappy Ships, they AREN'T a sustainable source of work, especially in Wisconsin.

- The "you're" in "you're gonna have to pay more for it" is not exclusive to the company. Increased costs always make their way to the individual.

Saint Revolution said...

TO: AnonyMouthFart 8/01/2012 10:09 PM:

What about "the capitalist" leaving?! Most "capitalist" frauds (i.e., D-, V-, and C-level charlatans) are simply useless MBAs with crony connections, no experience, self-serving avarice vanity, and no stake whatsoever in the enterprise they steal from...ESPECIALLY an entrepreneurial stake, i.e., they pay themselves like they started and own the company even though they never started nor owned anything more than a lawn mower their entire life!

Hiring "rabble" is always contingent on the "nebulous fact" that the underling "might" leave...decisions made by c**ksuckers who they, themselves, aren't around 8 months after they DON'T hire someone else based upon that someone else "possibly leaving".

It's not about jobs nor training. It's only about money...for the select few. The select few want to offload training costs, make budgets look better, and pat themselves on the shitflesh with bloated remuneration.

Shitflesh like Sullivan...two round globes with a crack between the size of the crack in Sullivan's head.

RE: your implied support of foreign worker invasions...you oughtta be run through your own paper shredder...cross cut.

Saint Revolution said...

The "REAL" next debacle...coming soon to an already financially and legislatively broken country near you...

All taxpayer funded...no way out...higher default rates and more money involved than the mortgage crisis...

Just like mortgage brokers...now "for-profit" education salesmen are "selling lies" and "signing suckers up" for "liar loans"...

This will break whatever is left of America's paralyzed financial spine...

The amounts involved in these unpaid Student Loans are staggering...the main "Banker"? Uncle Scam...both lender and "beneficiary".


The Student Loan Scheme And Scam - GateWay Drug To Debt Slavery
...especially read the "Comments" section...

College, Incorporated
Note the "glassy-eyed" Obama appointee who states they're, "...looking into the matter...".


Peruse other Saint Revolution Dad29 blog comments here.