The Labor Shortage
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- Опубліковано 6 сер 2017
- I went to pick up parts at my fabricator and ended up having a long conversation about how difficult it is to find and retain workers for his shop. I figured the labor shortage would be a good topic for an ETCG1 video. Now we have something to talk about.
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To quote Tyler Durden from Fight Club: " We cook your meals, we haul your trash, we connect your calls, we drive your ambulances, we guard you while you sleep. Do not f**k with us."
I completely agree with what you have to say on this subject. I am a diesel mechanic and people constantly look down their nose at me up until something needs fixed.
I think part of the problem is that most of the "smart people" know where the money is. Why would I work 50 hours a week for average pay, no health or retirement plan at a shop when I could work at an office and not live paycheck to paycheck? Shops just dont have the cash to pay employees a good wage, benefits, and stay afloat. Unless you own the shop/trade business, it's hard to make a living (at least in my area of the world). Like you said Eric, it really is about the money
Excellent point.
Allan G office jobs are becoming outsourced, becoming temp positions and automated. It's is no longer 1989
I'm a teacher and my district has three high schools. One of them is a vocational high school. There's no sports, no band, etc. You have your core classes and then you have your career path classes. You'll leave with your diploma and certification in whatever vocation you chose. And, the drop out rate at this school is almost nonexistent.
THAT is cool. Thanks for the comment.
I graduated from a Vocational school for CAD. Pretty much walked right into a Aerospace company after graduation.
Where about, may I ask?
back when I was an apprentice at both ends of Canada, I found a big thing the reason why a lot of places were short of labor was when someone would apply they wouldn't hire them, because they didn't have the experience they wanted. but the problem with that, anyone with experience already has a job or is retired, and any entry level apprentices don't have any experience but they can't get that said experience without a job in said field. so sure there is a shortage when employers won't hire someone without experience. I mean sure I get the fact that a lot of young people are lazy and don't show up, etc, but not every young person is like that.
probably not even a majority.
maybe not, but its does factor quite a bit.
kenman1717 : well... they'll have to learn to train properly. The certification that I got @ kfc as a line cook were laughed @ due to the bad reputation of the company. My mom did a far better training in my young ages than these clowns. But, still... would be nice to use those a leverage elsewhere.
I was a "very smart" kid I'm highschool, I graduated in 2016, took Advanced placement classes, and for the life of me I couldn't find out what to go to college for. Everyone is like, take your hobbies and what you like and make a career out of it. So damn it i did, working as a tech now is so awesome. I can't get enough of the feeling of taking something that doesn't work and breathing new life into it.
We need several thousand more like you.
Babyblue1992 how did you get a job as a tech that quickly? I want to do the same.
Name Optional Right out of highschool I went to my local community college and took an automotive intro course, brakes course, and electric 1 course. At the end of that first semester I walked on into my local Firestone auto repair, asked if they were hiring, and they were! I've been there about 6 months or so now. I'm an "intro" tech, all I do is oil changes, tire changes, balancing wheels, rotations, batterys, air filters and I'll help the "real" techs when they do alignments, suspension and brake jobs etc. I love the work I get to do there and I can't wait to become a master tech someday
Good for you dude! I got a job about a month ago as a Porter at a BMW dealership. Hopefully that can progress to either an entry level service/service adviser position. Either that or I'll take a course but I am not certain yet.
Breathing new life into it? Or maybe it's the detective work of picking up the pieces where someone else stopped caring. And finding a solution.
Some of these increasingly technical jobs need better pay. You want the best employees - and retain them - you have to provide a decent financial incentive.
Today ive quit my job to chase what i love n enjoy to do which is Auto mechanic. You been inspiring me for years and today is the day i took a step forward. Thanks Eric.
Best of luck!
ETCG1 Thanks it really means alot to me.
Adel Jeffrey You fool!
NEVER quit a job until a better one is secured!
ShopTalkWithJason dont worry i got everything covered pal. Im not in the US by the way. But thanks for your opinion.
i hope you have patience anyhow like we say ''keep on fighting in the trenches'' its going to be hard at times but you will valve the hard times more than easy times
Have been working skilled labor for the past 30yrs, the problems Is skilled labor jobs no longer pay resonable wages relative to the cost of living. A lack of incentive. Nobody wants these jobs anymore because it doesn't pay. Wages haven't increased in 20 plus years yet the cost of living has gone up what 50%?
There's a labor shortage - at the rates they want to pay. Basically these days to diagnose a modern engine, if you have those skills, you can get higher paying jobs elsewhere. Rates need to go up.
I agree. I’m 27 and I work as a heavy equipment mechanic. I remember in high school the reaction I would get when I said I wasn’t going to college. I make a great live have great benefits. Also I see first hand the shortage of labor. We have 4 guys that are just there for a check. They are late all the time. Leave early, lazy. I love your videos
Thank you Eric!
As a structural steel fabricator you spoke right to my heart there my friend. I have the honor of working with and helping train apprentices everyday. Watching them develop, grow and see the smile on their face when they look at what they have accomplished, well that just makes my world.
i wanted to be a mechanic when I was in high school 30 years ago. I also had a genius level IQ. Everyone told me that I had to go to university or I would be "wasting my potential". I did that. I worked as an engineer for many years but now, following a divorce and a re-think of my life, I am working as am apprentice mechanic and loving it..
I always tell young people to try something before choosing. You shouldnt do things to please your parents you should do them to please you becasue you are the one that has to live with your choices.
oldcrazyhermit same situation here only I choose to pursue an OAD in automotive technology and work at a dealership. I regret it big time. I make piss money for working 6 days a week. Should have gone with my brains instead of my passion
gokartbuyer you hit the nail exactly on the head there mate, the issue is, it's all well and good to say I wish I had done what I enjoy, but when you hit 40 and maybe could never afford a holiday, or to buy your own home, etc. Where as doing a job you don't really love could make you the kind of money you can use to enjoy your free time, where as other jobs you can't
oldcrazyhermit I'm going through the same thing. In university cause I feel my brains potential should be applied to hopefully benefiting society. But hopefully when I get older I can settle into my own auto mechanic business
Good idea, take the hit in pay to keep from giving your EX any substantial pay all while doing something you like.
I have worked industrial maintenance Electrician for many years and the wages have stayed the same or gone down for the last dozen years. The job requirement have tripled to where company's want multi-skilled people, electricial, electronic, fab, weld, mechanicial repair. PLC programming and underwater welding for 2/3 the wage. Good people follow the money but very very few people have the skills of 3 or more trades so its like companies have chosen make it impossible to hire workers.
Here in the UK the issue for mechanics and the industry is pay.
If your working in an independent garage, your going to earn maybe 8 to 10 pounds per hour, at least the area that I live in. You can get a job working in the local supermarket stacking shelves earning similar amounts of money with no experience
Definitely one of my favourite ETCG1 episodes. This made me feel a lot more comfortable being 19 and wanting to become a mechanic later this year. Thank you Eric and all your dedication to online automotive repair
Chip Foose said it best when he said young people today don't aspire to build something as they did 30 years ago, they'd rather go out and buy something. I think you got the veritable nail on the head when you said it goes back to our education system and funding. When funds got low the first thing they did was take away shop classes and then physical education. I recently got a chance to walk through my old high school that used to have a wood shop, metal shop, Auto shop, print shop, and a graphic arts studio. All of that is gone and it's now a computer lab and a study hall area/ library. The young man who was giving us the tour said this is new library and then when we went by the library that was there when I was in school he says "I don't know if you guys are old enough to remember but there used to be these things called books, we sometimes use those if we have a research paper or something, and this is where we keep them" I can see in the future alot of our hands on type jobs going elsewhere because we are educating our young folks to be what we used to call computer junkies. You're right, these kids don't dare get dirty, even the young folks who do find their way into a shop, the first thing they want to do is pop on some latex gloves before they so anything, 20 years ago nobody wore them and just washed their hands when they got dirty. It's in a way interesting and also in a way sad to see the direction we ate heading.
People look down on those jobs UNTIL they need one 😜
When I told my Dad (a senior software engineer at Qualcomm) I was going to school for aviation maintenance and I had got a job as a paid apprentice at a general aviation repair facility his only response was "you know you can't support a family working with your hands right?" .... no "congrats " or "how do you like it ?" Or anything positive.... The only way to pacify him was to say that this career was only temporary and I would obviously have to go get a masters in aeronautical engineering and go work for one of the big aerospace companies in order to make a living wage.... what a world we live in ...
I dropped out of highschool 10 years ago because there wasn't an auto shop or really any other vocational programs. They just thought that every single one of my class of 2,000+ would all be engineers and doctors I guess. So I went my own way, got a GED, worked at Jiffy Lubes, tire shops, body shops, actual shops, etc. and got all the experience and info as I possibly could from all of the great people I worked with over the years. It all lead me to my true calling as a mobile heavy machinery Technician. I just see so many kids these days (including my younger brother) that are completely lost, they just don't know what career to get into and they seem to be afraid to try. Like Eric said, the education system took away the kid's chance to dip their toes in with the vocational programs.
Just graduated college in may with a deploma and 5 certificates in industrial maintenance I've been to 7 interviews I've not got a single one of them because even though it's a ENTRY LEVEL POSITION there's always at least 1 30 year old with 6 7 years of experience who always gets the job so it's not always about the younger generation not wanting the jobs it's sometimes the older generation thinks there elite and won't take a chance on a young guy
Used to be that there were apprenticeship programs in most industries. Now they want everyone to go to a trade school and the current school of thought is that if I'm going to go to school to learn a trade it isn't going to be blue collar. Want more young people in the trades? Bring back the apprenticeship programs and allow them to learn on the job while working at a reduced wage. It's worked for generations.
It's the university business. When I graduated high school in 2008 counselors discussed options with kids, colleges as well as trades and technical schools. I went to a 4 year college. My sister graduated high school in 2016. The counselor basically told her not to do a trade and that everyone must attend an expensive 4 year college to be successful. That is the problem. She has switched majors 2 times now, not sure what she wants to do, but it has been drilled into her head to go to college.
This video speaks to me on a whole bunch of levels. Going through a Ph.D. program, and now working in a very white collar job with other Engineers, while also being very active in auto repair, machine, metal casting etc, I have always straddled both worlds of blue collar and white collar.
I absolutely hate the attitude that people who are into the trades are less intelligent. Many times it is coming completely from a place of superiority and low self-esteem. I cannot tell you how many times I had to bite my tongue from my Ph.D advisor making comments about how "those people" are beneath "us." He gave me so much crap going through my program because I would work on cars. Finally he accepted it when I was able to fix HIS car a couple times.
I also was incredibly frustrated with my colleagues complete lack of anything mechanical and fear of doing anything mechanical (You know how hard it is to find someone to help me pull an engine when all anyone wants to do is sit on their ass on a computer?). Even mechanical engineering students were so far removed from actually doing the work, that they knew very little about actually getting it done. Many times I didn't click with fellow students because we really were from different worlds. What could we possibly have in common besides the ability to do math?
And now in the workin' world, the engineers don't build ANYTHING. They come up with the designs and then send it off to the machine shop for it to be built. They wouldn't be anywhere without those guys in the shop building their projects for them.
On the flip side though, I believe it IS important for everyone to have some kind of education past high school. It teaches you how to have independent thought and critically think, which is very important for our future as a whole.
Who the hell wants to go out and work after sitting on a bean bag chair in their bedroom pressing buttons and staring at a TV for 15 years of their life? Young people have grown up a lot different then I did as a 51 year old man. I had to use my imagination to entertain myself. I had to work as a kid. We spent our time outside, we had great role models in entertainment. Look at the trash that inspires kids now-a-days. You're right, those days are over and it's sad.
Employers need to have realistic expectations as well. I've been on both ends of this issue. I can tell you with 100% certainty, that employers want the cream of the crop, and are extremely hesitant if not unwilling at all to take on an apprentice, or take a chance on someone who has experience, but no degree. I cannot believe the jobs today that are requiring a degree. Nor can I understand why so many who have a degree are working menial jobs, NOT in the field of their degree.
The problems I'm having while I'm changing degrees are being under qualified for most skilled jobs and being over qualified for entry level/"Foot in the door" jobs.
I totally agree with you. I remember my High school 1994 to 1996 had a vocational Job skills program. 10th grade I started doing janitorial work around campus. 11th 12th grade the leader of of the job skills program had a deal with the local bowling alley down the street. I rolled out the bumpers on the lanes, filled the ice machine and clean and so on. I had electives even though I was in special ed. I had Wood Shop Computers and Auto Shop, Me and a couple other classmates disassembled a lawn mower engine and did several tests like timing using a timing gun, tested spark plugs and wires with this big machine that if I pressed one of the 8 buttons the idle changes and did a battery test on the teacher's 1965 Mustang V6 I loved every minute of it.. Over the years I realized that I like taking stuff apart and put them back together. Although I didn't become a mechanic I ended up fixing PC's and enjoying it. I definitely appreciate the mechanics out there. My auto shop class was a great experience.
Thank you Eric, best ETCG1 yet! I got a bad taste in my mouth for automotive repair as a job when I was in high school and was not able to get into automotive vocational school when I have a passion for it one reason being that I had missed a week of school to go to a 4 day car show in NY but yet all the kids that got in were just hicks who wanted to learn how to lift their ranger.. and for me personally it's a pay thing, I have been working in factories for the past few years since I graduated high school and I'm now looking into getting a degree so I can actually afford to live on my own... sad that the hardest working individuals (who also happen to be the smartest people I know) are paid and looked at like they can't do a "real" job so they have to do the physical grunt work. Thank you for bringing light to this topic and I am glad to see someone your age recognize the situation rather than blaming my generation for being lazy when we don't make a good income.
The fastest way for an employer to deal with a so-called "labor shortage" would be to bite the bullet and cover the training or education costs for the kind of employee they're looking for.
The situation is because most employers don't want to pay for it, and most potential employees don't have the money or time for that to begin with.
The only employer at the moment that does the sensible thing in this regard seems to be the military. But even it has a lot of demands that many people aren't cut out for. (But there's likely a lot of people that'd take a more "regular" job if the training to do it was provided.)
pauljs75 exactly. I don't have a few grand lying around to pay for tech school and also risk spending said money and not get a job.
pauljs75 well said. I'm 30 and would love a career in a tech field. But there's no way I'm shelling out a few grand and bust ass in night school to be told I'm starting at $12. I've known a few mechanic buddies who got the fuck out of positions at dealerships due to shitty bosses and shittier pay. I myself have worked full time since I was 16, busted my ass and never took vacation, dropped out of college to work several jobs to make ends meet... I've never met an employer who wanted to take the time to educate me and bring me up and along. They all want degrees, countless years of experience for mediocre pay. Here's a shocker; if you treat your employees well, they'll stay.
Last Lib Obviously location matters but those wages are for apprenticeship. Once you're a journy level tech, wages would significantly increase, could double in the right location and industry.
The employers who are complaining about a labour "shortage" need to look themselves in the mirror. If you aren't willing to train and treat your employees well, there's no helping you.
The problem is that once you spend the time training said employee they take off, or some of their less desirable traits come out. I would love to find someone who I can trust to invest in, but first they need to prove they are worth it. It's expensive to train someone, it also takes time. I would like to know if people who makes these types of comments have been an employer themselves
I couldn't agree more. I am a huge proponent of Mike Rowe and his battle against the skills gap. There is nothing wrong with skilled jobs. It seems that anything not requiring a degree (and huge college debt) is just a consolation prize. Most people I know don't want to fix their own cars or plumbing, electric etc. But they sure love to gripe when the bill comes in.
Eric thanks to you I have built confidence to work on my own stuff. At least when I have the tools to do the job correctly. If I don't, I take it to a professional. But more importantly thanks to your introduction to ScannerDanner channel I feel confident in my abilities to troubleshoot and make my own repairs on my newer GMC Truck 2009. Thanks to the 2 of you I feel much better about the vehicles my wife and I own. Keep up the good work!
without watching you over and over I doubt would have built the confidence to do hard and otherwise expensive work, I can not thank guys like you enough
Don't know what it's like in the US as i'm not American. But here in the UK 20/30/40 years ago companies used to take a school leaver and train them into the job via apprenticeships. Now this is rare The same companies just import a worker from overseas as it's cheaper. The companies that do still have apprenticeships only take people on if they are under the age of 18 as they can then claim government subsidies (of upto £9k/yr Iirc?)
It's FINALLY my Bday...thanks ETCG 1
Brian Saunders You've done it. You have finally made it. Congrats and happy b-day sir!
Brian Saunders I'll never get a b-day shout out cause my b-day always falls at the end of the week😔
rradioactiv you will once every 7 years, well if leap year doesn't screw you😀
Happy birthday!
rradioactiv mine too 😔😭
Hey, hope all is well & thanks for taking the time to make this video. You touch on so many issues here and to some effect, I would respond that we have come to be a "now" society. The rewards must be fast otherwise most lose interest. Also, one of the main issues of the automotive industry has is their bad name, because there are so many who prey on those who are in need or may be so horrible at it that their quality and job performance is questionable to say the list; that is why I turn to people like you to learn how to fix my own vehicle. I enjoy fixing my vehicle and even attempted to get a part time job to learn further, and to make gas money but as you said there is no mentoring anymore and every where I went I was asked for experience or an educational background and I just don't have 25,000 to 35,000 to go back to school. College is important nowadays, I remember when I asked for my first job I was asked if I had an HS diploma (because at the time that was the thing) and when I said I didn't I had to go get my GED. Once I got that paper, I was told to get at least 60 college credits and once I got my associates degree I was told to get a bachelor's degree. So as you can see, it became a vicious cycle (LMAO...). As my child grows older, I started to have that conversation with him, about getting vocational training before he goes off college. Such as an automotive technician or emergency medical technician, but it is up to him to decide which way he wants to go. Anyway, great video, hope to see another video soon...
I'm 20 and I 100% agree that high schools are failing at showing people all of the jobs that are available. All I always heard from counselors teachers etc. was "go to college" that's all they pushed, not even advice on what I should go for in college, just "go to college." Well 2 years in and no general studies classes left to take and I still don't have a clue as to what I should do. I don't believe I want to be a mechanic, but it still would've been something nice to experience in high school, my high school did not have a shop class or wood working or any of the hands on stuff (and no other high schools in the area did either.)
I think Senior year in high school should be dedicated on just figuring out what you want to do, give them the ability to take electives only if they wish to do so. Have genuine hands on electives and have businesses come in and talk to the students let them tour your facility etc. In my opinion the businesses are almost at fault as much as the schools are.
Another thing that needs to happen is free college/trade schools (yes it's not literally free), especially trade schools because I feel like a lot of people who would be good for trades jobs are potentially stuck in a shitty financial situation. Like you said being a mechanic isn't rocket science but it does take training, so with trade school a "dumb" person can become a good mechanic or welder or machinist etc.
I think a problem specifically with mechanics is that the pay is so shit for most. No one wants to go to school for 1-2 years to get paid jack shit, thus another reason I think free trade school would help, less of a burn to the wallet. But to a certain degree I think it's just greed by the dealer and shop owners. For example say you do a job that takes an hour and the dealer makes $100-$300 off the customer, would it really kill them to pay you an additional $5 an hour, of course not, but Mr. Rockefeller wants his god damn speed boat, 5th wheel, and biplane so eat your fuckin PB&J and sit the fuck down.
What made me quit working on cars for a living was every shop I worked at was about selling crap that wasn't needed or bad attitude about the work( not me the boss) so I went to work in a factory and been there for over 8years
Likewise, with the trend of "everyone gets a college degree", those degrees will quickly become meaningless, but that six figure student loan will linger forever. Best advice for 85% of young Americans, learn a skilled trade, GET CERTIFIED, and make bank. In no time at all, you'll be head & shoulders above that d-bag frat boy with his college degree working in a mail room for $12/hr.
You hit the nail on the head, Eric. At my high school, there were effectively three tiers of students: Top students who dual enrolled in college and high school, average students who were in high school all the time, and the bottom students who went to tech school half the week.
I was in the first group, and I regret doing it, as half of my credits didn't transfer and I learned very little. On the other hand, I'm now in medical school and I'm a homeowner, and I've been teaching myself so many of these skills just to avoid being shafted by the technicians in my area. Simple things like soldering, plumbing work, and basic auto repair, should at least be taught as part of the curriculum in any school setting (even if to inspire young minds), but I have friends who were in my program who literally would call their landlords to change a light bulb...
The stigma behind going into this line of work is unfortunate, as knowing how to perform these skilled jobs is more practical in real life than, for example, recognizing the difference between afferent and efferent nerve connections in an extinct animal species!
Great talk! We really do need everyone. Fixing a car takes hard work and brains. 40 years ago maybe you could just turn a wrench and get a job at a car dealership. Today I would want some training before I applied . I would want training about electronics, body repair.
Also consider that many professionals ( doctors lawyers) are unhappy. How great is your job if you are miserable?
Fancy jobs do not mean happiness
True that.
It's all about mind sets. I worked as a fully indentured electrician, but I literally had to go back to tech. school for three years to get qualifications (HND) in electronics at the age of thirty. This got me much more technical jobs, but in the U.K. the general attitude was that I was still 'only' a tradesman. If you visit the Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden etc.) then the respect shown for Engineers there is almost embarrassing to a Brit. Totally different mind set. The same with teachers. Thirty years ago teachers were considered professionals and respected universally. Now the attitude has degenerated to them being 'just' a teacher. We need more respect for each other in all walks of life.
I work in a cnc shop, and our company is literally the best in the world in our industry but we do cost the most. customers always go with the cheaper option but it ends up biting them in the ass. started from the bottom and moved up to the highest machining position in the shop. never went to school for it so I started last semester to get the degrees and certificates for it. I enjoy it a lot more than anything else.
"Fabrication is the execution of engineering". This is beautiful. I'm studying engineering and you would not believe how many people have no idea what this really means.
And yes, the educational system has a lot to do with it. The high school I went to offered a chain of automotive technology classes, I took a couple and they were great. I loved them. On the other hand, we had to have english every year. I have nothing against english (ha), but the problem here is that between 7th or 8th grade and the time we graduated, we didn't learn anything new in english. We didn't take advantage of what you can really learn in an english class. It was 5 or 6 years of the same exact content. I could have taken another 4 or 5 classes like these auto classes, or something along those lines. The same can be said about math. We had to have algebra 2 in order to graduate, and after that there was a chain of higher math classes (I didn't have a problem with this as I knew I would be studying engineering). But, in my case, it sort of stopped after algebra 2. Following algebra 2 was a (horrible) precalculus class that was literally the same content as algebra 2 with some trigonometry, and then the year after that we had 'IB Math Studies' where you had yet ANOTHER year of the same bullshit, the only differences being a unit on derivatives and a 'research paper'. I learned to hate math, which isn't healthy for anyone really. I also learned to hate foreign languages. In order to get what was called an advanced diploma, we had to either have 3 years of one foreign language, or 2 and 2. I took a year of French in middle school to start off early, but that was nothing other than the Western European throat disease. I hated it. So I began Spanish, intending to make it to 3 years of that. Ha, nope. You simply don't learn in a fashion that's appropriate for anything outside of a classroom (and it was hard as hell for me). Then I took latin which kicked my ass, but the teacher was great and I actually enjoyed. The purpose of these language requirements is to 'try new things'. A year or two is enough for 'trying new things', in my case I wasted another 5 years of a class period. I still only know english usefully, and a fair bit of a dead language. So, again, I could have had another 5 years of dipping my feet in the trades, or something other than the same shit everyone else is 'learning'.
Universities really aren't helping the problem, either. I wanted to take one of those auto classes every year of high school, but because of the foreign language (and english, for that matter) requirements, I only got to take 2. I was told that having all of these auto classes rather than foreign language classes wouldn't look good on a transcript, and might inhibit me from getting into college. I can see why this would be a turnoff, but in my case, I was looking to study either physics or engineering. Knowing French, Spanish, or much of what I learned in Latin won't do a damn thing for me. Knowing what an assembly line is, and actually understanding how assemblies are manufactured and bolt together on a car would be far more important. Knowing why many cars share the same platform engine to cut costs (plus pros and cons of that platform) is another really minor example. Knowing what vibrations in an engine are, why they are problematic... not just some equation. As a student you shouldn't just learn to know, you should learn to understand. Some things just simply won't be understood without getting your hands dirty. Balancing a tire or an engine is a great example of taking care of vibrations, but even after engineering school, many still don't fully understand what they would be working with. They can only solve 2/3 of the problem.
The solution is keeping bureaucrats away from it all. They will have things flowing in the most masturbatorial way possible and still be able to talk it up like its working flawlessly, just because they like the sound of their own voice.
On a lighter note, Nice to see a video from you Eric.
Thanks. I was on vacation last week and wanted to keep it that way. Back now though.
Life comes first.
i was once a fan.. but now i'm an air conditioner
Simon Rawle that's the difference between a high school education and a college education.
capnskiddies it is
capnskiddies a student loan to pay at minimum 10 years
want society to succeed make college and university "free"
jaypeez bisson If you want society to succeed put more value in the high school education system. Don't make University "free". There are people "graduating" high school that can not read or speak properly. But some how making university "free" is the answer? What if we just started calling all education post high school continuing education? That is all it really is any way. Why make it seem like one form of continuing education is any better then another?
Labor jobs are defiantly necessary and for sure in great shortage which is happening in all labor industries. It isn't just labor jobs, it is finding good help period. A lot does stem from the lack of vocational schools due to the lack of interest in those types of jobs. Parents have huge influence on what they feel their kids should do with their lives and many frown upon an interest in a labor field as you made clear. Laborers are needed and love your quote: "You have to work with your hands smart" Excellent video Eric.
Well, this is quite coincidental that I came across this video. This morning I was talking to my Snap On Tool rep. about this very thing. I have been retired from Nissan/Infiniti dealership technician work for about five years now and I asked him if he had noticed changes in the trade. His answer was 1. Shop labor rates have been going up continually without a corresponding increase in technician wages. 2. It seemed to him that technicians coming into the field these days lack the ability to diagnose problems partly because of no background experience working on their own cars or learning about automotive basics in high school. 3. He was concerned that all the new guys are buying Harbor Freight rather than Snap On which I'm sure galls him to no end!
I think the education system is only part of the problem. In most cases people aren't paid what they're worth and they're not respected by their employers. Most jobs expect so many certifications and so many years experience. Getting vocational training and certification costs as much as or more than a college degree now. A job with that requires no training doesn't pay the bills anymore, they just reduce the amount of loans you have to take out on those certs.
The starting pay for a mechanic is about the same as it was 30 years ago and is worth half as much. At least with a college degree the pay goes up. Employers want everything while wanting to pay for nothing. Being skilled at a blue collar job requires just as much time and effort as being skilled at a white collar job. Sadly employers only want to pay the clueless rate and complain when they get clueless workers.
The loss of apprenticeships is a real shame. The employer gets a quality employee and the employee learns a valuable skill while earning a living. Now they expect you to have and maintain thousands of dollars worth of certifications. In return they'll keep the people that have the smallest short term cost even though good employees that have been around are worth their weight in gold.
For my part I've decided I'm willing to pay extra and only patronize those businesses that pay their employees a real wage and favor skills over cost. I'll take my care to my mechanic for something as simple as an oil change, not because I can't do it but because he pays money for employees with real skills unlike the Pep-Boys or Jiffy-Lube down the street.
We do not teach anyone to be self sufficient anymore. We tell them when it is broken to go get a new one. I work in Construction and we see the same rate of turnover. Most of the current generation has been told that this type of work is beneath you and it is for people not smart enough to get a REGULAR job. I make six figures as a construction superintendent with no formal education other than a masters degree from the school of hard knocks. Most of the folks we see now couldn't get a job anywhere else so it is all they have. It's a shame that we tell people that labor jobs are beneath them. Someday I am sure a robot will replace me, but until then i am proud to do my job and proud of the work these folks turn out everyday. I love it when some smarty pants has a toilet back up and has no idea what to do. I say, "Well if you learned some plumbing skills you'd have that fixed right away. Maybe you should go ask youtube?"
Well said. Thanks for the comment.
I love this video!!! As a third generation automotive technician this speaks volumes for what our industry is going through thank you Eric for making this
Eric, because of videos like yours, roadkill, mighty car mods, and ave, I gained the confidence to take on my first major project. I put the drivetrain from an 07 impreza wrx into an 01 forester. About a month in and the car is driving, all I have left is converting the body harness to connect power windows, locks and other such amenities, a bit of body welding, and some paint. boost is a drug. Thank you for what you do.
back in high school i wanted to be a car mechanic or get into HVAC work. I chose hvac and dont regret my decision at all i make good money but sometimes wish i knew more about cars. Being in the construction industry for 17 years now ive definetly seen a change in the labor force. Over the past 2 years for example ive gone through 9 apprentices, 9!!. they either dont show up or have zero skills, dont want to work, lazy etc...Seems like maybe 1 out of 100 new hires ends up working out. There is plenty of work, almost unlimited overtime available year round and good pay, benefits, retirement. I think the younger kids just dont want to work anymore.
They've been treated like kings/queens their whole lives and expect a gold star for showing up. No gold star on day one, don't expect much effort on day two.
You realize that there will always be people like that? FFS, I had a coworker like that in 1987.
im not an employer. im a regular journeyman worker for a company. and im considerably more patient with new hires than most. if you cannot understand how to use a tape measure, a hammer, or can't comprehend how a screw goes in this is what im talking about.
You forgot to mention people don't often get into auto mechanics is because of the tool factor. If it wasn't for the top three tool companies charging such high prices for tools maybe they would have more people getting into the field. Snap On over charges along with Matco, Cornwell, and Mac. You have to pay to work. How fucked up is that!
Really the shops should provide the tools. It's ridiculous for mechanics right next to each other to have their own tool boxes stocked with specialty tools that can be shared.
MoneyMarcMes This needs to be addressed further
MoneyMarcMes it’s an investment.
You are so right about high schools not offering vocational classes to students being a problem. The school I went to had absolutely zero trades classes but boy they had AP and college level classes in spades so when I graduated it wasn't "Are you going to college?" It was "Which college are you going to?" It took me about three years in university to figure out this shit wasn't for me so as soon as I finished that, I signed up for diesel tech school and I'm starting that later this month.
Eric, I have listened to what you have to say. I can honestly say that being a vehicle mechanic is a very skilled trade in the engineering business. I agree with a lot of what you say. Take care and stay safe from your mechanic across the pond. Keep the videos coming. Cheers
I thought automechanics got paid well in the US. Here in the Bahamas not so much. When i first started i got $200 a week for work that I'm sure even as a beginner was nowhere near enough. (I make way more now but that took years) Caught on quick tho. By the 3rd month I was doing transmission r and r by myself. I feel maybe the pay isn't enough and that maybe y people may not want to stick with it. But if it's something you love you'll stay regardless. 5 years later and I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world
I agree, the pay for auto mechanics needs to go up. Unfortunately that means raising labor rates and that can hurt the end consumer. It's kind of a catch22 situation. Thanks for your comment.
ETCG1 no problem eric👍. What is the pay like there for auto mechanics? I was under the impression most techs can net $1000 or more a week for a 5 day week
Techs *can* net $1k/wk in the USA, but that's far from the norm. Also, $1k goes a LONG way in the Midwest and deep south, but it's not much in the coastal areas, as the cost of living is very high.
Alan Trimble what is the norm then?
In short.....we are fucked.
The mentality today is, book education, become a minion in a Fortune 500 company and skate through life. We're about the same age Eric, and I, for one, took every vocational class available in my school, which was drafting, metal shop, wood shop, carpentry and auto mechanics. This set the tone for my working career and it treated me VERY well with 8 years in the Navy as a Machinery Repairman, then 20+ years in the automotive industry. I'm now disabled, and I'm my neighborhoods "go to" fix it guy. A necessary and integral part of existence anywhere on this earth. What's to come of this Nation, when no one (like you say) can repair anything? The Throw away mentality grows until we become a third world country, fully dependent on hand outs from the likes of what this Nation once was. I'm with you on all counts my friend. The direction our educational system (driven by the over reaching federal government) is headed in spells disaster for more than just the skilled tradesman. But for ALL Americans. It's a sad time to be an American in a free country that is slowly self destructing. Cheers Eric! Zip~
Easily one of your very best videos. Excellent stuff Eric :-) !
Take on a couple of apprentices. People have gotten so wrapped up in their own bullshit, that they have forgotten the basic civic duty to teach the next generation, and expect collages to pick up the slack for them. Hell, filming this project car has been a great and tiring project for you. Imagine how much some 18 year old kid could have learned during it just passing you tools and paying attention? Hell, I haven't been in my own trade for five years, and my employees were high schoolers I trained myself during ride alongs that I hired the moment they were 18, no turnover, growing business, and we all make enough to have families. The atomizing of society is the issue, the individual exists only in the contexts of others.
A good idea in principal but not practice. In truth, I'm a video producer more than I'm a mechanic these days. My hope has always been that my videos would reach many people, not just a couple. Thanks for the suggestion.
Considering the inherent skills the younger generation has when it comes to computers, finding someone who is both willing to learn a trade, and has enough experience with video software to be useful is not a tall order. It is wonderful you are reaching many people, and likely allows some to develop an interest that would have otherwise not been. I do not know your schedule, or your methods, and thus can only make assumptions. I see no reason you could not do both if time was managed properly, and great care was taken in the selection of an apprentice, you believe otherwise and know more about your own situation better than anyone else. My point is more that many shops have failed in what I see as a basic duty, and have given in to an outsource culture to make their responsibilities not their problem. Additionally, with a couple of notable exceptions collage and trade education is too expensive and the knowledge gained too little to even enter the field. My trade has a couple of dedicated schools in my area, and having dealt with the graduates of them, have found their education so lacking that the scammers tend to be more knowledgeable. Apprenticeship in one form or another has been the bedrock of the passing on of necessary skills for longer than recorded history, the collage framework has failed to provide that same caliber of tradesmen.
Today's employers are loathe to pay for training, as they're afraid their apprentice will jump ship as soon as he/she is fully trained.
That is not the fault of the apprentice. It's the fault of the employers collectively. Employers abandoned their employees 30 or more years ago. Suddenly they're "surprised" that there is a "labor shortage".
There's no shortage of labor. There's a shortage of talented people willing to work hard for shit wages. Illegals are doing that work for the time being. Their children will be American citizens and they WILL NOT do manual labor for shit wages.
Eric, you continue to be off the mark. You don't want to address or admit to the real problem. Things changed since the good days of the 90s. Crap pay rates and an even crappier pay plans with little benefits is the reason the automotive industry has a labor shortage. I went to school for it, did it for 6 years, rose to master tech status and walked away to take a much stabler hourly job and bringing home on average 15 to 20 grand more a year. Plain and simple, money talks.
Where I work now, I work with a lot of kids who are going to or considering going to school for it. I talk about 80% out of it and into a different field with better pay prospects. I will continue to do this.
Michael Costa I do agree with what you say. I am currently an automotive instructor at a high school in Texas and I know just how bad of a pay you get during at the dealership. It's almost warranty work or bad management that destroys your passion in this career and that is exactly why I left the industry to become an instructor at the age of 23. I think helping other people and giving them other options in life is more important than being in a cut throat business all your life.
Couldn't do that here in Canada, need 10 years of experience with a Red Seal Certification before they'll consider you for a teaching position, which means a total of 14 years at least
including training usually. Unless you're a woman then you get hired with 2 years or a total of 6, seen that happen during my my apprenticeship training.
Michael Costa What would be a better industry than Automotive?
Small engine repair, marine service, machine maintenance, forklift service, welding, HVAC. Just to name a few.
+ThatManitobaGuy Canada actually regulates auto repair. The US doesn't. It is a joke in this country. In order to be a professional mechanic all you need to do is run into Sears pick up a 301 piece Craftsman set and call yourself a professional mechanic.
First off you rock, you have one of my favorite channels. Hands down got to give it up to you master techs knowing how to tear apart a car and put it back together. I am a fabricator and part time tech Our industry is dying, the number of untrained employees I have seen run through my shops is outstanding. It is quite sad but definitely makes the good ones in high demand. I took the military rout then trade school thanks to the g.i. bill and I have seen that alot of my peers that ran through college are struggling to find a job and especially one that pays over minimum wage. While on the blue collar side we can't find enough skilled labor weather it is in fabrication, auto technician or even wood work.
Another big issue in my experiences are that fabricators often go unnoticed. I myself fabricate, most of the time it's ugly, but it works and given I live on a fixed income, sometimes fabricating what you don't have is the only choice you have. But fabrication also requires you to have a mechanical mindset, the knowledge and drive to make things and figuring out how things work. Just seems to me, and this is purely my opinion, that parents now days don't really challenge their kids when they see they have the unique mindset of taking their mom/dad's appliances apart to see how it works. I don't see that stuff these days , yet I see the kids wanting to learn with the will to learn, but no accessibility to those learning environments. Your video's, as you said in this video, are that release of learning that most adults and kids alike look for. I fully agree with what you said Eric, the shortage seems to be just that, kids these days are encouraged against their natural mindsets and are pushed away from doing what they naturally like and into something that has a higher potential of lining their pockets financially all while making them die inside every day. In closing, yes, money is great, but I've learned over the last almost 40 years, doing what makes you happy, trumps any financial decision based job. There's lots of money to be made in fabricating, but the aptitude isn't in high demand and high supply. Keep doing you and what you do, who knows, maybe you'll inspire new talent out there that thinks they won't make it.....and you can help prove 1 out of every 1000 people to go join the team of automotive techs and fabricators!
You're a good dad Eric. Not too shabby of a youtuber either ☺️
Thanks.
I thought the US had the opposite problem of not enough jobs overall.
not enough jobs for soft handed weaklings*
rinu123 No we have plenty. I work at an aerospace supplier company and as we grow now we are looking to fill no less than 100 positions currently. A big chunk of the problem (not the whole problem) is there are a lot of people that just don't want to work.
The problem's created by people taking degrees in bullshit created to skim money from the student's parents. People still seem to think that trade school's for suckers but really, they're the ones who got scammed by bullshit promises that their bullshit thesis on irrelevant nonsense is their golden ticket to being a smart person.
Triple A "I got my degree in Underwater Basket Weaving, why don't I make sixty thousand a year?"
I hear you there man
It really is a tragedy sometimes
There is a lot of work that needs to be done. A stroll through any municipality or business will identify that. The problems are numerous. Most can be distilled to value. Employers are balancing the employee costs against the price they can charge the customer.
Another is the drive to increase profit for the employer. If the margins are small they consider the business not worthy of their efforts.
Finally the labor force sees value created in other areas of their lives, and is adjusting their choices to include them. The demand for commitment from the employer is not reciprocated by the employer, so the exchange (never an even one in the first place) is extremely unbalanced in the favor of the employer.
Work ethic is tied to fulfillment, and fulfillment brings costs.
Here's my two cents. Many business do not want to train people anymore. They want to delegate the training to schools. Now you have job seekers having to pay their way to get in to the potential job they want.
Back in the golden era, like you said, somebody can walk in to the garage and learn the trade from an old timer. Now businesses don't do that. They look for certifications, and then work experience.
So now, many people have to choose very carefully which career path they should follow, because it cost a pretty penny just to get your foot on the door.
I feel that every educator should listen to this video. Your points are well made.
Meh. No thanks. I'd rather watch people on UA-cam do this crap. It's crazy to actually want to do it for a living.
Aspra It's okay to admit that you are useless and not capable to do it.
Not saying that at all! I do my own work on my stuff. I just known its bull shit to do for a living, dick.
Aspra Why is it crazy for someone to want to do it for a living then? If it is something they like to do and are good at, why wouldn't they want to peruse that for a career? Dick.
Aspra has it right, work on your own toys & classics,
screw everybody else. too much exposure to chemicals & such plus danger to your digits,
true cost should be $30/hour for real tech work, (not oil & filter swaps)
demoralize a job so that in the end you can pay them less. The american way.
I totally agree. I was told in high I was too smart for a vocational school. Now I own my own shop. If I had been able to go I would have been able to start doing something I love sooner
I got electronics training in the Navy. Went to work in 2way radio afterwards. Taught electronics as a trade school instructor,worked at 3m company making factory control equipment. and went back to public safety Radio shop. Thanks to a good job and the ability to keep my job when most lost theirs allowed me to retire in comfort.
working a blue collar job is great , but under two conditions 1) your part of a powerful union with good pay and benefits 2) your self employed
Slickpete83 To qualify for either of those one needs a level of training that exceeds the basic brake job or oil change level of knowledge. And the skills to do the work do not qualify one to run a business.
Lastly, the pace of technological change is such that the business owner has to continue to get official training to keep ahead of the curve. None of this is simple or easy, and Eric's emphasized that is where the value is.
Slickpete83 I worked under a union umbrella for years and all they do is lump everyone together and treat them all the same. The drunks and stumblebums get the same treatment as the competent workers thus removing all the incentive to excel. That's the main reason I'm self employed now I sink or swim on my own merits not some slick talking union rep. Fuckin unions....ugh
Slickpete83 I make good wages, have annual raises (along with every other employee) have health insurance and dental etc thru the company at my manufacturing job in aerospace supply and actually we dont belong to a union.
I feel like this is a blanket statement. I fall under neither one of those conditions, yet I have a great job at a locally owned company.
I agree with Cad-Cam_Man unions are one of the reasons why we don't have many jobs here in the U.S
add the $$$ and they will come.
Thank you Eric. Without your videos I would not have learn to be a mechanic. God Bless you and your family.
This video means a lot to me Eric. It's something I've fought with everyday for the past 2 months starting my auto job and leaving it. The pay is horrible now, in California at least, you will likely need completed education from somewhere to even be accepted. I didn't go to school to replace transmissions and head gaskets, I learned that on my own and tried to do it at my shop, but unless you have some good record of doing it, likely from a dealership, you're kind of boned. Laborers in general suffer so much, and to me, the most of it is from people that don't do labor. I'm diabetic, can't join military, but still deal with sweat dripping off my face, tossing candy in my mouth, just to keep going through the day. I kind of respect people taking phone calls all days, we all get our bad apples, but if you're sitting in a 68 degree office, that really isn't cool. Schooling, I totally agree, is so bad right now. I think 4 years ago there was 1 school with auto shop in a 30 mile radius. 1 school with wood shop in a 30 mile radius. Art though, oh no, that's going to help people, every high school in my area. The situation is horrid and destined to fail, because they can't pay for 1 teacher per class a day, and the supplies. Supplies and tools are part of the trade, but you can still afford thousands a year on paint, brushes, and other related items.
You are definitely a confidence builder, and why I've watched for 4 years so far. I've loved the progression you made over the years. No matter what happens with your intention on youtube and recording otherwise, please continue. I don't think I'm a needle in the hay stack, so I'm sure others would appreciate it greatly as well.
Your outlook is very much true. I worked my way up the ladder in the earlier generation (bay boomer). Self taught in automotive mechanics. Went through trade school for electronics, Navy for electronics. A person has to get out of their comfort zone and try different things to get a sense of what else exists.
...as a carpenter and a small-time DIY metal fabricator....young guys don't realize the heart felt satisfaction you feel after a long physical days work when you step back and see the results, standing there for all of time.....or at least long past our own short stay here. Thanks for all your advice, help, and insight Eric. love the Fairmont project. Working in the trades equals,.... pride, self worth, brotherhood, comradery, devotion, constant learning, satisfaction, sore muscles, and of course... Dirt..!!!! as a guy I kinda know says... "stay dirty my friend"
Proud aircraft mechanic here. Jump started my career from working on cars. And there is DEFINITELY a shortage of A&Ps out there. Schools are not easy to find with all the federal red tape involved for them, and yea you might be working for a regional line before moving to the majors. Get used to night shift unless you're in general aviation, and don't even think of taking shortcuts or being lazy. But at the end of the day if you love aviation, there is nothing you'd rather do. You'll love your job like no other and when you land that position with a major, 6 figures will be within reach.
Great video; so much good sense and sound judgement. We need more Erics in the world.
I spent 5 years as a mechanic. I spent the second half of that time as a diesel mechanic. Learnt quick got raises, spent 10k on tools, doing well. Then i spent 4 months in a computer coding academy cost 4.5k $ and got a job at $25/hr sitting at a desk, entry level with lots of room to grow. I would have been an asset as a diesel/heavy eqipment tech, but when I can make so much more doing less work I just cant be a mechanic. Miss it a lot though..
I really wish I could have taken an Auto Shop class in high school. I have always been an IT guy, but I do love turning wrenches and repairing/upgrading cars. I never got that experience, like you said.
I don't like new cars. Yes, I am an IT Guy and I love technology and computers, but when it comes to automotive, it is just not the same to me. This is part of the reason I prefer to drive an older, 1998 GMT400 truck, and simply upgrade it to suit my needs. I know what I am doing when I fix my own truck, but it is just that... I fix my own stuff. It is hard working on other's cars and while I do, I try not to make a habit of it. Still, it is a necessary skill we need in the world today.
Thanks for this discussion, Eric.
I really enjoyed this one Eric, you definitely hit the nail on the head regarding the negative bias on this industry, as well as any skilled trade. People view artisan trades so negatively in this modern "be a doctor or lawyer", society. People that are willing to sweat a little bit are truly the ones keeping the gears turning and society trucking on along.
I graduated from high school in 1986. During my time in high school I took the following classes: auto mechanics, wood shop, metal shop, drafting, electronics, graphic design (without computers). I miss those days.
I wanted to be an auto mechanic years ago. My parents had the reaction you described in this video. I think I'm better off now that I went to university but I don't think becoming an auto mechanic would have been a bad move either. I have more respect for some auto mechanics than I do for some of my colleagues with engineering degrees. The education doesn't make you smart, it makes you informed.
The best video on the subject I have seen in a long time.
Totally agree with you on this one Eric. I am a pipefitter and we have the same problem. The hardest thing we find though is to get someone willing to show up ready to WORK on time. They start off great, gung-ho rah-rah, quickly turns out that oops can't make it in today, tomorrow isn't looking too good either. And we get paid a very good middle-class income. Them that can do, will do, and do very well for themselves while doing it.
After working over 30 years in the automotive repair business, I and most of the mechanics I know are pretty beat up physically. Joints take a beating, you are constantly exposed to harmful chemicals, and bending your body in crazy positions under dashes wreak havoc with your back. The job has provided decently for my family, but the pay is steadily shrinking, and the work is getting harder at the same time. So I cannot in good conscience recommend this line of work to anyone at this point in time. Many shops have the mindset that they'll employ one tech that can babysit a bunch of novice guys. As with any of the jobs you mentioned, being self employed seems to be the only worthwhile way to go at this point going forward.
Grandfather work for Ford his whole life, my father was a mechanic working at various dealerships and mom and pop shops. I wanted to become a mechanic at a young age , but he didn't nurture it. Both of them said use your head and not your hands- get an education.
Took electives in HS for auto mechanics and auto body and paint, but not much became of it.
My reflection:
for many years schools basically taught that robots were taking over the auto industry and not much could become of you unless you were management, designer, or engineer. This was during the 80's.
Also having a role model helps to nurture you.
So when at 16 and my first car broke down, I sought the assistance of a friends father, then I purchased books and learned 'most' everything on my own.
Way before internet and had to literally search for information the old skewl way- talking to the automotive teacher, parts stores, shops, friend of a friend, manuals, magazines, but mainly trial and error.
I ended up not going down the auto mechanic path completely.
I did teach my kids the basics though.
They all know how to check and replace fluids, oil, brakes, tires, belts etc etc.
I recently went back to school to get my brake certification, and learned that apparently the automotive teaching industry took a big hit in the last 10 years or more, but is starting to come back. I have faith, but maybe social media will continue to help nurture future generations.
Great message, Eric. You virtually repeated verbatim the message that Mike Rowe still champions. Technical vocations should not be stigmatized but need to be encouraged by parents, teachers and friends.
I've worked many years in automotive tech and in IT. The sacrifices I had to make in each industry were very unbalanced when you consider how one pays versus the other. Not to mention the working conditions and mentality.
I think the reason we have a shortage of automotive technicians is because of two factors: 1. The industry is stigmatized socially as being a profession of the poor. 2. The industry is happy to perpetuate this stigma because, often times, shops keep most of the profit for themselves.
The only mechanics I know that make as much as I do, after only 5 years in IT pulling 40 hours a week, are veteran mechanics that either went into business for themselves or work 6 days a week in a high-end dealership.
Being a good automotive tech requires a passion for the job and real talent. Why people think that is deserving of anything less than 100k a year is beyond me. And the funny thing is that if the mechanic were getting a 40/60 split with the shop it would be possible. Then turning wrenches would be more attractive than sitting at a desk all day working on spreadsheets.
YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD THERE ERIC!
"if they show up.... " I have personally seen many want the job but don't want to show up for it.
Good subject matter. Glad to see you around..
Growing up my parrents pushed me twards engineering. In highschool a diesel tech came in and did a presentation in shop class. I was interested and just getting into my first car. I mentioned it to my parrents who shot it down, since i was on track for a civil engineer and mechanics was a terrible job. I later went to university for two years for civil engineering. I had the grades. I had the career path. I just didnt have the passion. I didnt want to do it. So i told my parrents that i was switching into the diesel field. Ill gladly take the pay cut to do what i love everyday and 3 years in the field now i havent looked back. They were upset a first but when they saw that my field actually pays well and its not the grease monkey image they thought it was they finnally supported me. When i was 22 i became a homeowner. Not bad for a lowly mechanic. (But secretly, because im so young, i love the job security the shortage gives me)
I'm a Young mechanic and I have had the opportunity to work on cars (uk) since I was 14 in a independent garage. I'm 17 now and I think I have learned a lot in the workplace and in college I've seen my class go from 30 to 12 which shows the lack of commitment and effort.
Two years vocational training and two years community college for Automotive Technology. I graduated top of my class and was offered multiple positions around 30k/yr in 2004. I said no thanks and went back to school for a technology degree and made 20k/more my first job offer after school. It was said the most a tech would ever make in my region was 60k/yr 14 years ago.
The lesson here is employers have to attract new potential candidates they have to pay competitive wages for the market they operate in. If not, it's a revolving door phenomenon where the good workers leave for greener pastures and your stuck with timmy the dub who shows up hung over from the night before. In other words, you get what you pay for.
I took a break from school at 16. Got a job at the local printshop. Worked my way up the ladder, i am now a pressman and has worked for the same company for 15 years. Most of my childhood friends are still in school!
Good stuff man ! Being a mechanic rules. Been doing it now since I was 14. I'm 29 now and work at Porsche. I'm very dyslexic and slightly ADD. And this is my dream carrier. Love the videos man
Problem with auto repair for me was not pay per hour but flat rate. Until a better system is devised there will be a shortage and the people who run the dealerships and shops don't see it. I graduated with about 7 guys in my class in automotive technology, and only one is working in a shop. The rest of us have taken different routes.
The companies that I know of that have been most successfull with hiring and keeping good employees, are the ones which reach out to kids in school or to students in college, hire them for internships, offer them either education, sponsorships for education or other kinds of help with their career. Usually that binds people to the company because they identfy with it and they do the best job possible, because you have trained them yourself.
I regulary see this with students in our company. If you motivate them, support them and challenge them they will be very quickly at your level. Experience is one thing and can't be bought or tought. But getting people up to speed works best when you do it yourself.
Unfortunately many companies don't realize that, trying to pay small wages for job descriptions that would require a rocket scientist usually doesn't work out.
And as long as stupid systems like flatrate rule many automotive shops, that is not gonna change. Employees are not just numbers, they are human beings with specific skills, weaknesses and needs.
If you think about it this way, your life as an employer will be so much easier...and your employees will love and do almost anything for you.
I love this video. I wanted to be a fitter and turner but a number of people pushed me into engineering. I do love engineering, but if it comes down to only design behind a desk and completely hands on, I'd take the technicians' job. Unfortunately our manufacturing industry in Australia is not substantial.