Skilled Mechanics?

[franklin]

I agree with these sentiments, but I'd add that, culturally speaking, we've extended the period of adolescence by several years.

This is very true. The younger graduating generation being underemployed (meaning 45% of them do not immediately get employed in their degree field) is likely linked to this.

 

[Ron Mexico]

I worked in academia for a number of years, so take this for whatever it may be worth. Here's a list of what I consider to be the best undergraduate degrees (no order):

*Mathematics (Engineering won't be on this list because you can easily get a Master's in engineering after an undergrad in math. But you can also do ****loads of different things with math.)
*Philosophy (specifically the Spinozan-Leibnizian-Nietzschean-Deleuzian line [as opposed to the Decartes-phenomenology line]).
*English Literature (other traditions are also great, but I'd rank English-lang lit above the field).
*Geology (We could all be better at interpreting the Earth. Geology is ****ing awesome.)
*Music (pick your focus. All my friends and acquaintances who have followed these paths live rich and interesting lives).
*Biology (I resisted writing "Evolutionary Biology" like certain fashions dictate, because, well, all biology is evolutionary).
*"Art" (put in quotes because you can pick your focus here, painting, sculpture, etc. Learn how to make stuff without any utilitarian directive. Explore through making.)

I assume this isnt your list of degrees that will get you a job. Degrees that you think are useful in life? Or bring job satisfaction? Having also worked as a college professor for awhile and having a wife who has been for 10 years I think the only degrees from that list I would agree on is Math, Biology and maybe to a lesser extent Art, simply because of the high level of happiness of people in that field despite generally not being paid well.

 

[NAOS]

I have two long time family friends that graduated with degrees in Geology. Neither could get a job, so they went back to school, majored in something else, graduated again, and found good jobs almost immediately.
But this was 20 years ago. Things may be different now.

I assume this isnt your list of degrees that will get you a job. Degrees that you think are useful in life? Or bring job satisfaction? Having also worked as a college professor for awhile and having a wife who has been for 10 years I think the only degrees from that list I would agree on is Math, Biology and maybe to a lesser extent Art, simply because of the high level of happiness of people in that field despite generally not being paid well.

Learning is a skill that should be cultivated for its own sake. We can all get better at learning as we learn. I happen to think that those subjects are particularly good because of the challenges they afford -- and I've seen each of them produce excellent students who do well in interdisciplinary and different professional environments. I don't value them because of the roadway they provide to money -- but if "earning money" becomes a focused objective of one these students, then they have an excellent shot at gaining the skills that they'll need to attain it.

 

[NAOS]

Also, bigb, your friends' experience 20 years ago isn't representative of the professional success of geology graduates at the time, let alone now.

 

[bigb]

Learning is a skill that should be cultivated for its own sake. We can all get better at learning as we learn. I happen to think that those subjects are particularly good because of the challenges they afford -- and I've seen each of them produce excellent students who do well in interdisciplinary and different professional environments. I don't value them because of the roadway they provide to money -- but if "earning money" becomes a focused objective of one these students, then they have an excellent shot at gaining the skills that they'll need to attain it.

Agreed

 

[bigb]

Also, bigb, your friends' experience 20 years ago isn't representative of the professional success of geology graduates at the time, let alone now.

I have no idea how picky they were with the job hunt in regards to what they applied for, etc. Just stated an experience that I know of. Obviously there are jobs to be had, including high paying jobs, in that field.

 

[Boris]

I work at Dannon in West Jordan. There are several open positions, including 3 Maintenance Mechanic positions. This job has a probationary pay of more than $23/hr for the first 720hrs worked and then goes to more than $27 with opportunities to advance and make more than $33/hr currently with union negotiated raises every year.

I'm posting this because we just lost another mechanic this week and Dannon seems to have a very hard time filling these positions. I expect to be working 60hr weeks for the next few months due to being short-handed. I really don't want to work that many hours, so I need Dannon to find Mechanics to hire.

Besides the pay the benefits are solidly above average.

If you're not a mechanic there are several Operator positions open as well. I think starting pay for those positions is more than $17/hr and within a year I believe you could move into a Production Operator position and make around $20-$22.

Must have a verifiable HS Diploma (they actually check) and be able to pass a pre-employment drug test.

PM me for details or go to their website https://somethingspecialinside.com/Index.aspx

We need help, and it's crazy because the pay and benefits are good. We should have a line going out the door with people wanting to work there.

Dang man that pay is awesome! I worked for years at a city power plant repairing reciprocating internal combustion engines an boilers an maintenance on emergency generators. Than I got in the property management side an even earnt some HVAC certifications. I retired two years ago an never made more then $16 a hour. Maybe I will drag my arthritic knuckles out of retirement an apply. I never dreamed of $33 per hour. With that I could buy my aging mother her last dying gift a Cadillac.

 

[Gameface]

Dang man that pay is awesome! I worked for years at a city power plant repairing reciprocating internal combustion engines an boilers an maintenance on emergency generators. Than I got in the property management side an even earnt some HVAC certifications. I retired two years ago an never made more then $16 a hour. Maybe I will drag my arthritic knuckles out of retirement an apply. I never dreamed of $33 per hour. With that I could buy my aging mother her last dying gift a Cadillac.

The pay is good. But the fact that there has been an open mechanic position for more than a year and we are losing mechanics faster than they can be replaced makes me wonder if we're not being underpaid. It is a challenging job. There is a lot of automated and interconnected equipment and systems. A lot to learn. I've been there three years and I'm still learning every day. This is not a job that anyone will be really good at in their first year. That said, it's not a repetitive job. I have no idea what I'll spend my day working on until it happens. You're working in a production environment and your job is to keep production going when there is any sort of breakdown, be it mechanical, materials, automation or simple user error. The majority of auto mechanics do not pass the pre-employment tests and don't get hired. This is a different sort of work than that.

I knew it was a shot in the dark, but I suppose there aren't going to be applicants generated from this thread. But maybe still, who knows?

 

[Boris]

The pay is good. But the fact that there has been an open mechanic position for more than a year and we are losing mechanics faster than they can be replaced makes me wonder if we're not being underpaid. It is a challenging job. There is a lot of automated and interconnected equipment and systems. A lot to learn. I've been there three years and I'm still learning every day. This is not a job that anyone will be really good at in their first year. That said, it's not a repetitive job. I have no idea what I'll spend my day working on until it happens. You're working in a production environment and your job is to keep production going when there is any sort of breakdown, be it mechanical, materials, automation or simple user error. The majority of auto mechanics do not pass the pre-employment tests and don't get hired. This is a different sort of work than that.

I knew it was a shot in the dark, but I suppose there aren't going to be applicants generated from this thread. But maybe still, who knows?

Is it more advanced than pneumatic compressors, hydrolics, pumps, pressure gauges an I am assuming boilers an emergency generators? Shoot I could walk in an fix any of that. My problem came in at computer programming.

 

[Gameface]

Is it more advanced than pneumatic compressors, hydrolics, pumps, pressure gauges an I am assuming boilers an emergency generators? Shoot I could walk in an fix any of that. My problem came in at computer programming.

There is an automation element involving PLCs and there is the various control software that runs reach piece of equipment that is tied to the PLC system.

It isn't even mostly about the ability to fix something, it is at least as much about identifying what needs to be fixed. With the interconnected systems involved that can sometimes be very challenging.

There are times when a production line just won't start and the is no apparent fault and you have to figure out why.

And there is also the continuous improvement aspect where you have to identify specific functions that could be done better and then fabricate the parts to make that happen.

 

[Boris]

There is an automation element involving PLCs and there is the various control software that runs reach piece of equipment that is tied to the PLC system.

It isn't even mostly about the ability to fix something, it is at least as much about identifying what needs to be fixed. With the interconnected systems involved that can sometimes be very challenging.

There are times when a production line just won't start and the is no apparent fault and you have to figure out why.

And there is also the continuous improvement aspect where you have to identify specific functions that could be done better and then fabricate the parts to make that happen.

I meant I can not getting into reprogramming. Back when I started we had hard wired relay switches. Those were much harder to deal with than PLC. I loved it when those thinks came out but I never operated one they just told me what it said an I went to work. Before that, hell sometimes we had to walk round the damn shop checking which one tripped us offline an piece everything together the old fashion way.

In that industry downtime costs money. That firebox is hot an you do not want to waste the coal lettin the fire burn out. So we had to find out straight off if it is just a faulty relay or a bad gauge or a actual problem. Nice think was if low steam pressure was from boiler tube leaks an not external problem you got a day free than a ton of overtime fixing the think.