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This is how I've lived my life. I realized, in 1978, that a B.A would not give me the things I wanted in life so I quit higher education and went into a skilled trades apprenticeship. I enlisted in 1983 and turned that trades knowledge into one of the best jobs the army had to offer at the time in the field of TMDE. After The Med board gave me my walking papers in 1993, I walked straight back into a skilled trades position. Any time I talk to youngsters about what they're going to do with their life I push a trades oriented education or apprenticeship. My Sister stayed in school until she had a PhD in Psychology. She was on clinical staff in Landsthul and Brooks during the 90's and 2000's. I've made more money than She, even in retirement I'm better set up, and I always enjoyed my work to the point that going to the J O B was more like a day in the park than work. Didin't have to worry about my clothes because the employer supplied stuff I could roll around on the floor in. I wasn't trapped in a 10x10 cubby all day long. As long as I did my job efficiently and effectively I got paid to sit and do nothing. I spent 12 hours on the clock at $30+/hr and might have actually worked 15 minutes of that time. If you've got children or grandchildren trying to figure out what to do with their lives, talk to them about the skilled trades. A lot of community colleges are teaching Mechatronics now, that's a fancy way of saying Multi-craft tradesman, The "Jack-of-All" that most employers are looking for. I've been a Harley Mechanic and I've written the programs to transfer tons of powdered product from silos to day bins. My engineers liked me a lot because I made their jobs easier.
SGT James Murphy, CPT Jack Durish,
SPC Gary Welch, SGT Mark Anderson,
CPL Douglas Chrysler, LTC Trent Klug,
CSM Charles Hayden, SMSgt David A Asbury,
SSG William Jones, MSgt Robert "Rock" Aldi
SSG Michael Noll, MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D.
SGM Erik Marquez, CW3 Harvey K.
SFC William Farrell, CPL Ronald Keyes Jr
Sgt (Join to see), SSG (Join to see)
1SG Dan Capri, LTC (Join to see)
SGT James Murphy, CPT Jack Durish,
SPC Gary Welch, SGT Mark Anderson,
CPL Douglas Chrysler, LTC Trent Klug,
CSM Charles Hayden, SMSgt David A Asbury,
SSG William Jones, MSgt Robert "Rock" Aldi
SSG Michael Noll, MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D.
SGM Erik Marquez, CW3 Harvey K.
SFC William Farrell, CPL Ronald Keyes Jr
Sgt (Join to see), SSG (Join to see)
1SG Dan Capri, LTC (Join to see)
Mike Rowe wants more philosopher-welders
Posted from reason.comPosted in these groups: Skilled Trades
MaintenanceTechnical Education & Industry Training
Education
Enjoying Life
MaintenanceTechnical Education & Industry Training Education Enjoying Life
Posted 7 mo ago
Responses: 4
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Mike Rowe is correct. And I was happily surprised when my grandson shared this article with me. Hope springs eternal.
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SGT (Join to see)
Excellent, Typically the Mechatronics schooling is two years to be a "Fixer" Some schools have added an additional 2 year program that ends with an Engineering degree. I left the course work with 16 hours incomplete on the engineering side because it was all liberal education classes, Canterbury Tales, Philosophy, and comparative Religion didn't have anything to do with turning a wrench, I didn't want the Engineer title, because I'd have been stuck at a desk somewhere, on call 24/7, and over qualified to do the work I wanted to. If the Mechatronics course work had been available to me, I might have finished the EE. I also found out that if you're really good at it, your mouth can't overload your ass, HR will just counsel you on using more tact in your interpersonal relationships. F'em
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College is fine for some, unfortunately too many go to college ruin up a huge debt and come out with a crap degree that in actuality is not worth the paper it was printed on.
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Cpl Vic Burk
SSG (Join to see) My oldest daughter resemembles that remark leaving college over $30,000.00 in debt for a worthless degree. She's now a bakery manager and district trainer at supermarket chain here in Tennessee. None of which has a thing to do with her college degree.
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SSG (Join to see)
Cpl Vic Burk - When I was working on my masters from western Kentucky, one of my professors told us this, he was one of 3 boys. His oldest brother went to college got a degree in law, ran for judge executive of Warren County, he was the middle boy, got a degree and is now a professor at WKU, the youngest brother hated school after high school went to work in the HVAC for a gentleman, the youngest brother now owns his own business and makes according to the professor much more than his older brothers.
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Cpl Vic Burk
SSG (Join to see) - I can definitely see that! I made a lot more money when I owned my own electronics repair shop than teaching. That's how I paid off my house and all of my debt in just a couple years instead of thirty years. I make less but you know what, I don't care. I enjoyed electronics but I also enjoy teaching, so I was lucky enough to have two different careers that are things I enjoyed, not a drudgery job I despise having to go to work at every day. I learned that money is nice, but it isn't everything.
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