https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-03/manufacturing-in-u-s-accelerates-to-cap-best-year-since-2004?
-Factory index climbed to 59.7 (est. 58.2) from 58.2 a month earlier; readings above 50 indicate expansion
-Gauge of new orders advanced to 69.4, the highest in nearly 14 years, from 64
-Measure of production increased to 65.8, the strongest since May 2010, from 63.9
“A common refrain from companies surveyed, though, was difficulty finding highly-skilled labor”
Just more proof that we need stronger vocational programs in high schools. We need to prepare the next generation of plumbers, electricians, and manufacturing technicians. The idea of sending everyone to college and churning out liberal arts graduates isn’t going to help our economy. The liberal arts degree isn’t going to give people employable skills to support their family.
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Hence my “Teach Johnny To Pick Up A Hammer” thread…
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Yup, I have no idea what we’ll do with the population that can’t have a STEM career. We seem to steer them away from good paying careers and into low paying ones that require a ton of student loan debt. We do that as if we’re doing them a favor by steering them in that direction.
To be fair, is it just the Tiger Mom parents doing all of the hard steering or is it also lil Johnny or Jane wanting to be cool and not have to get their fingernails a tad dirty for a living???
It’s all involved parents. That’s why there are no longer vocational programs in schools. Parents didn’t want to be told their kid isn’t “college material”. There are completely disengaged parents who don’t care if their kids graduate HS or not.
I think we’re all pretty isolated. We argue over which 9 or 10 rated school is better. Which school has more AP classes available and which HS gives better odds of getting into an Ivy League school or UC Berkeley. Meanwhile 20% of kids aren’t even graduating high school.
I have cousins who grew up in alcoholic and/or divorced parent homes. Most of them didn’t finish HS. They dropped out and eventually got a GED. It’s not that they are dumb. They just had a super chaotic home situation. They were more focused on getting out of that situation than going to school. Most have adjusted as adults, but they started out way behind. My parents tried to help as much as they could, but you can only do so much with addiction. Even if you buy things for the kids, an alcoholic will return them to the store even if they have to accept far less back than was paid for the items. All they care about is getting money for the alcohol.
I guess my point is if Johnny or Jane spoke up for themselves what could happen? Kicked out of the lovely picket fenced, suburban 4/3 with the formal dining room? If Mommy or Daddy opened their eyes and saw how Johnny when little wanted to help Daddy with changing the oil in his Ferrari they might have gotten a clue… No, it is the parents who can’t face the “embarrassment” if the neighborhood found out that their prized possessions can’t write code???
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How many teenagers make good long-term decisions? Most adults can’t even do that. That’s why they have no retirement savings and a bunch of debt.
Unfortunately, you are right…take our Planet Manch, everyone goes ga ga about schools and rankings. (I would probably too if I had kids…) No one talks about lil Johnny or Jane having a knack for fiddling with electronics or cars… no one
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Chit. All parents dream with a kid with master degrees. Even though these kids can’t create a spread sheet as told. Or can open a beer with no opener:smiley:
Technology is becoming a bad thing for kids if you don’t steer them to use it as a leverage for any future well paid job in that industry, though that is not the future I want for my kid.
But to me, anybody calling himself smart shouldn’t be working for nobody. S/he should be creating, inventing something that would make them successful and not depending of anybody to live. Independence rather than having a good job.
