'Skills' Gap Leaving Firms Without Workers

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43590587/ns/business-personal_finance/

Let me get this straight.....the *only* example that this Rhode Island reporter Erika Niedowski could find of a company that *supposedly* can't find 'trained' workers is Ultra Scientific.....which as a matter of fact *did* recently hire someone....who has a PhD in a science field.

Ultra Scientific's owner John Russo says that he 'expects to hire' 15-20 more workers 'over the next year'.....not that he's tried & failed to find any workers.....just that Russo 'expects' to hire workers with science PhDs & has used his magical ESP & decided in advance that he won't find any Americans with the PhDs.

There are *many* science PhDs all across the US working in jobs that are far beneath their qualifications.....all Russo needs to do is *ADVERTISE* & he'll get a ton of applications.....this isn't about Russo's inability to find Americans with PhDs to work for him.....this is about Russo's building up an argument for the govt to give him some *H1B Visa Holders* from India & China who'll work long hours very cheap & keep their mouths shut for fear of being deported.

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The rest of Erika Niedowski's article focuses on the problem of high-school dropouts & those with only high-school diplomas. First of all pleeze let me say.....

A PhD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah right.....does Niedowski have *any idea* how long it takes to get a PhD??

Second of all.....
There are *no more* middle-skill jobs because they've all been shipped overseas. It doesn't matter if somebody goes to community college or a technical school.....the only jobs left (most of which are already taken) are service jobs like restaurant & sales clerk or--as in the case of the *one* example Niedowski gives.....a min wage job as a 'service writer' at an auto dealership.

Niedowski seems to see a single choice for the low-educated kids.....not working at all or going to a tech school & landing an $8/hr job.....OMG OMG OMG. Yes I know our country has a *huge* problem with high-school dropouts & a huge number of kids with only high-school diplomas who can't find jobs. I'm not disputing that. I'm just saying that sending somebody to a 15-month tech school program isn't gonna land them a job that pays a living wage that they can build a family & life upon (& sure isn't gonna get them a plum PhD job with companies like Russo's.)

Our country deserves better than this kind of lazy journalism where a reporter like Niedowski slaps together a bunch of unrelated info & even leaves out *critical* info like the fact that 15 million American jobs have been offshore outsourced since 1989. If we still had those jobs our country would be *booming*. Niedowski & for that matter Congress should be working on *solutions* to bring the jobs back.....or at least to keep even more jobs from being shipped overseas.

Donald Trump may have exploded his reputation by jumping on the birther bandwagon. But he was right that the US should *raise import duties* on imported products. The free market will take care of the rest. When Wall Mart & Target etc can no longer get too much cheap sh!t from abroad.....they'll return to buying from American manufacturers. Of course products will cost more.....but people will actually BE ABLE TO FIND JOBS & those who have jobs will get HIGHER PAY. It'd be a win-win for everybody except for China & India etc, the top 10% of Americans whose incomes have *increased* since the Recession began who won't be top dogs anymore, & of course the Republican Party whose members are *purposely* trying to continue destroying the American economy in hopes that'll win them control of the WH & Congress in 2012.

Suppose we couldn't expect any truth about offshore outsourcing of US jobs from Erika Niedowski.....who before she moved to RI & started writing for the AP worked in MD for the Baltimore Sun as the 'Foreign Reporter.' Her background is writing about how other countries benefit from the outsourcing & how the outsourcing is a good thing.



Now she's switched to helping out businesses that want to bring foreigners over here on H1B visas to take the few good American jobs that are left.....

Yesterday I saw a supermarket worker on his break sitting outside on a bench.....looked like he was about 70 years old.....looked extremely tired like he wanted to die.....why is such an old guy still working at his age?? Because the Wall Street banksters (who are *still* lapping up their giant bonuses) destroyed everyone's savings & home values.....& because this old guy is working some young kid doesn't have a job.

Awhile back I saw an ad for a scientist and it REQUIRED a Ph.D, which makes sense. The salary for this? $14hour. Yep I couldn't believe it. The fact is there is no shortage of scientists, there's a shortage of these jobs. Recently one of the science labs in the Chicago area (can't remember if it was Argonne or Fermi)decided to cut many jobs and make them VOLUNTEER. Yep you read that right. Meanwhile I've met people with Ph.Ds in science fields unemployed longer than me.

These articles anger me. I am vastly skilled. I have a masters, I speak three languages, I know many computer programs and learn fast. I pick up things in a matter of hours. I taught myself PhotoShop, Microsoft Office, and website design. Yet I've been unemployed 3 years.

OMG OMG OMG. Yes I know our country has a *huge* problem with high-school dropouts.

I have a ninth grade education and most of my Jack of all trades friends were dropouts. We all own our homes outright since no one will lend us money. We own more tools than god, all without an expensive education. Perhaps an expensive education is not all that it is cracked up to be. Rather than learn trades that change with the wind we have chosen a trade that is always in demand. The public fool system is a scam to create corporate drones that are disposable when they are no longer needed. I have trouble hiring skilled workers, any Jack of all trades that is worth a s**t is over 50 years old and has their own business. If you can repair a combine in the field, weld, work on 440 VAC 3 phase, build pumps, lighting systems, septic systems, dig wells, are a skilled carpenter, electrician, plumber et cetera (all of these skills, not just one) I have a job for you.

This isn't about us people. Its about selling to the public ,the unemployed are this way because we are dumb or lazy .
I been going threw this years, everytime a company I worked for closed plants in the US. Everytime thinking I made it some place where I could retire.3-5 years layoffs a couple call backs then poof gone.Ech time it took longer to get a job.

Phillymg they will not stop shipping jobs away until. they can pay us what they do people in mexico. Companies want profits !

60 minutes did a report on the jobs 2 years ago showing that people with masters and PHD's got hit super hard. A guy that made like 300k went to work at target.

stcfarms wrote:I have trouble hiring skilled workers, any Jack of all trades that is worth a s**t is over 50 years old and has their own business. If you can repair a combine in the field, weld, work on 440 VAC 3 phase, build pumps, lighting systems, septic systems, dig wells, are a skilled carpenter, electrician, plumber et cetera (all of these skills, not just one) I have a job for you.

STC--How do young people (esp. those living in the inner cities) learn how to 'repair a combine in the field, weld, work on 440 VAC 3 phase, build pumps, lighting systems, septic systems, dig wells, are a skilled carpenter, electrician, plumber et cetera (all of these skills, not just one)'?? Only by being taught by people like you & your friends. Young people require mentors who will apprentice them.....& a place to live & food to eat while they're learning. Complaining you can't find anyone won't do the trick.....you must *recruit*.

Since it's unlikely you have the resources to house & feed large numbers of (or any) high-school dropouts while training them.....your best shot would be to *advertise in your local/state area* for young people who already have a place to live but can take public transit or have a car/ride to come to you for the training & work. Before you know it.....you'll have a ton of candidates banging down your door.

PS--Probably you don't plan to offer health insurance, workers comp, etc to your employees.....so it'd be a good idea for you to make everyone who comes on board with you as an apprentice/employee to sign some sort of contract document indemnifying you from responsibility for injury/death whatever. You may wish you didn't live in the modern world but you do.....my uncle who's a contractor in CA got sued by an employee who was basically a scam artist & my uncle had to pay a bundle to lawyers to defeat the false claim. Don't take anyone on without a contract document is my modest advice.

I am teaching three young men that grew up in the area, two that grew up on farms and one from a small town nearby. The first thing that I teach them is conceptual thought. the ability to see a 3D exploded view of things that they will have to work on in their heads. This requires imagination enough to create motion and predict the outcome. Most repair manuals can be downloaded at no cost, they contain trouble shooting guides and exploded views.

Right now I have them rebuilding motors so they will better grasp the concepts of the internal combustion engines. I am not paying them, they are using my tools and knowledge and I am using their labor, we split the profit. They have other jobs, trucks and places to live while they train. I took them on at their grandparents request ( I have worked with all of their grandparents). There are two other young men that want to work for me but they lack ethics, you cannot work in this area if you have no ethics.

I have taken them on as partners, independent contractors that share equally in the profits if you will. They pay their way through life and I pay mine, of course they are better off now and they know it. Contracts out here are settled by a hand shake, not an over priced lawyer. I have done business this way for 34 years without a problem. If city folks want to come and learn from me I will make them the same deal. If you have enough hustle left in you to get an old truck, a camper and a cheap set of starter tools come on over. You will make as much as I do, you will just have to work harder to get it.

I took your advice about hiring locally, I did not have to advertise, I just told the right people that I was willing to train some Jacks of all trades and they showed up at my door. I am no more impressed by your formal education than you are by my lack of it, my girlfriend graduated from Purdue near the top of her class, she probably has us both beat.

Shows us the real skilled jobs, then they will come. Being too picky, expecting ridiculous qualification, not training properly, choosing skills that can only be learned while doing that job, etc. When will employers wake up and remember that we are there greatest asset? It used to be that way.

Now, the employers can't leave soon enough for China. Until this is solved, expect more of the same. Where are the jobs? China and India. If your an illegal immigrant and keep your mouth shut, you will be hired. Don't expect to be hired above minimum wage. Your able to get free healthcare at the hospital emergency. This of course is passed on to the middle class that is left working.

May these employers rot in HELL. Happy July 4th, if you can afford hot dogs. Don't forget to fly our flag made in China. Today, there are Walmart specials, don't buy in you local store that does have some products made here.

Happy July 4t especially to the exhaustees. How many years is it? Things need to be changed by August 2nd or expect more of the same and it could get worse yet.

TR11005 wrote:Shows us the real skilled jobs, then they will come. Being too picky, expecting ridiculous qualification, not training properly, choosing skills that can only be learned while doing that job, etc. When will employers wake up and remember that we are there greatest asset? It used to be that way.

Now, the employers can't leave soon enough for China. Until this is solved, expect more of the same. Where are the jobs? China and India. If your an illegal immigrant and keep your mouth shut, you will be hired. Don't expect to be hired above minimum wage. Your able to get free healthcare at the hospital emergency. This of course is passed on to the middle class that is left working.

May these employers rot in HELL. Happy July 4th, if you can afford hot dogs. Don't forget to fly our flag made in China. Today, there are Walmart specials, don't buy in you local store that does have some products made here.

Happy July 4t especially to the exhaustees. How many years is it? Things need to be changed by August 2nd or expect more of the same and it could get worse yet.

The amount of ridiculous requirements I am seeing is out of hand. I saw a job for a marketing coordinator requiring a forklift certification and a admin job requiring mechanical skills. Recently I interviewed for a job that was a combo of both a rape crisis center counselor and a trainer. Basically you'd be doing both jobs and not making a lot to do the job.

From my hometown paper today. Small manufactures thrive, but have trouble filling jobs.

http://www.newbritainherald.com/articles/2011/07/04/news/doc4e111078b986f904553794.txt

I am CONSTANTLY hearing this propaganda that there aren't enough skilled workers. It is so sickening! They think that you had to have done EXACTLY what they want you to do EXACTLY the way that they do it. They don't think they should train anyone on a job anymore, not even for five minutes. This is disgusting and ridiculous!!!!!!!!! They just want to blame the unemployed for being unemployed and it is a lie!

I know, it makes me sick. There are skilled people, maybe not in a specific field but some people train fast. I have a diverse background and could easily pick up skills in other fields.

Train yourself and go into competition with the workers in asia. In the world of barter, quality trumps cheap and local is less expensive than shipping. With these two advantages a workforce of 15 million people can have 15 million customers, the other 99ers. Would you rather work for your oppressors, or would you rather drive them out of business? Millions of folks want steel gas cans that work, the plasticrap cans are useless. This is only one example of a job that would help destroy planned obsolescence while creating jobs for you. Look around, there are opportunities out there if you pay attention.

Not a bad idea, but in reality many jobs can't be competition for cheap overseas labor. I can't work for $5 a day for a job.

Hi new_wave_princess,

I sent you a relevant PM.

WW

I got the pm and thanks for the info.

new_wave_princess wrote:I got the pm and thanks for the info.

Left follow-up PM to answer questions posed.

WW

In the underground economy you are paid what you are worth. It is sad to think that $5 a day is all that you believe that you are worth. You are right to hold out for a 'real' job, you will not make it out here.

I'm worth far more than $5 a day but that's what many employers are paying overseas. There's the problem.

That may well be what they pay but they do not price the merchandise based on that alone. Being greedy they also figure in a healthy profit for themselves and their investors. The middlemen can make that profit or you can make that profit. Not all jobs can be outsourced, if you have ever been stranded out on a highway you know that. If 99ers with mechanical ability were to organize they could set up a 50 state network of people that will come and help stranded motorists any time, day or night. If they had an arrangement with a local junkyard they could get parts any time. There is a local man that only fixes tires when everyone else is closed, he does very well, he makes $300 a day.

Am in full agreement with STC that 'not all jobs can be outsourced' & that those currently unemployed/underemployed should concentrate our job-search efforts on non-outsourcable fields whenever possible/practical.

In the US among all the private-sector jobs 90% are in service industries yet only 10% in manufacturing.

It's very possible to start one's own business as STC describes (but not if you're getting UI.....UI rules in all states say that you must have prior permission from your UI office to make self-employment income & some states ban self-employment income for those on UI altogether).

If you start making real big money (like $300/day) be sure to pay your state & federal income taxes quarterly as required by law. You can check with your state's tax office & with the IRS regarding the paperwork. It's better to pay the taxes than take a chance on going to jail imo.

STC--Please forgive me if it seemed/seems like I was criticizing your suggestion......meant only that not everyone is suited for self-employment. It's good to hear that in the 1 month since you came up with the idea of starting a fix-it barter business that you've already hired 2 workers & recruited 3 young people for training.

I have had the fix it barter business for 34 years, it is only recently that expanded it to train more people, in the past I would only train one at a time. It is not my only business, you need to wear many hats in the underground economy.

I seldom deal with cash, as you say, it is taxable. In a true barter business you trade most of the time and only take cash when you need it. I probably do not have $1,000 in cash but if I need something it is usually in the garage or one of the storage sheds. I was under the impression that the 99ers were off UI so earning money should not be a problem for most of them.

The helpers will not make a lot of money until they begin to produce the tools of the underground economy (trailers, compressors, generators, tow bars et cetera), these are the items that sell as fast as you can make them. I will start them on these items when they learn the Pythagorean theory, Ohm's law et cetera and improve their welding skills.

The trainees are working at their jobs 40 hours a week, for me 20 hours a week and have to study in their spare time so they do not have it easy. Their schooling was woefully inadequate in higher math, physics, chemistry et cetera, things that we learned by 4th grade.

It may seem mean to keep their schedule so full but it will begin to pay off in a few months when they can quit their pitiful jobs. I expect each of them to build their own snowplow before the snow falls, around here you can earn a years wages just in the winter months.

If you are interested I will put up a Yahoo site with pictures of home made snowplows, trailers et cetera that you can build yourself for a tenth of what they would cost you to buy.

Philly,

Perhaps you are right that the underground economy and self employment is not for everyone, the lack of responses on this and other 99er groups backs up your claim. It is sad to think that there will be 15 million more homeless folks in the coming months just because people fear trying new things. One would think that the fear of becoming homeless would be more than enough incentive to take the leap.

I, and most of my friends, are 'bad boys' we do not fit in the mold so we never finished school. Perhaps this is the key to working outside the system. It is not that we lacked the intellect to finish school but rather we lack the obedient gene that would have allowed us to conform. I guess that a regular job just reinforces the obedient gene and eventually over rides any behavior that involves risk.

You are right that self employment is risky, some of my jobs fail. Failure can be viewed as defeat or a learning experience, those that view failure as a learning experience can make the necessary adjustments to turn failure into success. The old saying "Give a man a fish and he eats once, teach a man how to fish and he eats every day" is a great lesson. I am not the only one out there trying to teach people how to fish, if you look around you can find someone in your local area.

Jerry.

I get where you are going and yes self employment works better for some. I've been doing a lot of thinking about this because I am considering going the freelance way myself. I've been getting people asking me if I know computer software and I am considering going into business teaching that to people.

We have a friend that used to work for Sun Systems as a programmer and started a consulting company when he got laid off last november. The first few months were rough but now they can pay their bills and even eat out once in a while.