My place of work is training-ground for industry -- we simply cannot afford to compete. So we get college grads with no experience and pay them a bit better than entry level. They stay around a couple of years building experience, resume' and a solid work ethic. Then apply for a job with somebody who will pay them what they are worth. Bye-bye! Almost all of them stay in touch. Some of them come by or call sometimes head-hunting.

One fellow who worked for me back in the mid-1990's -- an excellent worker by any measure, is now a VP for the American division of a major international oilfield services company. I'll be the first to say that guy is an extreme exception. But OTOH, I only know of one guy whom we trained who has turned-out to be pretty-much a dud. To his current employer: I apologize! It was a fluke!

B

PS We have a very bright, hard-working, single young woman (who doesn't work for me) that is looking for adventure. She's got a MS in biology and has done field work in Hawaii and Micronesia as well as the swamps and bayous of Louisiana. Good with statistics. She's got good sense even though she's a natural risk-taker. A rare combination. I figure she'll be with us another year, at most.