Working at a school where the automotive and diesel programs were closed down in the 1990's to adapt to a knowledge economy, I found the following piece insightful:

http://www.thenewatlantis.com/archive/13/crawford.htm

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Kerry, did not get through the whole article, but I think I have a pretty firm grasp on its' contents. It sums up what we in the service sector have been seeing for years. There are no young people entering the professions and I truly wonder who is going to fix anything in the very near future. The average age of a technician in autobody or mechanical repair I believe, is right around 54 to 56. What does that tell you ? As in the article our techs and myself take a lot of pride in figuring things out and doing a job right. Why that trait seems to be disappearing is beyond me. One reason I do see around here is because a LOT of the young crowd is on drugs. I am content to know that I probably won't be around to see the way things are in 20 years or so.

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95 SL500 Smoke Silver, Parchment 64K
07 E350 4matic Station Wagon White 34K
02 E320 4Matic Silver/grey 80K
05 F150 Silver 44K

It bothers me. The result is two problems: Good technically competent people get bad training OJT (most companies cannot afford extensive training programs for entry-level techs) and academic institutions change their standards to accomdate curricula that would be better taught in technical schools.

B

I only read about half, they make an interesting point. I currantly work on boats and very often I judge my work and the work of others. Crap is crap, quality is quality. Often as I am working I think to myself, "is the next guy going to be impressed by my work, or think its crap?"

Not everyone is suited to college ect, there is nothing wrong with picking up a trade.


In the consumer society we have today very few people value quality, or even understand quality for that matter. To them if its new its automatically better.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

i like working with my hands.. reason i have engineering tech in high school and had shop in middle school..

Part of the reason was the push in the 90's by Robert Reich, Clinton's Secretary of Labor, who, in response to globalization and outsourcing, was essentially arguing that we need to turn the whole US workforce into a managerial class in. This required putting a far greater percentage of high school graduates into academic college programs. Technical jobs and manual labor were de-emphasized.
Another possible cause (although I risk the fate of Larry Sumner by suggesting it) is that the higher echelons of community college administration (at least in Colorado) have become dominated by women. They don't identify as well with plumbers, or mechanics. Engines are greasy and smelly. It was a female president who closed down our diesel, auto, and hydraulic pneumatic programs. We do however, still have one of the finest Woodworking programs in the country. Maybe it's because look good in a living room or a college foyer.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13