Fall Into the Gap

[stewstewstewdio.livejournal.com]

A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals. - Larry Bird

When I was training for computer networking skills, I also became A+ certified in computer maintenance and repair. During the course of the classes, several people dropped out. This was because they discovered how low the compensation was for trained computer technicians and felt that it wasn’t worth pursuing.

Manufacturing companies are complaining that they are having a difficult time finding people that can match the technical skills and training they need to run the machinery. At first glance, this would seem to be a golden opportunity for the unemployed to retrain into these skills so they can become employable again.

Throughout the campaign, President Obama lamented the so-called skills gap and referenced a study claiming that nearly 80 percent of manufacturers have jobs they can’t fill. Mitt Romney made similar claims. The National Association of Manufacturers estimates that there are roughly 600,000 jobs available for whoever has the right set of advanced skills.

The reasons cited for losing so many manufacturing jobs include a classic one (automation) and a more current one (outsourcing) and the existing problem (training):

Nearly six million factory jobs, almost a third of the entire manufacturing industry, have disappeared since 2000. And while many of these jobs were lost to competition with low-wage countries, even more vanished because of computer-driven machinery that can do the work of 10, or in some cases, 100 workers. Those jobs are not coming back, but many believe that the industry’s future (and, to some extent, the future of the American economy) lies in training a new generation for highly skilled manufacturing jobs — the ones that require people who know how to run the computer that runs the machine.

The article in the New York Times describes the dilemma that these job prospects face. Union roles are being reduced and starting pay for many of these jobs start at about $10 per hour. If the employee gets an associate’s degree, this amount can go up to $15 per hour and possibly up to $18 per hour after several years of good service.

This is hardly a career path for someone who would want to maintain a middle class lifestyle and support a family. It especially seems so when pursuit of a career at McDonalds is almost as financially attractive as seeking a technical specialization that would have to be kept up to date. And this is also a far cry from the type of career path that is going to approach closing the income gap that is widening in America.

It looks as if the solution to this problem would be an old tried and true one. Put the onus on the companies to do training on the job to get current employees or new employees up to speed on these machines in manufacturing. Yet, this solution has become impractical as well. Per the article:

This is partly because advanced manufacturing is really complicated. Running these machines requires a basic understanding of metallurgy, physics, chemistry, pneumatics, electrical wiring and computer code. It also requires a worker with the ability to figure out what’s going on when the machine isn’t working properly. And aspiring workers often need to spend a considerable amount of time and money taking classes like Goldenberg’s to even be considered. Every one of Goldenberg’s students, he says, will probably have a job for as long as he or she wants one.

The income gap isn’t the only problem in this case. Once again, the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) gap appears to be much to blame for America falling behind and losing our ability to remain competitive internationally in manufacturing. With all the austerity measures being proposed to resolve our national debt, hijacking education would be just another step in gutting the value of our American society.

Comments

[musicpsych.livejournal.com]

I wonder how "basic" the skills he claims he needs really are. Running these machines requires a basic understanding of metallurgy, physics, chemistry, pneumatics, electrical wiring and computer code. It also requires a worker with the ability to figure out what’s going on when the machine isn’t working properly. It seems like the curriculum that would teach this would have to be specifically intended to lead to that manufacturing job. (Or the student that learns those things may likely be college bound.) And if that "skills gap" was filled, there may not be time to train the student for other disciplines, leaving "skills gaps" in other areas. And what is his budget for training new hires - is expecting this to be taught at the high school level really just his way of having the government subsidize his job training?

It seems like a no brainer, though. Why would anyone choose this job, which may include paying for additional training due to the skills gap, which is a lower paying job that is likely to be outsourced or replaced by a computer? I've heard some ridiculous things in my time, but that's BS.

[a-new-machine.livejournal.com]

I don't understand why you couldn't teach this via apprenticeship, either. The complaint is that they have a lot of older guys who know this, but will be retiring soon. So why not do an apprenticeship and have them teach it directly? It makes a certain sense for the company (as it gives the worker only those skills specific to your company's product, and no certifications, meaning that it's less transferable and thus the worker can't leave as easily) and some sense for the worker (get paid to learn the skills rather than paying to learn them).

[nevermind6794.livejournal.com]

Because American companies don't want to pay for training anymore. They want to hire someone who already has skills. That's why we end up with things like job listings that require 5 years of HTML5 programming experience even though it hasn't been out for 5 years.

[a-new-machine.livejournal.com]

Yeah, saw one for "10 years Android experience." At this point, it's just that people are inputting information into their resume sorters, without checking to see whether it makes any sense.

[harry-beast.livejournal.com]

They want to hire someone who already has skills.
Except in HR, evidently.

[peristaltor.livejournal.com]

I don't understand why you couldn't teach this via apprenticeship, either.

Bingo! This is also the best means of training in an era of shifting tech, but management has adopted a fill-the-post mentality that counts training as an externality and liability.

[harry-beast.livejournal.com]

And unions have adopted an eat-your-young mentality that makes it difficult for junior tradespeople to get work and experience.

[musicpsych.livejournal.com]

That's a great point. I'm surprised there isn't more of that. They might have to pay the older worker for it, though, and maybe they haven't budgeted for it. That would make the older worker less productive potentially, as he stops to explain what he's doing, etc.

[stewstewstewdio.livejournal.com]

I wonder how "basic" the skills he claims he needs really are.

Obviously, not basic enough for Americans but basic enough for China and other industrialized countries.

It seems like the curriculum that would teach this would have to be specifically intended to lead to that manufacturing job. (Or the student that learns those things may likely be college bound.) And if that "skills gap" was filled, there may not be time to train the student for other disciplines, leaving "skills gaps" in other areas. And what is his budget for training new hires - is expecting this to be taught at the high school level really just his way of having the government subsidize his job training?

No. Just detailed fundamentals of STEM that are taught in other industrialized countries and that we seem to have fallen behind on in America. We need to be looking at how these other countries were able to outpace us. Specialized training can happen on the job provided the fundamentals are there. Since other countries are capable of doing this, I don’t think it is too much of a stretch to expect the same from America.

It seems like a no brainer, though. Why would anyone choose this job, which may include paying for additional training due to the skills gap, which is a lower paying job that is likely to be outsourced or replaced by a computer? I've heard some ridiculous things in my time, but that's BS.

Which seems to be the prevailing attitude for a lot of things in our society. It if isn’t convenient or immediately accessible, we can’t be bothered with it. Manufacturing used to be a staple of our economy and accessible to the common man. Now, due to inferior education priorities and with education and competitiveness no longer important in this country, we are losing our staple industries to other countries.

[musicpsych.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm a bit more defensive of our education system, but I think that's painting it with a broad brush. At least with the S&M of STEM, are not even AP classes advanced enough? And for non-AP classes, is it really the classes themselves, or the students as well, who may be unmotivated? Also, I don't believe that our current education system is worse than what previous generations had. I think the expectations for it are higher now. Though it's hard to generalize, because due to differences at the state and local school district level, it could vary widely. Which is funny when you think about how libertarians always complain about wanting more local control - that leads to more variance.

For the last point, I'm just talking about the individual worker's perspective. Business is about rational self-interest, right? It would be altruistic to think, "I'm going to inconvenience myself in order to keep the manufacturing industry strong." Surely the manufacturing company owners aren't thinking that they'll be put out to keep the industry strong.

[stewstewstewdio.livejournal.com]

At least with the S&M of STEM, are not even AP classes advanced enough?

Provided Advanced Placement classes are selected. Technology is pretty much touching all sectors in one way or another. This is getting to be at least as valuable as literature, philosophy, religion and even history in a practical sense. We could probably skip advanced calculus in high school and go a little deeper into computer architecture and some concepts of physics than we do for STEM. At least enough of a taste to pique their interest and curiosity.

It would be altruistic to think, "I'm going to inconvenience myself in order to keep the manufacturing industry strong." Surely the manufacturing company owners aren't thinking that they'll be put out to keep the industry strong.

Unfortunately, that has become all to true as of late. As a result, manufacturing skills have fallen into horrible disrepair because training and advancement have not kept up. In the trades, it has been the unions that have promoted apprenticeship programs that have grown these technical skills in a younger generation. Apprenticeship programs have declined with the decline of unions and business expansion.