Where are all the people that know how to do shit?

Dan0h

Dan0h

Well-known member
For the last couple years I’ve noticed more and more people leaving my place of work and not getting replaced. I thought it was just where I worked. But since changing jobs I’m starting to realize it’s everywhere. Everywhere seems to have a tremendous lack of staff and of the staff that are present very few actually have deep long term knowledge of the tasks at hand. Which is causing employers that have $ to offer more $ for the people that actually know how to do shit which causes them to leave and job hop for the $ leaving holes at the places that can’t afford to pay up. Fewer people doing more of the work load. Fewer people even knowing how to do the work correctly.

What is going on? I understand aging population and the Virus pushing people to retire early but it seems like there are more people missing than just that.

Just talking to myself. Feel free to drop your 2cents on the conversation. Just seems crazy to me. Where did everyone go? IMG_9716.jpeg
 
I ran a business for a bit over 40 years, that serviced mainly designers—architects, packaging designers, industrial designers, ad agency “talent.” In all areas, I watched, almost to my dis-belief at times—as fewer and fewer clients knew the “nuts and bolts” of their professions. As I began to notice this (about 25 years ago) I began to talk to fellow “old time” suppliers about their impressions, and found much agreement.

I think there’s several reasons, but the main one is the way (at least in the US, but many of my clients (or at least their employees who I was working with) were from other places, and it didn’t seem to make much difference) the training for their professions has changed. Rather than needing training in the basic skill sets for their professions, curriculum seemed to be adding more and more “philosophy of design” and “history of…” courses. In other words, “let’s not get too technical, there’s not much fun in that.”

This goes hand in hand with the expectations that technology will come to the rescue, and, in ways, it has, some. It also fits neatly into the view that virtual learning, and understanding, is as good as physical learning. This is maybe more field related than in many professions, but there is a strong correlation between our muscles teaching our brains:

Much like the way we all need to pour water as toddlers, 10,000 times our whatever it is, to grok how pouring liquids and gravity works, to really understand an arc (say), you need to draw, or shape, arcs. Many many times. Training your arms and hands to shape a natural curve. As your muscles train, they inform your brain, and eventually, you understand what a natural curve is. I was lucky enough to have several Bauhaus trained teachers as I was being educated. The school where I started made all art students take a year of calligraphy, no matter their expected medium, to begin to learn control.

I taught a class a semester for a number of years, in the design departments at several of the local art schools. (I won’t name any, to protect the innocent) (but none of them are innocent.) There has been a steady move towards “it must be fun” and don’t get too technical—not to mention a true fear of students getting injured if they need to work in shop environments, (which of course only makes the danger more real). Don’t get me started. If you think this is too TL/DR, I could go on for pages…
 
I was in a pretty niche field, hold a graduate degree and several additional credentials, and was extremely well respected in my position both in my institution and state-wide when I walked away entirely. Not only do I intend to never return to that work, I'm also not interested in participating in the entire industry I was involved in. My employer dissolved the department I was the director of, rather than try to replace me. It happens. I don't miss a second of any of it or regret my decision
 
I’m sure my case isn’t typical of people leaving their career but, long story short I was in a position I had to choose my career of 20years ( that I really did enjoy) or giving my Daughter the best shot at life possible and although I do miss it I don’t regret my decision and if my kid does get to a point she doesn’t need my help anymore I won’t be returning to my respective field as I would be subject to harsher working conditions and travel when I could probably find comparable pay and get to come home to my family every night.
 
Alan W said:
I ran a business for a bit over 40 years, that serviced mainly designers—architects, packaging designers, industrial designers, ad agency “talent.” In all areas, I watched, almost to my dis-belief at times—as fewer and fewer clients knew the “nuts and bolts” of their professions. As I began to notice this (about 25 years ago) I began to talk to fellow “old time” suppliers about their impressions, and found much agreement.

I think there’s several reasons, but the main one is the way (at least in the US, but many of my clients (or at least their employees who I was working with) were from other places, and it didn’t seem to make much difference) the training for their professions has changed. Rather than needing training in the basic skill sets for their professions, curriculum seemed to be adding more and more “philosophy of design” and “history of…” courses. In other words, “let’s not get too technical, there’s not much fun in that.”

This goes hand in hand with the expectations that technology will come to the rescue, and, in ways, it has, some. It also fits neatly into the view that virtual learning, and understanding, is as good as physical learning. This is maybe more field related than in many professions, but there is a strong correlation between our muscles teaching our brains:

Much like the way we all need to pour water as toddlers, 10,000 times our whatever it is, to grok how pouring liquids and gravity works, to really understand an arc (say), you need to draw, or shape, arcs. Many many times. Training your arms and hands to shape a natural curve. As your muscles train, they inform your brain, and eventually, you understand what a natural curve is. I was lucky enough to have several Bauhaus trained teachers as I was being educated. The school where I started made all art students take a year of calligraphy, no matter their expected medium, to begin to learn control.

I taught a class a semester for a number of years, in the design departments at several of the local art schools. (I won’t name any, to protect the innocent) (but none of them are innocent.) There has been a steady move towards “it must be fun” and don’t get too technical—not to mention a true fear of students getting injured if they need to work in shop environments, (which of course only makes the danger more real). Don’t get me started. If you think this is too TL/DR, I could go on for pages…
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So much truth here. Thank you for the perspective.
 
Paradox916 said:
I’m sure my case isn’t typical of people leaving their career but, long story short I was in a position I had to choose my career of 20years ( that I really did enjoy) or giving my Daughter the best shot at life possible and although I do miss it I don’t regret my decision and if my kid does get to a point she doesn’t need my help anymore I won’t be returning to my respective field as I would be subject to harsher working conditions and travel when I could probably find comparable pay and get to come home to my family every night.
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Good point. I left a career of 24 years to stay home with my daughter when she was born. Went back to school at night and got into another field so I could have better (family friendly) hours.
 
I'm taking classes at a local Junior College working towards a certificate for machining. The program has been well renowned in the area for as long as I can remember but as of right now the whole department is in tatters. The guy in charge is doing his best but can't find qualified help to hire- each class only gets through about 3/4 of the material that would've been taught previously and up-to half of the students end up dropping out each semester.

Regardless of the straight A's my report card boasts- I'm going to show up to my first job out of school.. really not knowing WTF I'm doing. 🤷‍♂️

*The welding department here still spits out plenty of professionals!
 
Why should anyone be good at anything anymore? Even "professional" jobs can hardly keep people afloat, and that's even before accounting for the massive debt required to get there.

Turns out this whole race to the bottom/exploit the following generations for maximum profit thing might not be such a good idea after all.
 
Harry Klippton said:
I was in a pretty niche field, hold a graduate degree and several additional credentials, and was extremely well respected in my position both in my institution and state-wide when I walked away entirely. Not only do I intend to never return to that work, I'm also not interested in participating in the entire industry I was involved in. My employer dissolved the department I was the director of, rather than try to replace me. It happens. I don't miss a second of any of it or regret my decision
Click to expand...

Paradox916 said:
I’m sure my case isn’t typical of people leaving their career but, long story short I was in a position I had to choose my career of 20years ( that I really did enjoy) or giving my Daughter the best shot at life possible and although I do miss it I don’t regret my decision and if my kid does get to a point she doesn’t need my help anymore I won’t be returning to my respective field as I would be subject to harsher working conditions and travel when I could probably find comparable pay and get to come home to my family every night.
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My own sitch is a combo of these experiences. I've been out for over a year now and do not miss it at all. I'm just happy I'm getting to see all the fun stuff in my sons life as it happens instead of being sent pictures or a video when I'm staying in hotel rooms all over the country while travelling round and cleaning up other people messes.

My income is a fraction of what it once was and I'm in a much better place for it both mentally and physically. I've realised they could double my old salary and it still wouldn't be worth going back. There's no point having a shit ton of money if you just end up having a heart attack or breakdown and then thrown on the scrapheap by your employer.

I've got some friends who've left senior management rolls for much lower paid lower stress environments and they're all a lot happier for it. There's no point in giving your health to an employer who doesn't give two shits about you.
 
Part of the problem is that the work ethic, at least here in the US, has gone entirely to shit. I think the education system is falling so far behind and is being compounded by a lack of desire to put in any effort. I'm just short of retirement and thankfully still making decent money but working harder than I ever have and knowing full well that my position would likely go offshore if I stuck around more than a few years anyway. I refuse to be apathetic but maybe that's part of the problem?
 
dawson said:
Regardless of the straight A's my report card boasts- I'm going to show up to my first job out of school.. really not knowing WTF I'm doing. 🤷‍♂️
Click to expand...
In many fields (oddly enough, the ones I know most about tend to need a "professional degree") it is not expected that a new employee know much about the tasks at hand. The modern notion is that if you are trained in the general field, they'll be able to teach you. To an extent, there's truth in this—learning on the job is several times faster than any other way. But this is not to say the companies wouldn't prefer having new hires able to just get to work. I've had a number of architects and landscape architects tell me that they really love students from Cal Poly, (in San Lous Obispo, not "Cal Tech") because they have been taught ho to do the work, as opposed to students from more acclaimed architecture schools, which are often clueless about how to proceed.

But yeah, as basically a former machine shop owner, it's much nicer to give someone a drawing and just let them attack it. That said, as long as your desire to work shows, and you are willing to follow suggestions, etc.—I'm sure you'll be valued. Never be afraid to say you're not sure how to do something!
 
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