Employees

[CNYDWW]

This comes up when we just hired a "Skilled Craftsman" at work. I'm a young buck by many standards and i do my best to set myself apart from the rest. This gentleman came in and I a) don't have to baby sit him b) he actually knows how to use the tools c) Has a good work ethic. He also is very eager to learn from even me who's 2/3 his age. Comparing this new guy to others that have come through that can't tell the difference between a foot pedal to use the mobile base on a saw or a power switch (five min after you show him that is.)

I told someone just the other day when i went to measure for some new cabinets for my father's house that if i own another business, no employees. (he was a mover helping my sister move into the house). He mentioned i must have a reason and i just replied "and plenty of them".

If you can wade though all the "promises" and the self entitlement everyone seams to have now days to find the few good employees. Then my friend, you are lucky.

Regards
Randy

[knight_toolworks]

Don't forget that you have to take into account of how good of a boss are you? it's easy to blame the worker but it takes two to make it work.

[Ajcoholic]

I think just about everyone here agrees with you, but the majority of our society will not. That's where the problem lies.

I dont know about that (that being said I dont live in the USA, perhaps in Canada things are slightly different?)...

I know I have worked for many professionals in my life (a lot of doctors, teachers, lawyers, and even a judge) and several have taken me aside and told me they wished when they were younger, they could have pursued something like what I do - offering creativity/engineering/etc.

The issue I do have is that in high school, the teachers still push all the "smart" kids ot university, even if they have a strong desire to work in a trade. That's what happened to me. They steer the kids who are not doing so well into trades. However in the past 10 years I do believe that things are improving. The Government here is trying to promote and entice more college education and trades VS university and professional careers.

[MogulTx]

AJ

It is pretty much the same in the US. Pretty close to the same (with small twists) in all the developed and developing countries. It is because educators are educators. They understand more education- not hand skills, and the fact that it takes engineering and VERY knowledgeable people to create some of the things we are creating.

I think a LOT of the folks here on the forum may have gone down the road of going to college for a "profession"... and found what they love in creating, instead... I am lucky in that I have two businesses that are both on the manufacturing side of things. They both offer me unusual opportunities to create things that other people have not even thought of... a fantastic situation for people like us. I have had a few days when I was unsure that we were on the most direct trail to our goals.... yet I knew that we were back and forth on that trail.... and ascending at most every turn.

[Bob Eustace]

It is pretty much the same here in Australia. We have just had a change of government after six years of going down the totally wrong track. They decided everyone should go to university, closed down most of our technical colleges and stopped a brilliant system whereby those interested in a trades career got to spend the last two years of high school learning a trade one day a week. They were taught none of the things that are useless for a trade. Our manufacturing is in one hell of a mess much the same as you guys, however our new government is business orientated and after only 100 days confidence is coming back but some damage will never be repaired.

[jerry_stanek]

I hate to say this but when my son was young I would take him to work with me and he would work ok I would show him how to do stuff and he would but he didn't like it. My daughter on the other hand liked to do that style of work.

[bleeth]

Not exactly sure why you would hate to say it Jerry, my friend.
Interest in craftsmanship work not only isn't limited by nationality, it also isn't limited by sex. Isn't it way OK if your son has other interests? Isn't it way OK if your daughter loves craftwork? Wouldn't it make you proud as punch if it turned out she had the creativity and drive to be creative like Melissa?

[bleeth]

Bob: What brought up my rant in the first place Is our government in general has abandoned recognizing creative trade work as an honorable profession many years ago, and as a result, finding such a person has become something like trying to find hen's teeth.
This denigration of the honor of trade work has infected every part of our economy. Want to take it a little further or in a different direction? How much hell has Ted gone through because the programmers of the latest releases of SB control software haven't properly checked how their code works in application? Or how many times have machines been shipped with incomplete parts kits or the wrong hardware to assemble the router/spindle package ordered? From everything I have been observing our society as a whole has let down our youth bigtime by denigrating what we know is a really rewarding way to live our lives.

[kevin]

Dave I've gone through employee like sand through a glass
I think cabinetmaking is the hardest trade to learn and also an art form how do you teach?

The standards are none from state to state or province to province .Putting grant anybody know weight per cu inch

Dave I think if i walked into your shop i would be intimidated there would be a learning curve

Up here the government is a sleep bring in the red seal program which teaches students how to make furniture When they walk into a production shop there lost

Also the problem is in small shops with the most skill tend to keep to them self with few employee spreading the word around.Then when the owner retire no more.Look at Joe if could shut my door I would work for free to learn

DAVE maybe dumb down your work I mean stations with one task .I did it with assemble of cabinet fast less mistakes

The wood work is another story

[scottp55]

Wow. Thought Dave was venting when this started.
Moving the Desktop 6 hour drive North of here when production starts, and our biggest concern was finding an operator for it that could just run my toolpaths and produce product. Had a mid-30's guy my Dad was interested in and had met up there. With 4 days notice he drove the six hours down after working his day job and then we cut and trained for 20 hours in two days while he stayed in the house to save us money. He was a whiz on the desktop and didn't have to be shown anything twice and understood wood, but program and design better. second day ended with me on the mouse and him on the keyboard, prototyping. He was only reimbursed for gas,tolls, and food. Dad and I were impressed and felt lucky. Now I feel like I won the lottery after reading this. Maybe they grow them different in Northern Maine 6 miles from Canada. Fingers crossed for our first employee, but I have a good feeling.