This will be an interesting thread moving forward......

I was very fortunate the teachers at the school I went to were all very experienced tradesmen. I remember my welding teacher saying that some of the teachers at other schools (non trade schools) didn't have enough experience to be teaching welding and other trades. In the last year of high school, I was in welding class all morning the entire school year and went to work experience 3 times. Each work experience was 4 to 6 weeks long (can't remember exactly) where you went to actual shops like an employee. Several students got job offers for when they finished school. I got 2 job offers but not from work experience. I lived close to an industrial park so my teacher told me to apply at at least 3 companies everyday after school. Thankfully companies didn't consider the students dummies and were aware the school had experienced instructors and a good reputation.

My instructors in the 70s were ex-mechanics, as were the Automotive, Welding, Machinist, Electrical and Plumbing instructors Most had either injuries, age related disabilities where could not longer work, or had been called upon to teach as the school did at times call up old class member s to see if would consider. Not true any more.

My own BIL graduated two classes after my own, he was in one of the first extended Diesel Classes prior to degree programs, my own class was last of 10month course, his was second of 12 month where soon came to degree programs.

As the younger guy around these parts growing up around earth moving the works call someone to fix it I never knew could be used to make sense. Well till I was the one called to fix it..... Dad and his twin where welders in the power plants. So I taken up welding in votec the teach knows our family so he moreless gave the fast though version and half way though I went to work half a day and to school half a day. Learned some there of course the rest was moreless learned from dad and uncle and out of necessity. There is also some honorable mentions from this forum being Truck Shop and Nige also a few other thanks to you.

Vetech63 said:

All of this pretty much sums up my experiences with tech school graduates. Even the major dealers here hire them but they don’t last. Last time I talked with the Komatsu dealer shop foreman he told me they may get 3 decent ones out of 50. That’s just **** poor

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my class had 24 in a completely dealer sponsored and run program that basically is hands off administered at a decent sized technical college.

3 or 4, including me, are still with their sponsoring dealer. One or two of the others are with other shops or dealers now, and the rest have left the industry. The vast majority quit within 6 months.


Another problem is that the dealers are so desperate for mechanics they will not fire someone who needs to go. One of ours spent two years in tech school and can’t even run the simple diagnostics programs on the laptop. Yes the kind where all you do is push the start button.

JD955SC said:

and the rest have left the industry. The vast majority quit within 6 months

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Yeah, in some trade schools its air conditioned and the hands on is clean stuff. Once they get into the real world of the business it's too hot and dirty for most. Trade school is not really an accurate portrayal of this business in some respects.

Was not called interning in my day. Were explained by the instructors that we should try to gain part time jobs as cleaners or whatever entry level positions were available in the industry. I worked at a gas station initially as grunt, floor cleaner then shop straightener and then actually learning more as to shop work from the two men that did work there, as graduated pushed for side work much of the time to hone skills I was still learning and to earn more cash to buy better tooling to expand the skills.
Two other guys managed to get on with Cat as machine washers where became apprentices as graduated. One other went to work at Western Diesel that became Clark Detroit Diesel, he cleaned a lot of parts, he retired from there two years sgo.
Cat boys quit years ago, one opened a car shop, the other a insurance brokerage.

Lost track of the rest.

After 48 years I'm just sore and tired and don't care who takes my spot.

No one will take your spot. That's your legacy that you can be very proud of. They can hire another mechanic but they will have to create their own legacy. Hopefully they will take the same pride in their work that you did.

Welder Dave said:

No one will take your spot. That's your legacy that you can be very proud of. They can hire another mechanic but they will have to create their own legacy. Hopefully they will take the same pride in their work that you did.

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Thanks but Penske will take over the work, the other guy {Gayle} that worked in the shop has been gone
18 months now. Did good work---------with office and drivers they forgot about him in a month. Here today
forgot tomorrow, It's just the way it is.

The only memories of a good employee when they leave are of the sour results someone else causes and then blames on the guy that is no longer there to identify the perpetrator and defend themselves.

John C. said:

The only memories of a good employee when they leave are of the sour results someone else causes and then blames on the guy that is no longer there to identify the perpetrator and defend themselves.

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You said a mouthful.

Heard from the nuke several operators wanted me back to train them on what I seemingly alone knew. Enga near taught me some slick work arounds for specific systems never written in the procedures as could not write them in as worked around the auto systems. Nothing related to nuclear just water handling and filtration controls. Backflushes on resin beds, dealing with warming steam preheat systems that would not operate in auto until were fully warmed, small nuances and tricks to keeping machines functional.

Management would not have it so mechanisms drive them nuts.

I went to a 10 month community collage (vocational institute) course that has long since been rolled into the provincial trade school system. 3 skipped days and you were done, no late shows or leaving early except for one summer long weekend where we could slip out in groups of one an hour early. Pretty much covered the school part of the apprenticeship in more depth as well as 3 hrs of shop time each day learning some hand skills. My transcripts also had an attendance record on them.
6 of the 12 who finished were in the trade 10 yrs later. We all drifted apart over time. I used to run into several of them at the wholesalers over the years. Cam

Truck Shop said:

Thanks but Penske will take over the work, the other guy {Gayle} that worked in the shop has been gone
18 months now. Did good work---------with office and drivers they forgot about him in a month. Here today
forgot tomorrow, It's just the way it is.

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Don't worry, there will be times when they will wish you were still there because you could figure out the difficult problems. People often talk about the old timers that were pretty ingenious with coming up with ways to do things. No offence but when you retire you'll be one those guys. I'm not sure a lot of the young guys now will ever get that distinction because they rely more on what diagnostic codes show them than actually having to manually diagnose things. There are times when employers don't realize they lost a good man until it's too late. One guy I worked with who wasn't appreciated used to say, "You want to know what I do in a day? Fire me and you'll find out.
I've said it before but I bet a lot of the younger welders today would have trouble with a non auto-darkening welding helmet where they had to hold the rod steady while they flip their head to bring the helmet down. I could never bring myself to paying $500 for an auto helmet when they 1st came out. I've had a couple helmets destroyed in the shop and would hate to have to replace an expensive helmet like that. A high school student came for work experience when I worked at West Edmonton Mall. He was very proud of his Miller Digital Elite helmet. Cleaned it all off and put it in the bag at the end of every day, which is fine. Working in a bigger fab. shop helmets tend to get pretty dirty and don't stay looking nice very long. A fancy shiny helmet doesn't make you a better welder but can make some jobs easier. I think an auto helmet would be a real benefit for Tig welding or welding small parts.

Welder Dave said:

A high school student came for work experience when I worked at West Edmonton Mall. He was very proud of his Miller Digital Elite helmet. Cleaned it all off and put it in the bag at the end of every day, which is fine.

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Chalk it up to he respects his expensive tools .... and hope that is truly the case.

I get that. I think he thought it made him a little better welder. He was a good kid though.

Not related to this customer but I started work on a JCB 930 yesterday. Got the steer cylinder pulled out of the barrel no problem.

Went to take the piston off after removing the lock pin.........BIG PROBLEM

Only ones I can find is 8 of these in England. JCB dealer said 8-10 weeks on the slow boat.................but for an additional 30% I can have it in less than 2 weeks. FML

Was rebuilding the cylinders on my 955 and 2 of the rods were pitted. Took it to Froedge in KY and they made me new rods for less then I could have bought them from CAT

Hydraulic shop here can make those but they're always all backed up. Probably will have to wait for 2 weeks anyways.

I can get them made here.......in 30 days