Losing our tradesmen

[losh1971]

Come back to my old stomping ground for a week and while here I was talking to my old diff tech. I have only been away 6 years but in that time 2 highly skilled tradesman have retired others have died.

A big place like Adelaide and blokes that build diffs are dying out. Makes me wonder if another 20 years if you will really struggle to find blokes that can do this more specialised type work.

A highly skilled engineer Filthy Phil who was an absolute ace and made several parts for my bike has retired. My old caravan builder Larry at Roadmaster retired.
I honestly think we are going to have a lack of the old school trademen in every trade in another 20 years. When you see builders now most just don't have the knowledge of the old ways and the proper old ways. I have seen it when I built my home only one builder really knew his stuff but he is approaching 60.
I was a baker by trade. My daughter is a qualified baker, yet has next to no skill, compared to me, except in a few little areas. Where i can make anything and it come out great and all i need is a bench, some scales and my hands. I can mix cake batters on a bench. I honestly think that in 20 years really knowledgeable mechs will be a thing of the past. I just don't see the few apprentices coming through in whatever trade being taught like we used to. Love to hear other people's experience and thoughts. I also don't see that the Gov can do anything about it, because people that know their stuff are dying and their knowledge goes with them.

 

[keith reed]

When I did my apprenticeship as a carpenter that's what we were, carpenters, not formworkers or framing hands or wall fixers or any piecemeal part of the trade. We did everything from the beginning to the end. We boxed up and poured the foundations and floors, did the framing, lined the walls and did all the finishing work including hanging the doors and fitting all the hardware. It was different on Hydro schemes or the like in that all you would do was formwork. However you were employed as a carpenter and were still required to have papers proving that you were a carpenter or you would not get a job. The trade is now split up to include any part but not the whole part of the trade. If you asked a formworker to hang a door or do finishing work he would be as capable as any handyman. Not his fault because that is what the employer wants. Sad thing is that is only going to get worse with increased prefabrication off site and components made overseas.

 

[afstruct]

Come back to my old stomping ground for a week and while here I was talking to my old diff tech. I have only been away 6 years but in that time 2 highly skilled tradesman have retired others have died.

A big place like Adelaide and blokes that build diffs are dying out. Makes me wonder if another 20 years if you will really struggle to find blokes that can do this more specialised type work.

A highly skilled engineer Filthy Phil who was an absolute ace and made several parts for my bike has retired. My old caravan builder Larry at Roadmaster retired.
I honestly think we are going to have a lack of the old school trademen in every trade in another 20 years. When you see builders now most just don't have the knowledge of the old ways and the proper old ways. I have seen it when I built my home only one builder really knew his stuff but he is approaching 60.
I was a baker by trade. My daughter is a qualified baker, yet has next to no skill, compared to me, except in a few little areas. Where i can make anything and it come out great and all i need is a bench, some scales and my hands. I can mix cake batters on a bench. I honestly think that in 20 years really knowledgeable mechs will be a thing of the past. I just don't see the few apprentices coming through in whatever trade being taught like we used to. Love to hear other people's experience and thoughts. I also don't see that the Gov can do anything about it, because people that know their stuff are dying and their knowledge goes with them.

Yeap , all trades , all industries ,my trade aircraft structures use to be a constant flow / employment .
Now the RAAF ( sorry for those that are = don't take offence but = lots have no idea) are the only constant = new employer .
They should be concerned into the future .
The disberleivers don't think there's a problem but others are really worried = the youngest working on hornets which will eventually transfer to JSF are in their late 20s/early 30s and have no other experience, other than hornets ,some are good and think ,others , no offence to them are absolute idiots .

 

[Drawnnite]

Its very true in that people get zoned into certain parts of the trade.
As someone with 2 Trades (Electrician then skilled up to an Instrument Tech) its very rare unless you get lucky to see a wide variety (which personally I was). Either places become specialised and maintain certain clients, or they are well known for certain jobs and keep getting those.
And I guess its easier to say "hey these guys just do this part, so lets get them in for this and then someone else for that".
Which is kind of true even now, I am in a specialist area and its very specific roles we do, but luckily in that narrow area we still have a broad scope so atleast there is some variety.

Its a bit like asking someone to sharpen a drill bit (instead of just throwing it out).
I was lucky in that I worked for a while in a metal fab/manufacturing place with some awesome fitters that taught these small skills (and many others along similar lines).

Unfortunately its the way the world is going. Same as globalisation. Yeah its good in the short term, people make good money, but give it time and it'll cause troubles.
Want an example of a trade that died out but suddenly was wanted again, check out the music industry going back to vinyl records.....

 

[afstruct]

Its very true in that people get zoned into certain parts of the trade.
As someone with 2 Trades (Electrician then skilled up to an Instrument Tech) its very rare unless you get lucky to see a wide variety (which personally I was). Either places become specialised and maintain certain clients, or they are well known for certain jobs and keep getting those.
And I guess its easier to say "hey these guys just do this part, so lets get them in for this and then someone else for that".
Which is kind of true even now, I am in a specialist area and its very specific roles we do, but luckily in that narrow area we still have a broad scope so atleast there is some variety.

Its a bit like asking someone to sharpen a drill bit (instead of just throwing it out).
I was lucky in that I worked for a while in a metal fab/manufacturing place with some awesome fitters that taught these small skills (and many others along similar lines).

Unfortunately its the way the world is going. Same as globalisation. Yeah its good in the short term, people make good money, but give it time and it'll cause troubles.
Want an example of a trade that died out but suddenly was wanted again, check out the music industry going back to vinyl records.....

Yeap , I'm spoilt worked on lots of different and industry.
Lol , learnt to sharpen drills on a linisher = half the time cut better than a new one , especially drilling **** like 17/7ph drill and then ream to final size = young bloke going =how = and to a tolerance of a few thousands .
Reamers forget.!!!!!
For those that are only metric = roughly 0.025 " though = 1mm
And sometimes have tolerance of 0.003" thou !!!!!!
I might add drilling these is not using a lathe or other crap ,is mostly free hand = so huge variables involved.

SO Lots of experience learned and gained!!!!!

 

[vc commodore]

A big place like Adelaide and blokes that build diffs are dying out. Makes me wonder if another 20 years if you will really struggle to find blokes that can do this more specialised type work.

.

Got to laugh at this comment Losh......Then again, maybe compared to Tassie, yep it's big

From my trade, I see the younger generation not really wanting to learn....Phone to the head, slight cut, got to sook and go home, something over a particular weight, can't lift by themselves, not using the brain,relying on a computer....etc etc...Makes it difficult to pass on years of knowledge

I also see replacing with brand new easier than determining what caused the failure to begin with and rebuilding that part so it doesn't occur again.

 

[Fu Manchu]

Same in my trade. Gradual decline in not only experienced people, but up comers lack significant training.
Those doing trade certificates are a shadow of the those trained 20 years ago. Go back 30 years, and the training was solid with good uptake of apprenticeships. It created the industry we have today.

Now accountants have the say and do not value knowledge or skill as much as the bottom line and profits.

Few businesses in my trade now support apprenticeships or tertiary qualifications. Yep, they often take young people on and "train" them via supplier propaganda rather than pumping that kind of training into someone who has a foundation of understanding who can make informed decisions on supplementary, informal training.

As a lecturer, the standards we are forced to teach to are compromises on top of compromises, geared to passing people, not teaching people. More time spent doing paperwork than teaching.

This is sadly the way for most trades.

 

[VS 5.0]

Now accountants have the say and do not value knowledge or skill as much as the bottom line and profits.

Ironically, greater knowledge & skill leads to greater profits.

.....geared to passing people, not teaching people.

Coz published pass rate = greater sales.

Sadly, the modern education industry is all about income generation rather than education.

 

[gtrboyy]

Was surprised a few months back looking talking to some apprentices them trying to tell me the ls1 engine/auto I was looking at to buy is good,mileage,car it came out of etc.

Ended up correcting them on the BS they tried to spin for a sale to them then hassling me to work on their unfinished projects that they're stuck on.WTF!!!

 

[figjam]

As a lecturer, the standards we are forced to teach to are compromises on top of compromises, geared to passing people, not teaching people.

Every child gets a prize.
I joined the RAAF as a trainee radar technician. 3/4 of the way through a 9 month course, I was 'failed' with a 89% exam result, and then told to transfer to another category.