..... and when you do, can I have your job please?

I got some good news the other day, I passed the welding test I took a couple weeks ago. (2 tickets down, at least 4 more to go)  In fact, out of the 7 people who were tested that day, I was the only one who passed.   I couldn't really brag about it at work, so I'm doing it here.  

I'm so fortunate to have been given this opportunity and the experience that's come with it.   It is very refreshing and pleasing to see that there are still decent companies out there that are willing to invest in their people.  I'm definitely not used to that.  Even though times are tough, they are very understanding and fair.  They can't get me the full time, higher paying welding job I need right now, but they feel bad enough about it to set me up with the experience and training I need to get it somewhere else.  Being rewarded for my work ethic and attitude is great... now if only I could create a job market with it.

I still feel as if there isn't as much opportunity for young people entering the work force as there should be.  It's almost like an entire generation of people have been put on the back burner until things start looking up.  The only reason I got in with that company is because of my Dad and Uncle.   I would have never had the opportunity to prove myself, if they hadn't been there to vouch for me.  

For me to make a career out of the heavy industry I am so passionate about, a couple things need to fall into place.  I am determined to persevere, but it would really help if people didn't look at what I do as a unnecessary or dying industry.   Many people don't seem to have a problem with these types of jobs being out-sourced to foreign countries, because it allows us to get the same jobs done at a much cheaper cost, which allows people like you to get what you need at a price you are willing to pay.   Some of you may be astounded to realize the amount of human labor that actually goes into the things we buy.  A lot of people attribute these tasks as machine produced.  I really don't think that we should allow that to happen.  Even the government is trying to get people to shift focus.  "Solar is the future", "Get a green job", "It's ok, we'll help pay for your education so you can get a new career in a field that we haven't given up on yet" .  I've seen commercials put out by the government where they look at this alternative as the solution.   It's not a creation of new jobs as much as it is giving some misplaced people somewhere to go.  

Look at the agricultural industry and it's current state as an example.  Urban encroachment is a huge issue that isn't talked about very often.  The ideal farming land that nature provided is limited.  Bit by bit it's being converted for urban use and we can't undo it.  It's too expensive, and the demand is still growing.  Farmers are faced with increasing energy costs and property taxes that reflect more closely to the urban value, opposed to a more rural evaluation.  Meanwhile they need more land, and lower production costs in order to stay competitive.  Soon enough all of our food will come from over seas, and we will become less self-efficient in the process.  That's only one industry.  With the national debt where it is, I think we could benefit from a more DIY approach.   It's not going to happen as long as we think the solution is lower costs.  

The second factor is demographics.  Hopefully by the time most of the baby boomers retire, there will still be enough of their jobs available for the new comers.  That time is in the very near future, but it's hard to determine what will happen because of the other factors that are getting in the way.  Technology and cheap foreign labor is impacting whatever demand for labor that's left in this field at a rate that we've never seen before. We have ventured into uncharted territory, and are setting up permanent settlement.  Inflation is only adding to the demand for technology and cheaper goods, so it's not helping anyone but the people who are seeing that profit.   I've heard the saying many times from a few older people "All the kids are into computers these days... they're not interested in this kind of stuff".   It's true... even I wanted to pursuit a website design career due to it's lucrative reputation.   After realizing that I may simply be replaced by a user friendly software program, and that I wasn't as passionate about being a nerd as I thought, I went back to my original plan - mechanics.  It wasn't at all encouraged, and that's an unfortunate thing.