Digital Currency

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Regarding the labour shortage issue, there are many clever people saying that this problem ain’t going away. In fact, as economies pick up again it’s going to get worse over the next 5-10 years and beyond.
 
It's a difficult call. And no 'overnight' solution either. Undoubtedly we need 'top end', but the bottom end needs to be fit for purpose too...
How do you make a workforce 'willing and able' and stay competitive???
 
Personally, I started as an unskilled laborer, then over the years worked skilled and unskilled positions, often with no formal education in the trade. In several cases I "morphed" from the laborer position into the entrepreneur position.

Unskilled lawnmower repairman - training took about 2 days. 1 summer
Unskilled used car lot attendant, also worked in the car wash & oil change shop. Training totalled 3 or 4 days. 1 summer
Unskilled chef in a steak house - 10 minutes of training on day 1. I worked 6 months until I paid for my dirt bike.
Unskilled tractor mower operator - zero training. Worked 3 months till I joined the Navy.
Unskilled U.S.Navy Aviation Ground Support Electrician - 90 days mechanical & electrical training, 30 days gas turbine school. 4 years total.
HVAC company (manager / technician) - ZERO training in operations/mgmt, nominal A/C cycle training from the Navy. 12 years total.
Skilled HVAC technician for local ISD - 2 years total.
Unskilled Personal Computer shop owner/ builder / technician - ZERO training. 13 years total.
Unskilled AutoCAD drafting / design tech, Energy Auditor - "On-The Job" training 2 weeks. 8 years total.
Unskilled Property Manager - ZERO training. 8 years total.
Unskilled Commercial Construction QC inspector - OJT training 1 day. 2-1/2 years total (company moved away)
Unskilled Commercial Construction Operations manager - OJT training 1 week. 2 years total (company closed)
Self-taught Motorcycle Rebuild & Restoration company - 13 years.

Also, I have employed unskilled and skilled labor in several small companies I started, or took over from my brothers.

HVAC company - 8 unskilled, 4 skilled over 12 years (took over family business, closed, then re-opened under a new name not incorporated)
Personal Computer company - 3 unskilled, 2 skilled over 13 years (incorporated with a partner, then closed and re-opened not incorporated)
Office services & rentals - 4 unskilled, 1 skilled over 6 years
Motorcycle rebuilds & restoration - 3 unskilled over 13 years
Light construction - 2 unskilled over 3 years

So, I think I have earned the "right to speak", (with significant knowledge in the general subject) having been on both sides of the employer/employee fence.
 
Fast Eddie said:
Regarding the labour shortage issue, there are many clever people saying that this problem ain’t going away. In fact, as economies pick up again it’s going to get worse over the next 5-10 years and beyond.
Click to expand...
It turns out that a LOT of "clever people" who said such and such, have turned out to be complete idiots.
 
EstuaryBoy said:
How do you make a workforce 'willing and able' and stay competitive???
Click to expand...
The "able" part is simple - MOST people are "able" to do unskilled labor.

The "willing" part is where the problem lies. MANY are simply unwilling to work for less than they feel they "deserve", and/or are unwilling to do menial work of ANY sort.

As long as "unemployment" "benefits" exist [political content purposely omitted], the problem will continue.
 
EstuaryBoy said:
It's a difficult call. And no 'overnight' solution either. Undoubtedly we need 'top end', but the bottom end needs to be fit for purpose too...
How do you make a workforce 'willing and able' and stay competitive???
Click to expand...
A lot is made of hourly rates being the reason for not being competitive, and in some very labour intensive industries it is true. But often it is not. The real ‘end to end’ total cost includes many things that can outweigh hourly labour costs in manufacturing. I have seen this myself too many times to recall. One of the worst was a U.K. automotive company who shipped V6 cast iron blocks from Mexico to England. The total cost was an absolute bastard fortune, yet they were blinded by ‘factory piece part costs’!

Too much is made of getting cheap labour doing badly thought out processes, when what your really want is efficient, well designed processes operated by people who are willing and able to engage in the work and in workplace improvements.

It’s not fairytale stuff, you only have to look at companies like Toyota to see how it’s done, and they will actually gladly show you around their factories and tell you how to do it !
 
GP, I (and I'm sure everyone here) respects your 'right to speak'.

Only proviso might be I can only observe what I perceive the situation to be in the UK, and wouldn't be au fait with things your side of the pond.....
 
grandpaul said:
The "able" part is simple - MOST people are "able" to do unskilled labor.

The "willing" part is where the problem lies. MANY are simply unwilling to work for less than they feel they "deserve", and/or are unwilling to do menial work of ANY sort.

As long as "unemployment" "benefits" exist [political content purposely omitted], the problem will continue.
Click to expand...
Agreed.

But we both know that is actually quite simple to fix IF the powers that be want to…
 
Fast Eddie said:
A lot is made of hourly rates being the reason for not being competitive, and in some very labour intensive industries it is true. But often it is not. The real ‘end to end’ total cost includes many things that can outweigh hourly labour costs in manufacturing. I have seen this myself too many times to recall. One of the worst was a U.K. automotive company who shipped V6 cast iron blocks from Mexico to England. The total cost was an absolute bastard fortune, yet they were blinded by ‘factory piece part costs’!

Too much is made of getting cheap labour doing badly thought out processes, when what your really want is efficient, well designed processes operated by people who are willing and able to engage in the work and in workplace improvements.

It’s not fairytale stuff, you only have to look at companies like Toyota to see how it’s done, and they will actually gladly show you around their factories and tell you how to do it !
Click to expand...
Isn't Toyota the company that's reeling from dipping their toes into the electric vehicle market?
Only joking Eddie I know how successful Toyota are ! :D 😉
 
Mind you, getting totally philosophical here, what we need is a sixteen-twenty year old in the conversation.
At fifty-sixty we can all look back on 'how things were', and perhaps conceitedly assume they've: 'gone downhill'
To a youngster 'now' is the 'normal'.. Perhaps they don't see 'problems?'
 
EstuaryBoy said:
Mind you, getting totally philosophical here, what we need is a sixteen-twenty year old in the conversation.
At fifty-sixty we can all look back on 'how things were', and perhaps conceitedly assume they've: 'gone downhill'
To a youngster 'now' is the 'normal'.. Perhaps they don't see 'problems?'
Click to expand...
I'll have to relate my bona fides on this topic and add that I'm speaking from a family with working-age kids (2) working-age grandkids (3) and numerous working age nephews and nieces.

In MY extended family, we were taught, and we teach, that NO job is "beneath" you, and minimum wage is ample as long as you are under our roof and behaving reasonably well. Our kids and grandkids have obviously taken those two simple concepts to heart and are doing well and staying out of trouble. If you have graduated, and don't want to work (a minimum wage job, at least), you have to live somewhere else!

Meanwhile, in this "bedroom community" that serves a decidedly liberal city (Austin, Tx), the "problem" grows.

$15 an hour jobs are unfilled, because the government handouts keep getting increased and extended for YEARS past the point of original unemployment. It is NOT sustainable.

...and don't forget, "digital currency" is NOT used to pay workers, generally...

(there, back on topic)
 
EstuaryBoy said:
Mind you, getting totally philosophical here, what we need is a sixteen-twenty year old in the conversation.
At fifty-sixty we can all look back on 'how things were', and perhaps conceitedly assume they've: 'gone downhill'
To a youngster 'now' is the 'normal'.. Perhaps they don't see 'problems?'
Click to expand...
That's true
And I think rishi may be right about the maths until your 18
Because when we have a trainee start at work we have to first teach them to read a tape!
One of the problems we have now is the trainee has to 18 before they can touch an electric tool
So we lose those first 2 formative years
You have more of a chance training a 16 year old than an 18
The first thing I ask them is to show me 1110mm on a measuring tape
You'd be surprised what they come up with
 
baz said:
You have more of a chance training a 16 year old than an 18
The first thing I ask them is to show me 1110mm on a measuring tape
You'd be surprised what they come up with
Click to expand...
"But it's only a 25' tape..."
 
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EstuaryBoy said:
Mind you, getting totally philosophical here, what we need is a sixteen-twenty year old in the conversation.
At fifty-sixty we can all look back on 'how things were', and perhaps conceitedly assume they've: 'gone downhill'
To a youngster 'now' is the 'normal'.. Perhaps they don't see 'problems?'
Click to expand...
Yes, while passing on wisdom, it's good to listen to the thinking of those you are lecturing. True that many things they will tell you seem weird/wrong, but are they? For instance, many under 30 today are all about work/life balance. I wish I could go back 40-50 years and start practicing that! I talk to quite a few people born this century (that's a weird thought) and their lives are so different from mine at their age. For one thing their lives require a smart phone - I wished for a private instead of 4-party line.
 
marshg246 said:
Yes, while passing on wisdom, it's good to listen to the thinking of those you are lecturing. True that many things they will tell you seem weird/wrong, but are they? For instance, many under 30 today are all about work/life balance. I wish I could go back 40-50 years and start practicing that! I talk to quite a few people born this century (that's a weird thought) and their lives are so different from mine at their age. For one thing their lives require a smart phone - I wished for a private instead of 4-party line.
Click to expand...
"Work/life balance" says it all really
Does working 2 jobs count ?
 
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