GM, south of the border and South America

[CourierDriver]

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/money/2...car-production/ While many in here are buying oil at Wallys and slicing up oil filters, GM and others are expanding south of the border again. IMHO, if I was a young man, I would be gathering info on a different a kind of future. Example: Manufacturing careers in other countries, maybe learn Spanish, take management courses, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering and so on.
I have a relative who travels all over the world a few times a year doing engineering management and trouble shooting just in the air-conditioning components for Honda and some work for GM. His salary is in the 6 figures now and compensation and benefits out the roof. Some places he is part of teams that design plants for all kinds of assembly processes.........unlimited potential in the world of manufacturing.

Bottom line, if you can: get a good education, one that will take you somewhere, IMHO.

PS: Now quit slicing up oil filters and get a good education.

 

[Boomer]

As a former college chemistry prof, I am appalled at the number of young people who are now taking "easy" majors so that they can goof off and not really have to study only to find that they are unemployable or employable only at low level jobs. And to top it off, they end up deeply in debt for this. Parents need to work with their children to make sure that college is the correct route for them and that they understand the ramifications of decisions that they are making when they are 18.

We know of a young woman who was a straight A engineering student who, towards the end of her sophomore year, decided to go into hotel management so she would have more time to "enjoy the college experience." She did this with the blessing of her parents!

There is always a good future for people in engineering if they study and do the work. But it does take work...advanced mathematics, time spent in labs when others are partying, etc.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Boomer
As a former college chemistry prof, I am appalled at the number of young people who are now taking "easy" majors so that they can goof off and not really have to study only to find that they are unemployable or employable only at low level jobs. And to top it off, they end up deeply in debt for this. Parents need to work with their children to make sure that college is the correct route for them and that they understand the ramifications of decisions that they are making when they are 18.

We know of a young woman who was a straight A engineering student who, towards the end of her sophomore year, decided to go into hotel management so she would have more time to "enjoy the college experience." She did this with the blessing of her parents!

There is always a good future for people in engineering if they study and do the work. But it does take work...advanced mathematics, time spent in labs when others are partying, etc.


Exactly. There are so many unemployable imbeciles it is insane. Ive tried for a while to hire folks with the right credentials, and it is near impossible, yet 20% of the population is unemployed, with many dropping out of the search.

Only so many are going to get a "management" job as our support of small business wanes to the crushing blow of wal-mart, and only so many checkers and cellphone salesmen are needed there.

 

[Burt]

Originally Posted By: Boomer
As a former college chemistry prof, I am appalled at the number of young people who are now taking "easy" majors so that they can goof off and not really have to study only to find that they are unemployable or employable only at low level jobs. And to top it off, they end up deeply in debt for this. Parents need to work with their children to make sure that college is the correct route for them and that they understand the ramifications of decisions that they are making when they are 18.

We know of a young woman who was a straight A engineering student who, towards the end of her sophomore year, decided to go into hotel management so she would have more time to "enjoy the college experience." She did this with the blessing of her parents!

There is always a good future for people in engineering if they study and do the work. But it does take work...advanced mathematics, time spent in labs when others are partying, etc.


Not only that but it is very common to hear after they graduate that they want to take a year off, work in a non-professional job before they start their career, becuse they need to recharge after working so hard. And we have prospective engineers ask if the can have a 6 week unpaid sabbatical each year to work on their snowboarding?

 

[GreeCguy]

I have a niece who just graduated from college and is moving to Boston to take a year off to "relax and explore." While I can certainly understand the desire to "play," when I graduated I took all of one week off to move and get to work. My college experience filled me with a strong desire to put into practice what I had spent all that time learning about in college. I'm wondering if colleges themselves are at fault. When I went, there were the usual college pranks and Spring Break crazy antics, but overall, we were taught not only in the classroom, but also in day to day living that the reason to come to college is to prepare for a career in the real world. It seems now colleges "advertise" how much fun it is to attend their given campus so college becomes less and less about education and more and more about having fun. No wonder when today's graduates come out they don't want to give up the good times.

 

[needsducktape]

In Europe its called a "gap year"

I actually think taking a year off to explore the world is a good thing.

Except do it AFTER high school and BEFORE college. I think it would help people decide on what they really want to do as opposed to doing what family members THINK they should do...

I think another problem is college recruiters basically telling kids that ANY type of college education is good. Well my friends with degrees in History, English Literature are still looking for (good paying) jobs 2/3 years after graduating...

 

[Eosyn]

I remember at my college commencement, you'd hear the major of the graduates right before they are called up on stage. Pre-med, mechanical engineer, biology, chemistry, accounting, etc. Then all of a sudden, we hear. . . "Bachelors in general studies." I was thinking to myself, WTH is general studies??? What kind of career are they prepared for? really? general studies? To this day, I still have no idea what general studies is/was.

 

[lucaq]

I took a year off and moved to Ecuador to work and play and learn spanish, now I work for a multi national that sends me all over the place. Taking time off is fine, but you have to do something substantial to justify it, even if that something is travel (pick up another lang and culture). I was a business info tech major, it came to me very naturally, I had an affinity for it and now I have an international MBA from the best school in my region. One does not have to be an engineer to earn a good living or travel and enjoy their position. I know a woman that did EE only because someone said it was the hardest engineering discipline and she knew there would be good job prospects, she has been working on wireless telco device circuits and aerospace projects and making a boat load of money and she hates doing it...

 

[Kruse]

Originally Posted By: Eosyn
To this day, I still have no idea what general studies is/was.


Several years ago, I knew a lady who graduated in "general studies". At that time, she made a living working for an apartment complex and greeted potential tenants and gave apartment tours if they were interested.

 

[lucaq]

Originally Posted By: Kruse
Originally Posted By: Eosyn
To this day, I still have no idea what general studies is/was.


Several years ago, I knew a lady who graduated in "general studies". At that time, she made a living working for an apartment complex and greeted potential tenants and gave apartment tours if they were interested.

Think four more years of HS...

 

[opus1]

Originally Posted By: Kruse
Originally Posted By: Eosyn
To this day, I still have no idea what general studies is/was.


Several years ago, I knew a lady who graduated in "general studies". At that time, she made a living working for an apartment complex and greeted potential tenants and gave apartment tours if they were interested.
Back in the last century, I was unsure of what major to declare when I started college, and was going to go "General Studies" while I decided. My advisor told me "pick a major, ANY major other than General Studies". His concern was that he saw too many students fall into that area and never climb out, and he said that even if I don't like the major I pick and switch, many of the classes carry over from one major to the next, and the one or two specific classes that freshmen take *in* the major could always be used to fulfill an elective requirement in another major, where many of the general studies classes wouldn't.

To this day, I thank him for that advice.

 

[DrDusty86]

I'm in college for Physical Therapy. I have watched MANY students take the lesser road like BA degree for a HS teaching assistant just so they can party. Texas State is known for that. The the girls here are GREAT looking for the most part, but the education and the professors are SERIOUSLY lacking.

 

[Burt]

Yeah, I have an English literature graduate that is very close to me that had the attitude of taking a year off. Ended up on food stamps and medicaid. Thinks she is going to be the next JK Rowling. Very sad when they have had the education and opportunities and end up like that.

A friend of mine often says, "When we graduated from college, our standard of living went up. Today when they graduate, their standard of living goes down."

 

[Eosyn]

Originally Posted By: lucaq
Originally Posted By: Kruse
Originally Posted By: Eosyn
To this day, I still have no idea what general studies is/was.


Several years ago, I knew a lady who graduated in "general studies". At that time, she made a living working for an apartment complex and greeted potential tenants and gave apartment tours if they were interested.

Think four more years of HS...

I regarded HS as college prep, but come to think of what you posted, maybe you're right. Is it like taking classes in general/basic - mathematics, sciences, social studies, phys ed, etc., but never really concentrating in any one area?

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: DrDusty86
I'm in college for Physical Therapy. I have watched MANY students take the lesser road like BA degree for a HS teaching assistant just so they can party. Texas State is known for that. The the girls here are GREAT looking for the most part, but the education and the professors are SERIOUSLY lacking.


ummmm, PT requires a doctorate degree these days for licensure. Areyou going to be a PT aide? That is rather physical work.

 

[DrDusty86]

JH,
I have a scholarship through my doctorate.

typing humbly. Most students end up in large debt. I am very blessed to have this through my entire degree.

 

[PandaBear]

IMO kids in the US going to high school nowadays should be mandated in learning Spanish. If you want to learn one more foreign language that's fine too but at least in the US Spanish is the most used 2nd language (if you ever want to work for someone that would ever send you to a factory south of the border).

CourierDriver's relative is very typical of what a stable job in the US will be in the future, and btw, 6 figure is not that much money for these kind of work unless you are talking about starting salary. I know most of the people doing these kind of work makes $200k after bonus and benefits. They travel so often that whenever they are off from work they can fly anywhere in the world with their spouse (i.e. a week in Brazil and a week in Italy) with paid hotels all from their frequent flyer mileage.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: DrDusty86
JH,
I have a scholarship through my doctorate.

typing humbly. Most students end up in large debt. I am very blessed to have this through my entire degree.


Good for you. I sure hope it works out well after all that schooling.

I don't know much about healthcare except that the typical home care office has several PT's and PTA's, and has ONE OT! My Wife's office cannot find another OT and has had to rewrite our contract to keep her. She is paid quite a bit more than PT's at any level.

Not too late to switch! But you don't get to be called Doctor...

 

[L_Sludger]

Fantastic. Great to know that GM is using our bailout dollars to provide jobs to Mexicans.

Signed, a manufacturing engineer who can speak Spanish very well.

 

[Trav]

Quote:
IMO kids in the US going to high school nowadays should be mandated in learning Spanish

Lets talk about them learning English first and pass a law making English the official language of the USA before these immigrants (legal and otherwise) overrun us and mandate theirs.
I am sick to death of catering to these people and pressing 1 for English.