Why the Smartest People in the Midwest All Move To Chicago (Lincoln: top schools, university)

[urza216]

Originally Posted by Mon Capitane

You haven't been to Detroit, have you?

Good response... But who are you quoting?

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

True,

Interestingly enough, its these highly skilled manufacturing jobs which require a lot of training, despite the decline in manufacturing jobs in the long term, are the jobs that companies are having a hard time finding qualified people for. And they pay well too.

But that wasn't what my generation was encouraged to go into, as not following a four year university path was/is considered an embarassment - so now theres a shortage, because people have been looking down upon trade schools.

I think you're absolutely right. IMO we need to get away from this notion that "everyone" must go to college. For one thing, some people just aren't college material, and might fare better learning a trade and then entering an apprenticeship, etc. We will always need highly-skilled blue-collar folks like electricians, plumbers, furnace repairmen, etc. -- hands-on work that can't be outsourced overseas. And making a good living from a useful trade surely would be much better than studying something at college that doesn't translate into marketable skills and then ending up being a Barista at Starbucks or wherever and saddled down with enormous student loan debt.

[mjtinmemphis]

Originally Posted by andrew61

I think you're absolutely right. IMO we need to get away from this notion that "everyone" must go to college. For one thing, some people just aren't college material, and might fare better learning a trade and then entering an apprenticeship, etc. We will always need highly-skilled blue-collar folks like electricians, plumbers, furnace repairmen, etc. -- hands-on work that can't be outsourced overseas. And making a good living from a useful trade surely would be much better than studying something at college that doesn't translate into marketable skills and then ending up being a Barista at Starbucks or wherever and saddled down with enormous student loan debt.

You couldn't be anymore right.

I've meet too many with a high school diploma along with a marketable skill and life smarts who have a good life. Having a "smart job" doesn't always give you the best life.

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by andrew61

I think you're absolutely right. IMO we need to get away from this notion that "everyone" must go to college....We will always need highly-skilled blue-collar folks like electricians, plumbers, furnace repairmen, etc. -- hands-on work that can't be outsourced overseas. And making a good living from a useful trade surely would be much better than studying something at college that doesn't translate into marketable skills and then ending up being a Barista at Starbucks or wherever and saddled down with enormous student loan debt.

It's true that we need people with high skills in manufacturing, but right now we have a glut of "electricians, plumbers, furnace repairmen, etc.". Those skills are all geared towards construction, and that has always been a very cyclical industry with serious downturns occurring every decade or so. They actually pay pretty well, but are not dependable.

What we really need is jobs to replace the old manufacturing jobs. There is a huge gap for say, a welder who can read plans and work on structural components and a welder who used to do the same 5 spot welds on a car body all day everyday. The skilled welder can still find a job, the spot welder? That sort of job is gone forever.

There actually are plenty of manufacturing jobs, or more accurately fabrication jobs, out there. But they require computer skills as well as manufacturing skills. These take awhile to learn, and most companies don't offer any incentives to keep employees for the long term (i.e. job stability, pension, training) and so they can't attract people to learn the skills for the postions. There is also a cultural divide that has been created in the US where a lot guys with the manufacturing skills won't consider learning the computer side, so they screw themselves out of a better paying job.

[Larry Siegel]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Chicago is sometimes considered America's third financial center.

There are some great names there, and I used to work at one of them. Some are service providers rather than transaction-oriented firms, an issue that has plagued would-be Chicago investment bankers, investment managers, etc. since the service providers generally do not pay well.

But I would have to rank Chicago second, not third, as a financial center if you are counting individual cities. San Francisco and Los Angeles certainly sum to a bigger financial center than Chicago, but so do Boston and Philadelphia, and combining two cities in a ranking of cities is pretty silly.

[jman07]

Originally Posted by andrew61

I think you're absolutely right. IMO we need to get away from this notion that "everyone" must go to college. For one thing, some people just aren't college material, and might fare better learning a trade and then entering an apprenticeship, etc. We will always need highly-skilled blue-collar folks like electricians, plumbers, furnace repairmen, etc. -- hands-on work that can't be outsourced overseas. And making a good living from a useful trade surely would be much better than studying something at college that doesn't translate into marketable skills and then ending up being a Barista at Starbucks or wherever and saddled down with enormous student loan debt.

Your post really annoys the hell out of me, because its clear you are clueless. What are your sources for what you posted? The unemployment rate for electricians, plumbers, etc is extremely high, while the unemployment rate for college grads is low. I am a union electrician in Chicago, and since the recession, there has been a 3 YEAR WAIT to get back to work if you get laid off. Right now it is still over 2 YEARS. Some guys are on food stamps. Even when times were good (the 90's), you don't work most of the winter. Is that what you mean by "always need highly skilled blue collar folks." It might not be able to be outsourced, but we have plenty of immigrants from Mexico coming to us to take those jobs. Not to mention, most of the work anyone can do. Get a clue before you post.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by Attrill

What we really need is jobs to replace the old manufacturing jobs. There is a huge gap for say, a welder who can read plans and work on structural components and a welder who used to do the same 5 spot welds on a car body all day everyday. The skilled welder can still find a job, the spot welder? That sort of job is gone forever.

There actually are plenty of manufacturing jobs, or more accurately fabrication jobs, out there. But they require computer skills as well as manufacturing skills. These take awhile to learn, and most companies don't offer any incentives to keep employees for the long term (i.e. job stability, pension, training) and so they can't attract people to learn the skills for the postions. There is also a cultural divide that has been created in the US where a lot guys with the manufacturing skills won't consider learning the computer side, so they screw themselves out of a better paying job.

I have worked in several manufacturing facilities in the past fifteen years. In twelve of those years, one of our biggest challenges was hiring qualified people to operate various production equipment - CNC machines, welders, tooling equipment and the like.

The older employees don't want to take the initiative to learn the computer skills required to operate the new machinery that has been developed over the past 20 years.

The younger employees lack even the most basic mathematical skills like fractions. I was interviewing one candidate who could not understand that 4/16 = 1/4. Scoring a 35% on basic math skills will not work.

[jman07]

Originally Posted by jlawrence01

I have worked in several manufacturing facilities in the past fifteen years. In twelve of those years, one of our biggest challenges was hiring qualified people to operate various production equipment - CNC machines, welders, tooling equipment and the like.

The older employees don't want to take the initiative to learn the computer skills required to operate the new machinery that has been developed over the past 20 years.

The younger employees lack even the most basic mathematical skills like fractions. I was interviewing one candidate who could not understand that 4/16 = 1/4. Scoring a 35% on basic math skills will not work.

So what was the starting pay for these positions? I'm guessing the low teens. Starting pay for college grads is in the 40k and 50ks a year. You get what you pay for.

[doublenickels]

Wouldn't be surprised at that. Their prey is being pushed out of Chicago, by the city administration. Those black "professionals" can go elsewhere and find plenty of black people to ripoff.

Originally Posted by mjtinmemphis

Ok..........I know many Black professionals who grow up here run away first chance to Atlanta Charlotte Dallas and Houston........

[linicx]

Do the smartest in the Midwest move to Chicago, and if so why? I lived in the Midwest the biggest part of my life. Other than promoting itself very well, I think the answer is very basic. It is a town that offers a diverse culture and adventure.