Hey heath,
Again, my comments are not to to be demeaning.... just factual. Your words indicate bias, one-sided opinion, a bit of tunnel-vision, and the conclusion that the youngsters entering the welding arena will be stuck in a low-level position forever. I sincerely feel you should sit down with a cold beer or two and re-evaluate your view of todays' manufacturing world and the present situation of labor and the ability and hunger for each worker to make his/her own path to success. If one chooses to remain in a low-level, low pay, crappy work environment, non-rewarding position, then THEY CHOOSE to do so. Please don't tell me it's any specific location, or many companies have shutdown, or immigrant problems, or an overabundance of skilled hands, because those factors are everywhere.
Don't put your opinion in my shoes. You know nothing regarding my start in the welding arena. I never took any "worst" jobs in my life....I learned to be smart and work smart. Don't explain to me that: "the average rig hand can't go out and buy one of those machines, so the company will, and the guys running them won't have the skills, experience, or just plain don't deserve the gravy work." How in the h*ll can you surmise that? Your choice to be a rig/pipe outfit, with a fab shop, is your choice to do so. Your youngsters who work for you CHOOSE to work for you....if they are not satisfied they will get better jobs after "paying their dues", too bad. Each persons' hunger and desire to learn, get better each day, continually look to advance their careers, not hesitant to relocate if necessary, and never get discouraged, will survive in todays' work world.
Do yourself a favor and knock that "chip" off your shoulder and use common sense to look at your workers and provide them with an incentive and thought that it is THEY who command their destiny and fortunes. Enlighten them to the fact that jobs change constantly and so does the work environment. If any 'ol timer can't open a laptop, it is because THEY chose not to open it. When you begin the process of losing interest in the new technologies, you only stagnate..... mind & body. Again.... YOUR CHOICE.
Heath, I've "been there...done that". My career was choices to move on, learn something new, move on, learn again.... move on. Each move was more beneficial than the last..... it is because I CHOSE to get & be better. Never had a "second guess" either....... Denny