11-13-2012, 04:50 PM
chopper-
I didn't see the piece, but I work in a manufacturing company in Ohio. We expect our successful applicants for starting jobs to have specific skills. Basic shop math. Using basic shop hand tools and intruments like rulers. We do *not* expect entry level employees to have machinist and programming skills. We have apprenticeship programs and work with local tech schools (and pay 100% tuition for A's and B's.) for some training, and provide others ourselves.
Pay is piecework, so it ranges from $0 to $20 and up per hour. Yes. $0. They don't get paid if the stuff they make isn't to QA specs.
The REAL issue ? Kids out of high school have woefully insufficient skills. Basic shop math involves addition, subtraction, division, multiplication. Fractions and decimals. Percentages. Some basic statistics. An enormous percentage of our applicants cannot pass that test.
You mention discount retail or fast food as a career alternative to manufacturing. Both are infamous dead-end 'jobs' with no future and no options. Kids that want to work hard can shine and have an actual career in manufacturing. A career that can span a lifetime, and involve excellent pay. Or you can live on 25 hours a week at that $x per hour wage.
FWIW... minimum wage varies state by state and city by city. Here in NE Ohio, minimum wage is $7.70 per hour. So $12 per hour is pretty good money.
http://www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/america.htm
I didn't see the piece, but I work in a manufacturing company in Ohio. We expect our successful applicants for starting jobs to have specific skills. Basic shop math. Using basic shop hand tools and intruments like rulers. We do *not* expect entry level employees to have machinist and programming skills. We have apprenticeship programs and work with local tech schools (and pay 100% tuition for A's and B's.) for some training, and provide others ourselves.
Pay is piecework, so it ranges from $0 to $20 and up per hour. Yes. $0. They don't get paid if the stuff they make isn't to QA specs.
The REAL issue ? Kids out of high school have woefully insufficient skills. Basic shop math involves addition, subtraction, division, multiplication. Fractions and decimals. Percentages. Some basic statistics. An enormous percentage of our applicants cannot pass that test.
You mention discount retail or fast food as a career alternative to manufacturing. Both are infamous dead-end 'jobs' with no future and no options. Kids that want to work hard can shine and have an actual career in manufacturing. A career that can span a lifetime, and involve excellent pay. Or you can live on 25 hours a week at that $x per hour wage.
FWIW... minimum wage varies state by state and city by city. Here in NE Ohio, minimum wage is $7.70 per hour. So $12 per hour is pretty good money.
http://www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/america.htm