Ohhh boy I love this topic. Just read all the posts. Look guys, I'm 28. I must have grown up in the wrong decade, or millennium, because I agree with all that I've read here. Here's my take. As mentioned before, there wasn't a damn wink of education or guidance on budgeting or financial smarts. It wasn't until my wife and I got married 3 years ago that our pastor that was officiating our wedding met with us 6 times to teach us his thoughts on a long lasting happy marriage. One of those meetings was dedicated to budgeting and being smart with your money. After we were done, I couldn't believe I was never taught that s*** growing up. I think that could help this generation a ton. It's not about getting the highest paying job so you can get the most exspensive truck, that just leads you back to $0. It's about looking forward... which no one does anymore. Learned a lot that day. There's a hell of a lot wrong with the schools I think too. We have a 1 year old, and boy I'm worried about puttting her through 12 years of public school. But it's up to us as well to make sure she knows right and wrong, smart and stupid.
As far as the skilled worker shortage... college is drilled into us, like others have already said. "Cant get anywhere without a degree"... I can't even count the amount of people i know that did the 4 year deal, couldn't find a job, moved back home, expect a damn handout. I'm not sure what the source of the problem is, but I know a lot of guys that cannot find good help. There are a handful of my buddies that have a good work ethic, worked hard out of high school, put in their time, have good jobs, good lives... there's hope, but the majority of people my age F****** suck. All about Facebook and twitter blah blah. Pisses me off. Go sit at a mall or a grocery store, everyone's walking around with their heads down faces buried in their phones making sure they're up to date on the newest BS post or picture. It's all insecurities. "Oh she has that and I don't, oh no, I'm not as cool, I better catch up..." that's our world fellas. That what kids my age and younger are all worried about... that's it. F*** being a productive person, let alone working for your POS trucking company, they say. Why the hell would they drive your truck when they can get a 80k job doing something that allows them to look at their phone all day???? Come on guys. You expect them to wrench or weld or operate equipment or trucks??? HA. Now I'm getting worked up.
I went from working a family owned farming business, to working for the largest Utility company Around... I cannot believe the S*** this company does. Whether it's hiring unqualified idiots based on ethnicity or degree, or choosing to buy new parts at 10x the cost of rebuilding. It's the way we are now. No one wants to be patient and wait, even if it costs more. What I'm getting at is these are the companies that run s***. They have idiots up high in management making decisions about stuff they have no business doing.
I cannot wait to leave that place... problem is they pay way too good. I find that all the guys I work with Just flat out don't care. Don't care about quality of work, don't care about state of the company that pays them, don't care about being decent, don't care about coworkers.
I want to start my own business one day, but i sure worry if that would be smart because I don't think working hard or caring gets you anywhere anymore. Does it??
Question to your original question. why would an entitled iPhone slinging, bad haircut having, skinny jeans wearing mellenium want to show up to your trucking business, or equipment business, or construction business, and give a god damn about working hard for you when he can skate away and hop on the easy train? Make more money for a corporation or wherever. Why do you think immigrants are thriving? legal or not. We had it way too easy from year one. I had it way too easy. Skated through school. No one made it hard on us. I'd be one of those Bieber wannabe's if I didn't have my own personal goals and standards. Starts from the top just like poorly ran corporations. "Come work 10 times harder for me, just because" hahaha, get what tim saying guys? These kids are hopeless. Look at YOUR generations for the blame! (Oh I'm gonna hear about that last comment) now just for clarity, you guys here obviously have different values and sounds like you've raised productive and functioning human beings. I think guys like us in this thread are the exception.
I'm mostly disgusted to be a part of this generation.
This turned into a rant, I better stop. It's probably not making sense, but I'm not done with this topic....