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I'd also like to point something out regarding the whole "Hooray Trades" campaign on these pages. I am very vocal in support of trades as a way to make a living, but you gotta acknowledge the limitations of such work. A lot of them are very physical jobs, and the human body doesn't always last. People who go into the trades are more likely to have a shorter career span, which introduces all sorts of issues regarding retirement savings and healthcare. So let's not tout trades as the best alternative without acknowledging the drawbacks. I've dated a lot of construction workers and mechanics over the years, and as I've gotten older, my partners have all cited their concerns about being able to continue working due to the physical toll taken by their jobs. I have the beginnings of carpal tunnel syndrome, but if I need to I can have surgery or by dictation software. If I have back problems, I can get a standing desk. Doesn't work that way in physically demanding jobs.
I'd also like to point something out regarding the whole "Hooray Trades" campaign on these pages. I am very vocal in support of trades as a way to make a living, but you gotta acknowledge the limitations of such work. A lot of them are very physical jobs, and the human body doesn't always last. People who go into the trades are more likely to have a shorter career span, which introduces all sorts of issues regarding retirement savings and healthcare. So let's not tout trades as the best alternative without acknowledging the drawbacks. I've dated a lot of construction workers and mechanics over the years, and as I've gotten older, my partners have all cited their concerns about being able to continue working due to the physical toll taken by their jobs. I have the beginnings of carpal tunnel syndrome, but if I need to I can have surgery or by dictation software. If I have back problems, I can get a standing desk. Doesn't work that way in physically demanding jobs.
Great points. You also have to have a natural aptitude for trades as well. It depends on what side of the brain youre dominant. Not everyone is cut out to be a mechanic, carpenter etc. Just as we can't have a whole nation of engineers and doctors either
I'd also like to point something out regarding the whole "Hooray Trades" campaign on these pages. I am very vocal in support of trades as a way to make a living, but you gotta acknowledge the limitations of such work. A lot of them are very physical jobs, and the human body doesn't always last. People who go into the trades are more likely to have a shorter career span, which introduces all sorts of issues regarding retirement savings and healthcare. So let's not tout trades as the best alternative without acknowledging the drawbacks. I've dated a lot of construction workers and mechanics over the years, and as I've gotten older, my partners have all cited their concerns about being able to continue working due to the physical toll taken by their jobs. I have the beginnings of carpal tunnel syndrome, but if I need to I can have surgery or by dictation software. If I have back problems, I can get a standing desk. Doesn't work that way in physically demanding jobs.
Agreed. We're in between a rock and a hard place.
This is why i think trade schools should start recruiting at age 16. Done with the physical part by age 36 when the body starts slowing down hopefully. 20 year career stock away as much money as possible and setup your own shop or lead a team.
Outsourcing may be great in principle, but it doesn’t always work as advertised. The current problem is that there are too many jobs in Western countries being outsourced, to the point that it hurts the domestic workforce.Companies benefit from it though as they get to maximize their profits, by paying employees a lower amount.
I'm just not seeing it. We all benefit. As consumers, employees (or contractors), employers, and investors. Outsourcing is significantly more efficient for obtaining services... as well as for employment.
I'm a lawyer and if my car breaks, I'm not going to try to fix it myself or keep a full time mechanic on payroll. I'm going to outsource it to a dealer or pepboys or something equivalent. Companies like Pepboys are great because they can hire these mechanics full time and keep them busy. It doesn't hurt the domestic workforce.
You can scale this up to large corporations as well. Google doesn't hire janitors full time because that's not their core competency. They outsource it to a janitorial company that can keep people better trained and manage needs better. The people are still employed.
I'm just not seeing it. We all benefit. As consumers, employees (or contractors), employers, and investors. Outsourcing is significantly more efficient for obtaining services... as well as for employment.
I'm a lawyer and if my car breaks, I'm not going to try to fix it myself or keep a full time mechanic on payroll. I'm going to outsource it to a dealer or pepboys or something equivalent. Companies like Pepboys are great because they can hire these mechanics full time and keep them busy. It doesn't hurt the domestic workforce.
You can scale this up to large corporations as well. Google doesn't hire janitors full time because that's not their core competency. They outsource it to a janitorial company that can keep people better trained and manage needs better. The people are still employed.
That's not quite outsourcing as most people are discussing. Going to Pepboys isn't outsourcing; that makes them a service supplier to you. A closer fit would be you taking your car to Pepboys, and being charged their price and then Pepboys takes the car to Bubba down the street and pays them half what you just paid. You paid for the Pepboys tech to do it, but he lost his job to Bubba and Bubba does a half &&& job.
Or for the Google example, it would be more appropriate instead of janitors to say they lay off their American software developers to outsource it to Bubbastan at 10 cent on the dollar. Which might be fine for the folks in Bubbastan because the cost of living is only 5 cents on the dollar. But undercuts the Americans who have to live in an American cost of living.
Or more simply, it's awfully hard for an American worker to compete on price with near slave and slave labor in many parts of the world.
That's not quite outsourcing as most people are discussing. Going to Pepboys isn't outsourcing; that makes them a service supplier to you. A closer fit would be you taking your car to Pepboys, and being charged their price and then Pepboys takes the car to Bubba down the street and pays them half what you just paid. You paid for the Pepboys tech to do it, but he lost his job to Bubba and Bubba does a half &&& job.
Or for the Google example, it would be more appropriate instead of janitors to say they lay off their American software developers to outsource it to Bubbastan at 10 cent on the dollar. Which might be fine for the folks in Bubbastan because the cost of living is only 5 cents on the dollar. But undercuts the Americans who have to live in an American cost of living.
Or more simply, it's awfully hard for an American worker to compete on price with near slave and slave labor in many parts of the world.
You're referring to offshoring ... Which is completely different than outsourcing.
I had stated "overseas outsourcing" and did mean offshoring. Outsourcing within the United States is indeed good for both employers and workers.
Right... but most people (including your previous posts) have been referring to general outsourcing. We need to encourage outsourcing.
Offshoring is a whole other situation. And in many cases, necessary.
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