Tag: Community colleges

Part Time Employment Does Not Have To Be Your Destiny

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Part Time Employment in a low paying field does not have to be your destiny. Mortgaging your future to enormous student loan debt that may or may not assure you a job capable of paying off the loans does not have to be your destiny either. Getting skills at a local community college can help you by pass the low paying part time underemployment that most Americans face today.

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Last week we wrote about the growing spectre of part time employment displacing full time positions.

Today, University of Maryland Professor Peter Morici says “These days, new college graduates often work at unpaid internships while taking part-time jobs at places like Starbucks to meet minimal living expenses.”

“Since January, 936,000 additional Americans report working part-time, while only 27,000 more say they have obtained full time positions. The shift to part-time workers, partially a reaction to Obama Care health insurance mandates, puts downward pressure on wages and benefits in low paying industries, like retailing and restaurants, and widens income inequality.”

Morici’s point is that this is not a temporary problem- Expectations of permanently slower growth are hardening disturbing changes in the structure of the labor market and social conditions.

Manufacturing provides a respite from these problems for people with skills.

Our PMPA Business Trends Report shows half of our member company respondents scheduling overtime.

Regularly scheduled overtime is a far cry from part time underemployment.

The Economics and Statistics Division of the Department of Commerce just published a report  Earnings of New Hires In Manufacturing.

  • New hires in manufacturing enjoy an earnings premium relative to other new hires. This premium peaked during the recession but has returned to near its pre-recession average. At the end of 2011, the manufacturing earnings premium for new hires stood at about 38 percent.
  • At the end of 2011, the ratio of new hire earnings to incumbent earnings was about 8 percentage points higher in manufacturing than in other industries.
  • Over time, the earnings of new hires relative to incumbents have been consistently higher in manufacturing. From 2000 to 2011, the earnings of new hires were about 70 percent of incumbents’ earnings in manufacturing, compared to an average of 60 percent in other industries.
  • Since the recession began, real average earnings for new hires in manufacturing grew 3.5 percent, while earnings of incumbents in manufacturing grew about 2.4 percent. Over the same time, real earnings for hires in other industries were flat, and earnings for incumbents in other industries declined.

Part Time Employment in a low paying field does not have to be your destiny. Mortgaging your future to enormous student loan debt that may or may not assure you a job capable of paying off the loans does not have to be your destiny either.

Getting skills at a local community college can help you find a fulltime position in advanced manufacturing where you can grow a career and get employer assistance with tuition and continue your education.

Who wants one size fits  thinking all when it results in  debt and underemployment for most?

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How Do I Get a Job In Precision Machining?

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The fact is that there continue to be jobs available for people with skills who can add value in our advanced manufacturing precision machining shops. Our companies are constantly trying to solve their problem of lack of  skilled operators.

Today's high tech high precision CNC machines assure a skilled craftsman a great career!
Today’s high tech high precision CNC machines assure a skilled craftsman a great career!

Never mind the reports about high unemployment rate. Think twice before committing years of your life and many thousands in debt for a college degree that may not deliver any employment ROI.

How can YOU get a job in precision machining?

1) Master your high school math. Machine operators work with decimal fractions to 4 or more places in both English units and metric.  Algebra, geometry and rigonometry are used regularly, they are fundamental to understanding our processes. If you can do high school math you have a foundation for a career in precision machining.

2) Get an entry level credential. Community colleges across the country offer one year training programs that result in a CNC operator certificate, Quality Control Technician certificate, or the like.

3) Visit precision machining shops in your area. Look at the technology that is employed. Ask about the high tech products that they produce. Ask them to explain how they measure and check the parts.

4) Ask your friends who have recently graduated from college how their job search is going. The majority of recent college graduates are either unemployed or underemployed in a position that does not require nor compensate them for the degree nor their time and money invested.

5) Get more information off the PMPA’s website. Our Career Tab is a great place to start. Our Training Database will help you identify training resources in your local area. Right Skills Now will help you understand the opportunity and need for machininsts. NIMS credentials are the Gold Standard for our industry.

With the certainty of employment costs increasing due to the Affordable Health Care Act, with the pressures to minimize staffing to control those costs, and the ever present need to remain competitive, companies still need to solve their “skilled operator problem.”  If you have a credential that says that you have skills, our shops will be happy to take a look at what you have to offer. The resources above will help you get that credential.