Who comes up with these crazy theories?

[bhunter]

Originally Posted by merrylander

Apples and Oranges gentlemen. The comment that I quoted in the OP was that "people loose their skills after a year", and that is pure unadulterated horse shit.

I concur with this. I'd go further and argue that skills, with the exception of some well defined occupations, stay the same for long periods and this is particularly the case in the manual professions. Even in a field where technological change is rapid, say, computing, the fundamental thought processes and techniques are quite applicable to the new and changed technology. If you were a good Fortran programmer fifty years ago, you'd probably make a good Java programmer today. I once read that Microsoft liked hiring physicists as programmers because they were better despite not having the breadth in theoretical computer science that a CS major would have. The point being that the difficult part is always the thought process with the machinery, 'garden variety arithmetic," being secondary.


I do think it is wrong to take the length of unemployment as a factor in hiring. Of course, I'm biased because I'm self-employed and that in itself wouldn't be appealing to most employers IMHO. Go run up that hill! Hold on, I'd like to discuss the intricacies of a frontal assault.

[painter]

Originally Posted by merrylander

Watching National Business Report last night I heard reasonably intelligent people stating "People who have been out of work for a year are hard to employ because they have lost their skills." What a load of brown smelly stuff, here I have been retired over seven years and have not lost a damn one. Do they really believe this horse puckey?

I sort out all our computer problems, maintain them as well. I still can write as competently as I ever did, maybe even better. At least when I have occasion to write to some CEO or politician I get results. Stilll seem to be able to teach if that is waht you would call walking someone through a receiver repair by remote control over in the other group.

Admittedly I am not as polite as before but then I don't bloody well have to be. One only suffers fools gladly when they are clients.

When I veneer a reciever case they still look as good as ever. Lost my skill set? Bah humbug, cantankerous yes, unskilled hell no.

Only good thing about the show is that Susie is as cute as ever.

Well now...I might as well chime in merrylander.
I have books on computer repair and for the last eleven years have been maintaining my computer. In my mind...you can do anything if you have the right mind set. I have designed and helped install a backyard pond two years ago. But...my hubby... built an addition to our home four years ago that I designed. My husband is a genius! Worked 33 years for one company as a machinist, built a summer home with only hand tools and a generator thirty four years ago. Does his own car repairs (still) and is skilled at electrical, plumbing, tiling, roofing...etc. He drives and maintaines ( his baby) a fifteen year old Jeep Cherokee that hasn't a spot of rust.

Everyone has talent and can do something better than the next guy.
Giving credit where credit is due is the oil that sets the wheel in motion.

[wgrr]

Originally Posted by d-ray657

I think that is more the case in the trades than in other segments of the economy. It is the nature of the work that many tradesmen move among several employers. I know of some guys who have a pretty steady rotation of 3 or 4 employers they shift between, depending on who has the work. I spent several years defending a union against claims from a group for people who blamed the union because the employers weren't hiring them.

It's a different situation in manufacturing jobs or office jobs. The specialized skills and experience from one job don't always transfer as well to other positions, or the supply of individuals who have developed the general skills is much larger than the number of positions.

Regards,

D-Ray

You hit the nail on the head. Skilled technical labor pays well since the supply of workers is much lower than the demand for filling jobs.

I cringe when I hear of a family trying to make it on a combined family income of 1/3rd of what I make a year because daddy/mommy lost their job at Whirlpool when they outsourced to Mexico and lower waged areas of the US.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by painter

Well now...I might as well chime in merrylander.
I have books on computer repair and for the last eleven years have been maintaining my computer. In my mind...you can do anything if you have the right mind set. I have designed and helped install a backyard pond two years ago. But...my hubby... built an addition to our home four years ago that I designed. My husband is a genius! Worked 33 years for one company as a machinist, built a summer home with only hand tools and a generator thirty four years ago. Does his own car repairs (still) and is skilled at electrical, plumbing, tiling, roofing...etc. He drives and maintaines ( his baby) a fifteen year old Jeep Cherokee that hasn't a spot of rust.

Everyone has talent and can do something better than the next guy.
Giving credit where credit is due is the oil that sets the wheel in motion.

Which gets back to my OP, people do not lose skills and in fact as you have pointed out regarding your husband and yourself, they acquire even more skills.

[painter]

Originally Posted by merrylander

Which gets back to my OP, people do not lose skills and in fact as you have pointed out regarding your husband and yourself, they acquire even more skills.

Recently...hubby climbed the walnut tree in the yard to trim branches.
Neighbor rang the doorbell and asked if I knew he was in the tree
I told her...as long as he knows he is...I'm ok with it!