Community Chat

[libbyannE]

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@pitdakota wrote:

Ok, back on topic....lol

I don't believe if you are poor at 20 one will always be poor.  And I don't believe everyone is cut out for college either.   There are several areas in the service industry in which people can make a stable living.  However, even some of those areas are changing.  We have a friend that runs an auto repair shop that didn't go to college either.  Not too long ago he was talking about the buzz in the industry to require an associate degree in mechanics.  The reason is that so many components of vehicles these days are computer related and mechanics need training in computers and problem solving computer related difficulties when something goes wrong with the vehicle.  So he was speculating that some type of college degree might be necessary several years on down the road in order to be an auto mechanic.   I don't know a thing about that area....just know that is what he was talking about at the time.

I do know that jobs, careers, and professions do change over time.  And for those that are in the job market, it helps to know what the trends in your are might be or where they are headed.

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Bingo. Back in the "old days" in the 1970s, my husband and I both chose fields with future employment in mind. That was not always done back then. In my case, I didn't major in English or creative writing, because I knew I wanted a career with a paycheck, so I majored in journalism. That approach is vital today. It's understandable to bemoan the turning of universities into job training centers, but one has to approach education that way because the job market is so tight. I have a friend with a daughter who majored in both theater and history, and, great as those subjects are, the daughter is mad at the world because she can't get a job. Too bad she did not have some good CAREER counseling before choosing those majors. The days of getting a job just because you have even an advanced degree or two are long gone. 

[MEM22]

I think it depends where you are located. Here in Mass it's tough. I'm so glad I'm old and didn't deal with all this when I was first out of school. My former neighbor graduated last year with her ASN. She only wants hospital work to get that med-surg experience, one year later she's still working as a suicide sitter (pre RN job). She needs to get her BSN to get her foot in the door here

[pitdakota]

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@Melania wrote:

  HH was referring to UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center)

It isn't U of Penn affilaited...that I know of.

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Thanks for the clarificataion @Melania.  I read that quickly and knew University of Pennsylvania was a Magnet status facility. 

I did just a quick search for RN jobs at University of Pittsburgh MC.  It was a quick search that brought up 4 nursing positions.  All of the positions required previous experience and stated "BSN preferred".  So it isn't required, but that certainly means someone with qualifications that has the BSN would have an advantage of getting the job.

Thanks again!

[Noel7]

Speaking of changing times, for so many people it's the Double Income Age, both Mom and Dad work.  Necessary especially to support a household with kids.

It's also the age of single moms, there are so many of them struggling without much, if any, help.

[pitdakota]

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@MEM22 wrote:

I think it depends where you are located. Here in Mass it's tough. I'm so glad I'm old and didn't deal with all this when I was first out of school. My former neighbor graduated last year with her ASN. She only wants hospital work to get that med-surg experience, one year later she's still working as a suicide sitter (pre RN job). She needs to get her BSN to get her foot in the door here

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@MEM22, I am so sorry aobut your neighbor.  I would be glad to take her in my program and get her though the RN-BSN program.  Wish I could slash the tuition!! 

[ROMARY]

Re: Mechanic training.  Used to be that high schools offered very worthwhile auto repair shop classes.  I recall taking one and ended up with an "A" grade, lol.  The boys in the class helped me lift heavy auto parts, etc.   Anyway........I do believe that high schools should again offer these types of classes, relating to auto repair, etc..  Which might include electrical and electronic training for repairing the various electrical/electronic parts used in cars these days.  Maybe teach the students how to 'track down' an electrical problem within a car.  Such as wipers not working, or windows not functioning.  In other words, all kinds of electrical and electronic problems in the autos of today.  Taking these classes in high school just might enable a mechanic trainee to be 'ahead of the game' and to move forward and take college evening and weekend courses while continuing to work full time. Just a thought, of course.

[Trinity11]

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@Noel7 wrote:

Probably a lot of us put ourselves through college decades ago.

I don't know how anyone does it nowadays, not without those crushing loans.

Noel, with the internet kids can research college scholarships that back in the day many of us knew nothing about. I know quite a few smart kids that got free rides to some really good colleges and partial scholarships to grad school. I was told that often some of these scholarships go unclaimed.

[Melania]

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@pitdakota wrote:

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@Melania wrote:

  HH was referring to UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center)

It isn't U of Penn affilaited...that I know of.

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___________________________________________________

Thanks for the clarificataion @Melania.  I read that quickly and knew University of Pennsylvania was a Magnet status facility. 

I did just a quick search for RN jobs at University of Pittsburgh MC.  It was a quick search that brought up 4 nursing positions.  All of the positions required previous experience and stated "BSN preferred".  So it isn't required, but that certainly means someone with qualifications that has the BSN would have an advantage of getting the job.

Thanks again!

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You bet!!

 I see you were still able to prove the point even there about those positions requiring degrees. 

[flickerbulb]

We used to have an automotive program at my school, but 5 years ago or so, they closed it out.

The auto tech instructors were not rehired and they got rid of all of the junky cars they used to work on.

The area where they used to work in is now being used as storage for maintenance.

So, high schools are not doing much in the way of training students for a trade.

We do have an active HOSA program that trains students to go into healthcare.

For the most part, the district expects that students will be going to college, but realistically, that is not gonna happen!

[151949]

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@pitdakota wrote:

One thing I know for sure is that nurses do not go back to school totally on the hospital's dime.   Most hospitals do have tuition reimbursement, but as i stated previously they have slashed those funds considerably.  In this area, tuition reimbursement from the largest hospitals does not cover 25% of the tuition for courses required for any RN-BSN program.

Requiring BSN as minimum educational preparation will vary by geographic region.  Typically in the south, we don't do as well with that.  But even in the south, hospitals are encouraging their nurses to return to school to keep their positions.  That creates a double edged sword.  Hospitals don't pay that much in tuition reimbursement and tuition is expensive.

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I don't know where you live but UPMC not only offers tuition assistance to the employee but also their spouse and their children. And don't even tell me that is old information as one of my closest friends oldest daughter graduated last year from Pitt on that assistance and her younger daughter is currently a sophmore.Actually, here in Pittsburgh they have the Pittsburgh Promise where UPMC picks up tuition for any kid from the Pittsburgh Public Schools who has  straight B grades or better if they go to Pitt. google it .