Reply
Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,913
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Poor at 20, poor for life

[ Edited ]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


@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.


 

 

@pitdakota

 

I have 2 good friends that are presently still auto mechanics. They both work for New/Used car dealerships. They have been doing this before the vehicles were controlled primarily via computer chips.

 

They are required to go to certain classes every 6 months, sometimes more often, depending on how quickly new technology is put on the new vehicles. Neither of them are what I consider to be "very computer savvy", but they learn how to diagnose and fix any problem with all the newer vehicles.

 

One of them did not go any further than a high school education, but he did start working on motor vehicles for a small repair shop. There he gained more knowledge and was then able to pass the necessary requirements to work for any brand name new car dealership.

 

And as most would think, they also can make much more money "moonlighting" if they so desire. I have had one of them do a couple, close to major issues(cost lots of $$ to repair) in our garage. Hundreds of $$$ cheaper for me than at the dealership, and all the labor money goes into his pocket, plus he can pass on his parts discount to me.

 

Internal combustion engines still work exactly the same way, Compression/Spark/Ignition and combustion. From their the rear end gears(differential, front and/or back/and transmissions)still function the same, except they are controlled more by electronics than mechanical type control.

 

If somebody, even without a high school diploma, likes to work on motor vehicles, and is willing to start at a small repair business? It is like an internship, but you also get paid while you are learning. Very few "mechanics(motor vehicle technicians" need to have a Mechanical or an Electrical  Engineer Degree to be able to attain this profession.

 

I also have friends that are Electrical/Electronic Engineers, that have college degrees in their profession, but they have never been even in close proximity with working on any motor vehicle. They spend the primary part of their work sitting at a desk, and occasionally in some type of test facility related to their particular business.

 

Whew! I'm worn out today. Too much time at the funeral home.

 

Later,

 

 

 

hckynut(john)

hckynut(john)
Honored Contributor
Posts: 25,929
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Poor at 20, poor for life

I agree John. My DH is an electrical engineer and he worked in sales , related to his field, but it was still sales.

Highlighted
Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,970
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Re: Poor at 20, poor for life


@151949 wrote:

@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.

 

 

 


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 .


_______________________________________________________

 

Well it is one thing to offer tuition "assistance" and yet another to totally pay for school.  Yes, if this is a large university hospital setting tied to an academic center, most of those university medical settings have benefits that either pay a certain percentage of tuition or reimburse tuition for a certain number of credit hours per year.  However, that is limited to fairly large university medical settings.  Our university hospital linked to the university pays for a maxium number of credit hours per year for ADN RNs working in that hospital. 

 

That is not what you were posting.  Your posts were stating that any individual could go through a community college program to get an Associate Degree, get a job, and then let the hospital pay the bill to obtain the Bachelor Degree.  Not that someone would have to get a nursing position in a University medical center to get good tuition assistance.   And even then, it doesn't cover all of the tuition, does not cover the clinical lab fees associated with each nursing course, or the cost of textbooks.  Not to mention that the vast majority of working nurses  don't have access to really good tuition reimbursement programs from the hospitals in which they work.

 

I know...we struggle with the battle on a routine basis.  And we continue to fight the fight that if hospitals want their nurses to obtain a BSN, they must do more in regard to tuition assistance to reduce those barriers for nurses returning to school.

 

And yes, research more than validates the hospitals that employ the highest percentage of BSN prepared nurses have lower mortality rates and better quality outcomes.  So, it is in their best interest to improve their tuition reimbursement programs for the Associate Degree nurses they do employ. 


* Freedom has a taste the protected will never know *
Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,713
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Poor at 20, poor for life

I read about Pittsburgh Promise - yes they help with tuition - I think I read up to $7500/year IF the student is in Pittsburgh schools since Kindergarten (sliding scale otherwise); that is very different from "picking up the tab" for every college student.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,970
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Re: Poor at 20, poor for life

Hi @hckynut.  I feel for you and know that it is such a long difficult time getting through a funeral, not to mention to even begin to start dealing with the loss.  Hope you and Cindy are doing as well as you can during this time.

 

Yes, that really backs what this friend was saying.  Sending the mechanics through the classes that are required (at least here in this state) is expensive on the part of the employer.  It is an expense to cover mechanics as they attend the updates, the courses, etc.  I can't remember specifically what he said, but something along the lines that as an owner of a repair shop he pays a fee to the organization that provides the courses/updates. 

 

Oh...and it is not electrical engineering he was referring to.  I don't think electrical engineering would be of any benefit for an auto mechanic.  He was speculating on how it might be helpful to have a college degree that required the basics but also the technology involved with today's automobiles and how to better identify and repair the problems to arise.   

I do know he was talking about how his guys were having difficulty with keeping up with information in regard to the parallel parking assist that is now available on some cars. Don't get me started on how he was laughing about the google cars and how he was not in any way going to be in business when the self driven cars needed to come in for work!  LOL!   LOL!!

 

We all had a good laugh about how that is not what he ever dreamed of having to deal with over 20 years ago when he started his auto repair business.  LOL  


* Freedom has a taste the protected will never know *
Honored Contributor
Posts: 25,929
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Poor at 20, poor for life

OK Ok I give up - you all have beat the college degree horse until it is finally dead. Anyone who doesn't get a college degree is a total loser who has wasted his life & doesn't deserve to breathe air and everyone who has a degree is a total and instant success no matter what. I give in. 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,087
Registered: ‎03-10-2016

Re: Poor at 20, poor for life

Exaggerate much? 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 32,642
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Poor at 20, poor for life

I think a lot of kids who are living at home with mommy and daddy at 26 are going to be not very well off for life and be very shocked.  I think it takes ambition, sacrifice and tons of hard work, motivation, and clear goals to get ahead.  Some kids have it, some don't.  

 

I think you also have to have some picture in your head of how you want to live.  Realistically.  And be willing to take a lot of bologna from people to get there.  You have to be tough to succeed, or have someone give it to you, and yes that happens and good for the ones who are that lucky.

 

Also, being given something doesn't mean you don't appreciate it or are able to use it wisely.  And the reverse too--just because you worked for it doesn't mean you'll know what to do with it.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,488
Registered: ‎04-18-2013

Re: Poor at 20, poor for life

How hard is it to see that in order to be competitive in today's job market that you have a much better shot when you have the skills for today's jobs?

 

The market looks a lot different today than it did just a few short decades ago.

 

Heck, it looks a lot different than it did just a few short YEARS ago.

 

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,752
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Poor at 20, poor for life


@151949 wrote:

OK Ok I give up - you all have beat the college degree horse until it is finally dead. Anyone who doesn't get a college degree is a total loser who has wasted his life & doesn't deserve to breathe air and everyone who has a degree is a total and instant success no matter what. I give in. 


**********************************

 

@151949

 

No one has said or thought that except you.

 

The main divide is that you think things are the same today as they were decades ago.