I saw an interesting meme today, it said "Not everyone is going to be a doctor or lawyer, teach your children a hands on skill". This article isn't in any way, shape or form to slam parents who want their children to go to college. For years we have been told that is the best way to insure that they will have a successful employment future.
Let me start by kind of explaining what brought this article to life. I am a Factory Sales Rep for a international abrasive manufacturer. Basically what I do is visit manufacturing facilities all over Central Illinois, and sell them the multiple types of abrasives used to manufacture anything from furniture to farm equipment. I see all the peaks and valleys that go along with their business. And one of the big valleys that is coming quicker than most realize, is the unqualified workers we have for these fields.
In the last year 6 months alone Central Illinois has lost 4 (non-Amish) cabinet manufacturers. These were 20+ year shops that quietly closed their doors. And for once it wasn't the states economy that forced them to make this decision. I had the opportunity to speak with 3 of the owners before their closure, and was given quite the shock when they explained their reasoning to close the doors. The 3 owners I spoke with all had the exact same reason behind their closing. They couldn't get good help, and had nobody who had the knowledge to take over the business. This isn't a new problem, and it isn't getting any better as very few schools now offer the industrial arts (woodworking, welding etc). The generational gap that has occurred with the schools removing these classes is astronomical. We literally have a complete generation that didn't have access to these programs.
I know 4 shops doesn't sound like a lot. But let me give you a better idea of what kind of numbers we are looking at. In my specific area of Central Illinois there are 125 "wood" shops. Out of those 125, 72 are Amish shops. That leaves 53 total "English" wood shops in pretty much all of downstate Illinois. Now I have heard quite a few people state that "we can't compete with the Amish". Have you ever priced Amish Cabinets? Trust me, they are far from the most cost effective option. And in all honesty, most are doing everything the exact same way as the Englishman. It's all reputation and the knowledge that no matter what, they will always be there making cabinets, furniture etc. The rest of society, well we can't say that.
If we don't do something soon we are going to see a lot more shops closing their doors because they truly don't have the manpower to do the work here. The cabinets and furniture you buy will either be Amish made or some mass produced piece of junk that you buy at a box store.
By instilling in our children that no matter what, college is the only way for you to make a good living, we have insured ourselves a very large void in the manufacturing industry. Now we are sitting here screaming that all of our jobs are being outsourced. Well this is where I take the manufacturers side of the argument. What do we do? You send us people straight out of college with a psychology degree and want them to safely weld seams or build cabinets? Doesn't work that way. The current generations, truly, don't have a clue what it's like to work with their hands. Let alone create a real, animate object from their blood, sweat and tears.
We have the opportunity here to save a bunch of industry. And no, I'm not saying to tell your kids not to go to college. What I am saying is try and get them interested in some other areas. Take them into the garage and let them tinker with wood. By doing so, you and your child may find they have a talent and love for something that can take them far in life. And maybe, just maybe, make them just as happy as any college degree could.
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