Online Colleges - this is nice

[~K~]

I actually thought those mechanic courses looked like fun. And yeah, based on what I pay to get my automotive work done, I think mechanics can make good money.

Very true and it seems like today you need to be computer certified just to be a mechanic. It's a respected trade imo .. heck they all are, they drive America.

The problem that we are seeing today is that too many people view trade work has less than desirable. We see people leaning towards computer programming more and more. The trade schools are actually closing programs because nobody wants to do what they view or assume to be a dirty job. This in turn over time will push the wages up as newbies dry up ...

[VACharvel]

Speaking of the trades, there was a fairly recent report put out about skilled trades and the expected shortage of trained workers in the next 20 or so years. This is basically from statistics gathered from the different trade Union's across the country.

Skilled labor, trade schools, apprenticeships are down for numbers and they aren't matching the number of people retiring. Basically, there is not enough new people coming in to replace those leaving, creating a dilemma.

Unfortunately, the social stigma to construction workers, even skilled labor, is "oh, he's a dirty "insert" electrician, plumber, iron-worker" etc. and that is how society views us.

They don't realize that some of the trades can make $100 to $150K relatively easily if they are willing to work, travel, and "get dirty" to make a living. It's a rough life, but it's a decent life IMO...

Our apprenticeship program is pretty bare...not a lot of people stepping up to the plate to go through the 5-year program. There are less than 30 people at any given time in the entire 5-year course where I'm at....this years "graduating" 5th year has less than 5 people in it

[Firebird V]

Yeah turning wrenches pays very well and because of technology inside the car a computer does all the diagnostic stuff so there really is no guessing at what the problem is so computer training is manditory in most professional shops.

Many shops across the nation strive to have a clean working atmosphere. Yes. There is a certain amount of getting greasy but many ways to prevent it from getting on your skin.

I have a friend that wanted to be a mechanic back in the early 90's but hated getting greasy. He works on Jets/planes. Jets always are being rebuilt and cleaned to insure they are working properly so the engines are inspected, rebuilt and cleaned regularly. he says that there is no dirty greasy engines or parts to mess with. More specifically, his job is rebuilding all the Hydrualics. He always has a job or knows of a company or two looking for a certified tech. Also, Most of his working experience has been sitting at a bench because the part is removed and is completely clean before he even puts his hands on it. He rebuilds all the hydrualics in a calm atmopshere that is great to work in. If you are serious about being a mechanic then maybe this is your field.

[mm2002]

Very true and it seems like today you need to be computer certified just to be a mechanic. It's a respected trade imo .. heck they all are, they drive America.

The problem that we are seeing today is that too many people view trade work has less than desirable. We see people leaning towards computer programming more and more. The trade schools are actually closing programs because nobody wants to do what they view or assume to be a dirty job. This in turn over time will push the wages up as newbies dry up ...

Yep, auto "mechanics" are a thing of the past pretty much. Nowadays they're "technicians" in the truest sense of the word. A good friend of mine is still turning wrenches at the GM dealership I used to work at. He made over 90K last year. The dirty fingernails don't seem to bother him!
I'll tell ya what's better than that; he never actually works a full 40 hour week, but at flat rate he always flags over 70 hours. For those who don't know what "flat rate" is, it's the amount of hours a particular job pays. If a job pays 4 hours, you get paid for 4 hours, regardless of how long it takes you to complete it. If you're slow, you don't do very well, but if you can complete those 4 hour jobs in an hour and a half........look out! It can be damn good money.

[Sunbane]

I have several years worth of formal education in video game design, ranging through everything from conceptual work (script, storyboarding, conceptual design, visual design) down to production (3D modelling, animation (2D/3D), programming). And at least over here, it's not a worthwhile profession to pursue, unless you really burn for designing video games.

There are THOUSANDS of kids looking to get into video game production every year. They still live in mom's basement, are not connected to any unions, and they work for virtually nothing. As prestigeous as video game design is, wages really blow, and company ethics are poor (for instance, management requiring the employees to work overtime without compensation if there's a deadline coming up). Even working as a freelancer is extremely frustrating, with companies not appreciating the value of the work that you do. This is the case for visual artists anyway - I'm not up to scratch on how it is for the programmers, but I reckon you have an easier time finding work if you're a skilled programmer.

[m2pmd70]

This site (http://www.3dbuzz.com/vbforum/sv_home.php) is awesome. I haven't been active there for a while but I remember they're in TN & at least they used to have an actual physical school there. I'm not sure if they still do that or if it's all online now. I learned a lot from their 3ds max videos though... before my mind wandered onto the next thing...

[Newc]

While I have nothing against mechanics or other similar "dirty work" people, it's not something I'm interested in. The world will always need garbagemen and gravediggers, and I'm sure 90% of them never thought of pursuing that career, but rather took it because that's what they could get.

The pay is not as much of an issue as the idea of doing something I like for a living.