Comments by "alex smith" (@alexsmith-ob3lu) on "why university graduates like me ended up working in a warehouse" video.

Good video. Thank you for sharing your story. I work blue collar as a low voltage electrician. My previous job was a controls technician doing automation systems. I never went to a four year college (university) because my grades weren’t enough, university tuition was out of my budget and I didn’t want to get into debt. So, I went to technical-community college and completed an associate of applied science degree in electromechanical engineering technology. So yeah, you can basically call me the “unicorn” of my generation as everyone else around me went to university and are either doing well or doing terrible right now. While I remain “in the middle.” The main problem is that many people don’t think enough and are too easily manipulated by emotions. Especially parents who (for the most part) don’t understand anything. Our presentation day classroom/lecture public schooling is from the early 19th century (Prussian model) for drilling soldiers for “industrial combat.” Most folks don’t realize that our schooling is a highly controlled environment; something that life isn’t about. Even if your education is high quality, it’s still FACTORY quality! What happens when there is an oversupply of a factory product? The items just pile up in a warehouse going nowhere.
31
As someone who has worked in the construction trades; there are several misconceptions many people have about the “skilled trades.” The trades aren’t for everyone. Most folks confuse trades for “middle tier skillsets.” Nobody will take on an apprentice in the construction trades unless there are enough engineers and work going around. Any economic downturns and you as the construction apprentice get laid off immediately for months in end. Construction is in the service sector, not the industrial sector. You cannot absurd a tremendous amount of labor into construction.
10
While your efforts are noble, Britain has lost all of its industrial economy. Most folks going into apprenticeships go for construction (service sector) jobs. You don’t need that much labor in the service sector; especially the construction trades.
8
@pripri3404 I wouldn’t call these university degrees “worthless subjects.” Most folks don’t know how to think and plan ahead in terms of 5, 10 or even 15 years from when they apply to a four year college. For example, a four year degree in mechanical engineering is not a worthless degree. That type of degree all depends on your location. If you’re out in Seattle, Washington with a mechanical engineering degree. You can find a job in aerospace without any major problems. If you earned your mechanical engineering degree in an area such as Chicago, Illinois. Then you’d better take a community college certificate afterwards to find work doing machine tools.
5
@Green-Knight22-d8y The greatest salesman is able to sell you something without you ever realizing that you bought into the sale.
3
@ Thanks for sharing your story. A lot of folks get “stuck in life” and remain stagnant; totally oblivious to the changing world around them. We have windows of opportunities that we don’t want to miss or else we simply stagnate and fall behind in everything. It’s really tough to change vocations or learn a new academic subject at age 38 compared to someone at age 28. And that’s the problem that I see with many people around me. After their initial four year college or masters program, they go out and take whatever job there is available for the sake of money. Now, money is good and fine and you need it, but I see a lot of folks waste years on a job that’s dead end. If you run into a problem at such a dead end job when you hit your 40s, it means your in trouble if you got nothing to fall back on.
3
@uhhhum Don’t be afraid of getting your first job. You gain tremendous experience from your first job; even if you only stay a few months there. That’s what I did after finishing my associate degree of applied in electromechanical engineering technology at a technical-community college. My first job was a maintenance technician (did not enjoy doing it at all) but I persisted for five months before quitting. My second job was welding engineer helping customers service automation/robotic welding equipment. After two years at that job, I transferred into controls before starting a low voltage electrical apprenticeship. You gotta know how to live life, improvise day to day and understand it’s better to work incrementally than taking big steps into the dark.
2
@catiapb1 I love how so many people confuse “service sector jobs” with “industrial jobs.” Those two are not the same in any manner. Once you get x amount of labor in health care, you don’t need anymore labor. Unlike an industrial economy (which is all gone these days in most of the West), you absorb a vast amount of labor into well paid skilled work.
2
@uhhhum You can waste a lot of time looking in the wrong places. I suggest you take some personality tests, career match making exams, and see what kind of work environment suits your “spiritual interests” the most. If money is the end all purpose of your career; you’re going to be miserable in your later life because your soul is not getting satisfied. Chase after what you are most passionate about( have great interest in) and then the money will follow suit.
2
@uhhhum No worries. You’re welcome.
2
@uhhhum You’re very welcome! Our “mainstream” educational system (public schooling) was created for drilling soldiers to fight an early 19th century infantry war. It’s a highly controlled environment that does not reflect the realities of human life. Don’t get me wrong, you need to learn basic theory in a lecture classroom. But your “real education” begins after you get out of the lecture classroom and into real life.
1
@eqsul729 Thanks for sharing your story. Good on you for persisting and taking on challenges. I think other folks out there are frustrated that they end up stagnant in their adult life after going through a four year college degree or graduate school. We as human beings are not machines. We’re living beings capable of doing a lot more than our ego could imagine. I’ve seen some folks live into their 50s with absolute regret for not “accomplishing more” in their younger and middle aged years.
1