Tough Times in the Northwoods

[dfattack]

I see the point about not being able to help during the week. Maybe the clubs should organize mid week and weekend work so both parties can participate and get some work done. Seems like an easy solution to me. whoever can help mid week do so and weekend crews can do their thing.

 

[chop]

Say it with me folks; THE BEST WAY TO GET AHEAD IS WITH A COLLEGE EDUCATION!!!

- said the college professor to his students.

I dont think anyone will argue that an engineering, science, or law degree will get you ahead in life. But saying a generic "college education" will do anything for you is an absolute lie. Trade specific training is where the money is. The college degree is becoming little more than a second high school diploma. When I hire, I care way more about work experience than I do about accreditations.

Not everyone has the work ethic or possibly even the mental capacity for college. The way the public school system funnels kids to colleges now should be a crime. Saddling a 20 year old with crippling dept and no job experience is an awful thing to do to someone.

BTW- I am also a millennial Tool and Die Maker. I never spent a dime of my own money on education. Apprenticeship 100% paid for by my employer.

 

[macker]

Walleye fishing has never been better in Michigan. Just a FYI.

Edit to add; I've been going to the UP as an adult since the mid 80's, have seen lots of mom/pop places close. Have also seen places like Munising change and now they just boom during the summer and fall months, it's crazy busy there now, didn't used to be. Marquette never stops growing, Houghton has as well. Things change with time, some for the better, others not so much.

 

[towtruck]

WOW!! obviously, not much snow out there more time to uhh talk-
not much one guy can do about all the closings but we have made the UP our year round destination so maybe more of us can do that- hiking north boundary trail, biking, atv, got a kayak for christmas, unlimited river runs, last oct I just laid in the woods on my back and watched the woods come to life as the animals seemed to forget i was there-it is like the northern WI that hardly anyone has found in summer time- way less rules and more off trail riding all year round-the UP simply cannot be matched in the midwest!!

 

[Dirty70Firebird]

Our company will not even look at people without a collage degree. Lots of qualified people out there with years on experience, that I personally know, and know they can do the job, but no degree = no interview.

 

[G]

- said the college professor to his students.

I dont think anyone will argue that an engineering, science, or law degree will get you ahead in life. But saying a generic "college education" will do anything for you is an absolute lie. Trade specific training is where the money is. The college degree is becoming little more than a second high school diploma. When I hire, I care way more about work experience than I do about accreditations.

Not everyone has the work ethic or possibly even the mental capacity for college. The way the public school system funnels kids to colleges now should be a crime. Saddling a 20 year old with crippling dept and no job experience is an awful thing to do to someone.

BTW- I am also a millennial Tool and Die Maker. I never spent a dime of my own money on education. Apprenticeship 100% paid for by my employer.

One of my close friends is a plumber. He does not advertise. His number is not in the phone book. He is a one man show. He does good work. He does not work cheap. And he has enough work to last him until he is dead. He is going to the Dominican Republic for a week in Feb. He went fishing in Alaska last year in addition to going to Germany. Yes, the trades really suck.

 

[slowsi00]

- Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship = College

Quickest way to make six figures is to become an apprentice in any 12 month major trade. plumbing / electrical etc... 4 years later you will make 100k.

I have to remind everyone that after high school education of any kind is considered college. If you can get through 4 years of apprenticeship and become a journeyman you could have graduated from a university and vice versa.

Now being an apprentice you don't get the college life parties/ladies/fun and for many people that could be worth an extra 100k of debt.

 

[old abe]

Just way too few apprenticeships offered. Very good deal where offered. Nephew went thru apprentice as a electrician. Low income starting out, but very much worth the learning budget part of it also.

 

[shelby369]

I believe the Red Steer sold to the car dealership next door, going to expand dealers parking lot...

We were in Minocqua this fall for fall colors. Went to go out for dinner was surprised some of the places that were closed up. Had to settle for our 3rd choice.
Did Red Steer ever reopen?? Know they were looking for new location.

 

[snobuilder]

Ldf 180...you seem to forget..that the bars, and restaurants run the snowmobile clubs (the business clubs)...do you think we are going to close our bars, or restaurants on Saturday or Sunday to accommodate out of towners who want to volunteer?? No...you will see that most bars restaurants are closed Monday and Tuesday...this is why our meetings are during the week, and we brush and mark on those days...we have to do this stuff when its convenient for most of the people who do the work...its not like we have unlimited people up here, and frankly most of us are old guys, that have been doing this for a long time...I froze my *** off with 8 other guys brushing a swamp last winter so our new piston bully could go through that area and groom, it was 8 above with a windchill was below zero...but us old guys got the job done...weekend work days wont work, unless you want to pull 3 groomer drivers off their duties grooming trails on the weekend...all to accommodate your work schedule?? So you can volunteer?? Really? Dont be so brash.

Total bull ****....the highly educated know that what you are saying is a LIE. Global warmi...I mean global climate change is an undeniable consensus of highly educated liberal professors in the BIG industry aka BIG education.

 

[Sweep800]

I never went to college, Started working as a laborer(1987) for my buddies brother carpenter business. was running a framing crew in 4-5 years, my boss came to me and asked if I'd be his partner so of course I accepted. Lasted maybe 8-10 years then I bought him out and that's been 12-15 years ago. Was forced to go union to keep a large project, stayed union(14 yrs) till the great recession then couldn't afford the union thing. I never have advertised , all word of mouth. leave when I want to leave. Turn down work on average every other week. Make a good buck without college education but work real hard. The "gotta have the College degree", really leaves behind the kids that have a tough time in high school. the undergraduate degree is just becoming a extended high school education. Pretty soon a masters degree will be required, then a doctorate. But I guess it's just the way of the world, Have to keep up with other countries and/or set the bar for other countries.
Not tooting my own horn, just stating college is defiantly not required for everyone. Let It Snow!! T.W.R.

 

[snobuilder]

BIG Education. BIG Bidness.

Always follow the money for the how and why.

 

[blkhwkbob]

One of my close friends is a plumber. He does not advertise. His number is not in the phone book. He is a one man show. He does good work. He does not work cheap. And he has enough work to last him until he is dead. He is going to the Dominican Republic for a week in Feb. He went fishing in Alaska last year in addition to going to Germany. Yes, the trades really suck.

Plumbing is tough work. I worked for years for a master plumber from Germany. He was doing great until he destroyed his back. He had a back brace that looked like a medieval torture device. Then he was offered a building superintendent job and that's what he did until cancer killed him. How many old, retired plumbers do you know?

 

[scoot]

The age old education argument. The most LOL post in this whole thread was from the forum's most notorious poster bragging about how he didnt need a degree to be the highest paid employee at his job at a big box store.
Not surprisingly he edited it

 

[snobuilder]

The age old education argument. The most LOL post in this whole thread was from the forum's most notorious poster bragging about how he didnt need a degree to be the highest paid employee at his job at a big box store.
Not surprisingly he edited it

Total fabrication, Mr. Soot.
I am surrounded by 4 yr. Degree victims of big education who were scammed along with their parents into thinking the only way to succeed was to dump $10k a semester in higher education. ...LOL.....And now we are running out of tradesmen.
Never claimed to be the highest paid....This is beer and sledding money.

 

[scoot]

Maybe if you had some extra education you could have learned how to spell. Besides, what makes you think I was talking about you?

 

[sjb]

I will state this, the trades are hurting right now, but will really, really be hurting in 10-15 years. I am a college educated (engineer) individual who use to run an internship program for all of the sciences/engineering at a fortune 100 company. I hired 100's of kids a year. As with anything, some were fantastic, and some of the hires were okay. Now I volunteer my time in the area at a 4 school career fair. There are still those that will go to college, but if someone is one the fence, I push them towards the trades. As an electrician, making $100K within 4-7 years after high school is very achievable. And even more so if you are willing to go into the programming side of the trades. And you will have a job for certain. And if you are the "college material" and have an understanding of programming, there is not a hotter field than artificial intelligence. These kids are coming out of school with many offers of $100K+ as a starting point.

Going back to the OP and places not open "up north", I believe a lot of it still has to do with finding good help as many others have mentioned. In order for a place to stay in business, they need to keep their costs down. Paying high dollar for wait-staff or bartenders is tough. Especially considering there are all sorts of opening all over the place. In the industry I am in, we can't find good general labor for $17/hour or fully loaded making $28/hour. That is where my expertise comes in and I find automated solutions to do the work of people we can't find. This is the way this country is going for certain - we don't have enough labor pool for the current jobs out there, and the supply and demand is high enough that automation will continue to occur at a very high rate. Again, go back to my earlier AI comment.

 

[chunk06]

Plumbing is tough work. I worked for years for a master plumber from Germany. He was doing great until he destroyed his back. He had a back brace that looked like a medieval torture device. Then he was offered a building superintendent job and that's what he did until cancer killed him. How many old, retired plumbers do you know?

I know plenty, for a trade plumbing is pretty gravy work except for some digging that is usually reserved for young guys on crews. My good buddy is a CPA and his body is also wrecked from sitting on his *** all day. He has worked for several large factories and knows what people make. He said If he did life over again he would be a maintenance electrican.

 

[old abe]

Agree on maintenance/electrician.

 

[snoluver1]

Just like anything else, there are justifiable opinions for both sides of the education debate.

I think it comes down to 2 main things. Personality type, and having and actual plan. I knew very early on, that I could not spend my life in an office chair, staring at a computer screen. I went to a vocational high school and then a 15 month technical school after. I had a plan by the time I was in like 7th grade? My secondary education cost me all of $15k. I do not have a degree. I make well into the 6 figures, have 2 pentions to pull off and a little chunck in a 401k. Am I rich? Heck no, but I do know I'm doing better than most of the people who "manage" me, with their fancy degree that they're still paying for.

Could I make more with an engineering degree? Sure I could! But then I'd be sitting in a chair, staring at a computer.

I also could have spent 4 years at university, without a plan, ending up with a useless degree, and I'd still be paying for it.