b'LettersLEARN TO EARN These bright youngsters opt for a2decades,Ihaveviewedhow degree in a field where there is up- many corporations did everything The following letters were writtenward mobility. in their power to eliminate (ter-in response to Michael Derens Ma- Unfortunately,thosewhooptminate) those with the skills, tal-chinists Corner column in the Janu- for the trades often default to theent and knowledge to perform the ary issue about raising the level oftrades, which diminishes the tal- highly technical jobs that benefited skills in the manufacturing industry. ent pool. I dont mean everyone, ofcorporations.course, but enough so that, unfor- Those who are close to retirement Itunately, there are some stigmas at- have been overworked to cover for have been in the machining trade for 47 years and just retired, effec- tached to the trades. those who were released. Those tive Jan. 31. I have never pushed awho now seek the technical roles go button on a CNC machine inare the people who were lucky to my life. I have, however, run manualfinish K-12 and are now hoping for a machines, such as engine lathes,high-paying job by just pushing but-horizontal mills, vertical mills, bor- tons. They have no knowledge of ing mills and vertical turning lathes.machining and what retains produc-I spent my career making parts fortion. Those who continue to learn heavy industrial equipment andwill seek the best compensation for mining machines. their knowledge and experience.I read CTE cover to cover eachWho am I? A results-oriented month so I can stay out of the Stoneengineer who has found success Age as much as possible. and fun in design for manufacture About 20 years ago, I wrote a let- and assembly, geometric dimen-ter to The Wall Street Journal aftersioning and tolerancing, and manu-reading an editorial bemoaning thefacturing. How can I, tactfully and fact that U.S. industries were hav- without remorse, blame top corpo-ing to go to Europe to find machin- rate executives for their companies ists. The author lamented that thereThe unintended consequencesdemise? Most cut their own arteries were few young people here inter- of the professional class and itson cost reduction by eliminat-ested in skilled trades. trade barriers refusal to promoteing the salaries of skilled and loyal One thing The Wall Street Journalthe uneducated workforce fromworkers. Many of those workers is good at is constantly complainingwithin means that boardroom deci- loved the work they were engaged about foreign countries erectingsions about day-to-day operationsin. Now many of them will not return trade barriers to U.S. goods andof the uneducated shop workersto be chastised and abused. Tech-services. often have no bearing on reality.nology helps; however, nothing is I postulated my theory to theThere is absolutely no shared expe- like the eyes, ears, nose and brain newspaper that, with its empha- rience. Many of the resultant deci- of a true machinist.sis on having a college degree assions from the upper echelons areIt is my opinion that CEOs should the gateway to future mobility, theabsurd and their ramifications ex- not run manufacturing firms until paper has erected its own form oftremely costly. they have performed every job in trade barrier. By requiring a collegeIt doesnt take a good deal ofthe company for at least a week.degree before management mobil- imagination to guess that my letterForcing and inducing situations ity exists, the exclusivity of the cartelwas never published. to terminate the experienced and is maintained. All the best; I will continue to beskilled workers, all for cost reduction, In real life, this means that thosea reader. is true ignorance. And then to opine young people who have the apti- Kevin Quitberg about the lack of a cheap replace-tude to excel at a skilled trade alsoment is a slap in the face to those have the aptitude to know whichIwith you on your sit- who loved their joblike me!CTEempathize side of their bread is buttered.uation. However, over the pastCraig Tallar20MARCH 2018Letters.indd 20 2/14/18 9:36 AM'