Ford CEO Jim Farley laments he can’t fill 5,000 mechanic jobs

[Underway]

Keep a close eye on him as drug users in the trades, become the people they hang out with. Try to get him to take some Salsa classes on his down time, so he gets to meet a nice crowd and can make friends outside of work.

Had this exact convo with my son, he looked at me like I was psychotic "Dad, those people are dangerous morons, I won't be hanging out with them. I still hang out with my friends online."

 

[mariomike]

Keep a close eye on him as drug users in the trades, become the people they hang out with. Try to get him to take some Salsa classes on his down time, so he gets to meet a nice crowd and can make friends outside of work.

Excellent advice.

 

[Harris]

Maybe design cars that can be easily fixed and spend time making sure parts can be removed without massive disassembly to gain access.

I had a Dodge Dakota where you had to lift the engine to replace the oil pan. Traded it the next month and did not replace the oil pan.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Maybe design cars that can be easily fixed and spend time making sure parts can be removed without massive disassembly to gain access.

I am convinced there is a market for throw back cars and pick up. Give me an OBS Ford where I can basically stand inside the engine bay and work any day.

 

[Furniture]

Alternatively we have Canada where our trades certificators/organizations refuse to allow people who have been doing the trade for many years to challenge the tests to become formally certified. Let alone allow foreign certified tradesmen become certified.

It doesn’t matter if they try to get into the trades or not, we have so many artificial barriers to entry it isn’t even funny. Getting a apprenticeship is the difficult part. Every other part is easy.

One of the big issues I've heard of is companies not wanting their apprentices to become journeymen, because they cost too much. So, people who go into the trades end up not getting the big pay promised, because they're stuck as apprentices/laborers.

Like most problems in the labor market, there is a self-inflicted aspect to it that insiders refuse to address, because it might mean they have to forego their preferential treatment.