Originally posted by Rolex
The fact remains that generalizing that all university graduates, managers, engineers and accountants are losers (or even that American companies are failing - the topic title) is undefendable hyperbole.
American companies are doing well in spite of the statistically stable number that have failed and will fail from incompetence or mismanagement. Productivity is pretty darn good.
Captain, it's a shame that you were surrounded by idiot engineers and accountants at eight companies over 25 years. That's just an amazing string of bad luck.
I didn't say ALL. I did say a large percentage. Is U.S. based manufacturing in serious trouble? You're damned right it is. Anyone who believes otherwise is fooling himself.
As for me and eight companies, that is not ALL my experience, which makes the arguement even MORE pointed. Part of that is my partner, and my best friend.
My partner was an engineer for one of the 3 largest companies in the WORLD, for 33 years, before he retired. He holds around 20 patents. His experience and his opinion is the same as mine. Oh, two years after he retired, the plant is closing, after 44 years as a top job provider in our town. They're going to Mexico and India.
My best friend and I were in college together, taking engineering. I left because the farm required me to. But that's not even a factor. My best friend made it all the way through. He's still an engineer for a major appliance company. He WAS with a major communications company. His opinions mirrors mine. After leading his company to produce a VERY valuable computer component a few years ago, he watched the company stumble into oblivion in that market. they closed the plant, he lost his job. He's now been the top rated, award winning engineer at another company, who lead the team to develop a very popular and good selling product. The company is in deep trouble. The appliance he designed (I was in on part of it at my last job, they were a customer of ours) is a good seller and profitable. It's a really good piece. Fortunately for him, my old employer did NOT get the contract ot produce parts for that appliance.
I went through the same problems in construction with engineers as I did in manufacturing. Too much school, and ZERO practical knowledge and experience.
I know good engineers exist, I've known a few that I worked with, and I have two who are close friends. In my experience, they are the exception, not the rule. It's been my personal experience that far too much emphasis is placed on degrees and diplomas and not enough is placed on real world knowledge and experience. It's a sad fact that most people go to college to get a degree and a diploma so they can make "big bucks", rather than to LEARN to actually DO SOMETHING and CONTRIBUTE.
And going to college while amassing college loan debt equivalent to 10 years of salary does NOT amount to "perservering"
. It's the kid that WORKS their way through college that actually does well with it. THOSE are the ones that come out of college having LEARNED.
