cool story

[44kv]

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/employment/2007-05-16-power-shortage-cover_N.htm

[LostArt]

Florida Power & Light uses midwinter ads with alluring beach images to attract workers in cold-weather states to "sunny South Florida."

"alluring beach images" Heh. And don't forget those palm trees and plastic flamingos! :D




The industry is also fanning out to sell students and guidance counselors on a career in the power industry. "You can have a very well-compensated career without a traditional college degree and provide a critical community service," Miller says.

Gulf Power in northern Florida has started a power industry academy at two local high schools. Companies such as American Electric Power and First Energy are setting up courses for skilled workers at community colleges, often paying students' tuition. Such two-year programs can significantly shorten a line worker's typical five-year apprenticeship.

Florida also has a shortage of teachers and they are also trying to allure young graduates to enter an "apprenticeship" by having them spend a good bit of time in a classroom setting learning under a teacher while finishing their education. They have been doing this for years, but in this situation, you don't go through 4 yrs of school and then internship, you get into the classroom right away and learn hands on.

They also entice them to programs that are paying most of their education in learning plus receive regular pay.

But, times change. We now have Florida Virtual School (FLVS) classes which you can do your schooling online. In 1999, I just learned of this when my daughter told me she was taking courses in college online. She emails her work to an online professor and was taught working right on a computer.

Yes, you guys have seen it. It's all the rage now. Get this and that degree online! But, just a few short years ago, it was offered to high school students just in grades 11th and 12th. Now, I see kids withdraw from high school and finish their education either taking GED classes two nights a week, or leaving to do FLVS.

So, what I'm trying to say...........in an "add on" to Swamp's phrase,
"You may be the best (insert trade title here) here, but if you quit tomorrow, this place won't miss a Fuc%in beat."

Sad ****,...but reality.

"Progress"...........

Progress is changing our environment, but what kind of place is it changing too? Public Education will soon be no more. I don't know when it will change, but our society sure has taken a toll on it.

Only just yesterday, I was giving meds (being nurse while she was out), taking care of two skippers and two girl fighters (a discipline issue), printing out transcripts (the record clerk was at lunch), and there is my job---attendance, answering phones, talking on the radio, the intercom, etc.

I could go on, but my point is this, there are cutbacks even in the education system and one person will be expected to do multitasks, jobs. Many linemen are doing this now, is my bet. If not, I believe they will be doing it in the near future.

Sad? Ummm..........working in electricity? No, that sounds scarey to me Swamp. Think about it. More computer work, paperwork (evaluations---have you read these lately????), customer service, trouble calls, meter reading(point--shoot--punch), ......and let's don't forget their "regular" work. And all this done working around high voltage............egads....that sounds mighty scarey to me.

I thought the other day as I listened to the radio announcer say, "Due to the water shortage in Columbia County, water from 6am to 10am and then 4pm to 9pm. Under this burn ban please do not use any unnecessary water between the hours of 10am to 4pm."

Power....electricity....it's run by everything. This world is getting too big for it.

[BigClive]

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/employment/2007-05-16-power-shortage-cover_N.htm

I like the last bit....

Jessica DeLaRosa, 23, a University of Illinois grad, was considering a career in medical imaging but decided to join Exelon as a nuclear engineer after a company executive talked to her class.

Noting that nuclear plants emit none of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, she says, "I can walk out of here knowing I made the world a little better and a little cleaner."

I guess she's not referring to the one in Chernobyl then. It didn't emit any greenhouse gasses. Just a big cloud of Uranium. :eek:

[Squizzy]

Thats a great story its something that electrical workers all over the world have known for some time and others are now finally seeing the writing on the wall. One the utility's country yards here has a live line crew that is ancient the youngest guy is in his early 60's but you want to see them work! They know every trick in the book but they may have wrote the book anyway, going to leave a big gap in a couple of years.....