by KE4AVB » Wed Nov 29, 2017 2:42 am
Now on the subject of high school trade courses. Here is my experience that I had trying to get into one.
My local high school was having a career day fair. I was interested in the electronics but the counselors were more interested in talking me out taking the classes than providing the courses. I insisted that was what I wanted training for. To date I still can not figure out why they were so against me taking the courses. I definitely needed the courses. I even sat in the electrical classes when I was caught on my electronic class work so I just add to my base knowledge.
Today's youth don't seems to understand that they are not handed a career without training though many employers are just looking bodies to fill vacancies instead of truly helping customers. I called one my vendors the other day for some product information and the guy on the phone couldn't give any info saying they only sell the parts and don't know anything about them. Boy what a great attitude about their company. It is a shame to say this but is only been getting worse over the years.
Last year I had a young diesel mechanic apprentice here that was trying to do small engine repairs [actually mower repairs] on the side. He was telling my customer that he knew all about them. Well the customer had me to come out and repair his mower deck after the young one messed it up. No understanding how things worked. He took a double stack pulley remove the inter working bearings, spacers, and the bearing to deck spacer, he put in 6 bearings, and bolted the pulley down. Without correct setup the pulley was severely binding on the deck which was causing it to burning up deck belts as quickly as you engage the deck.
Strange thing is that the customer tried three more times using that tech but after spending more on parts than he should have he finally just let me do the repairs now. I get a lot referrals from him too.
To work on lawn care equipment you got to be a mechanic, an electrician, and sometimes a machinist and an engineer. You can't work on one part only and ignore the rest. It also takes a lot of self training if you going to do the job well and earn your pay. Even at 58 I am still learning new things which is why I read a lot of service manuals when I get my hands on them. This is good thing as they are now starting to do fuel injection on these small engines.
Mulch have you ever just brought in a mower that was disassembled and put in several boxes for your students to put back together in working order. I have done several over the years where customer tried fixing their mower to only bring it to me in boxes. What a nightmare to do but is good training in a way. I had one customer I felt sorry and only charge $50 to put his mower back together for him to complain about being charged to doing it. I asked so you want me charge you for all my time? I no longer work on his equipment though he has tried a few times to get me to do the repairs. I don't do repairs when it is unappreciated.
The truest measure of society is the how it treats its elderly, its pets, and its prisoners.