It’s time to go back to the drawing
board. And the chalk board.
The rise in the current unemployment rate is being
countered by a rise in the number of individuals who are going back to school.
This is nothing new. Whenever the economy takes a turn for the worst, and men
and women begin to lose their jobs, community colleges and vocational programs
see a dramatic upswing in their numbers.
People who believed
that their job would always be there are coming to the realization that they
need to find training in a new career path.
Several years
ago I wrote an article about the closure of a plant in Ohio. For the life of
me, I can’t remember what manufacturing sector that plant was in. But it was the
lifeblood of a community and many men lost their jobs. When this happened, the
local HVACR training program at the community college saw an unprecedented
number of men coming in to get trained in a career that could not be shipped
overseas.
Today, it looks like the same problem is
happening. Men and women from all over the country are going back to the
drawing board to find out where they can have a career - - not just a job that
can be thrown away as soon as the economy gets bad.
Even the
HVACR and sheet metal industries are having some difficult times, but this
surge in vocational training is a testament to the longevity of a career in
heating and air-conditioning. HVACR and sheet metal companies can endure hard
economic times if they are smart. And no matter what happens to the economy,
homes and businesses still need to stay warm in winter and cool in the
summer.
My only hope is that when President-Elect Obama
takes office with his new administration, more attention (and perhaps more
dollars and funding) will go the vocational programs. It seems to be one thing
people can turn to when times get tough.
