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I've been bouncing an idea around in my head related to this for a little while now. While I don't think it's as specific as 'no engineers qualified to fill 50

I've been bouncing an idea around in my head related to this for a little while now. While I don't think it's as specific as 'no engineers qualified to fill 50k/year job' I have a feeling that in general it is lack of computer skills that is keeping these people unemployed. There is a huge amount of the population - in America at least - who cannot handle the most basic of tasks on their computers without assistance or a large waste of time. Not that I'm blaming them, as they got along just fine (though less efficiently than their more computer literate co-workers) before the downturn, but now that they have been laid off and are looking for new jobs, the employers willing to hire people who don't have the basics down are few and far between.

Qz 16y ago
A friend of mine recently finished a 5 year architecture program, but for whatever reason her curriculum didn't include computer aided design (more traditional focus she said), but now she can't find a job because everyone wants people with CAD skills.
- Stwerner 16y ago
  Wow, I wasn't really even thinking about recent graduates not knowing how to use the software particular to their industry. I'm worried the article may be right, that there needs to be a massive re-training effort or there is going to be a whole generation of people spending the second half of their lives jobless or underemployed. I imagine the only thing keeping it from being a more pronounced effect year round is big corporation's typically slow adoption of new technology.
evilduck 16y ago
Computer skills or not, the pay is not appropriate for an engineering position if he's expecting any sort of experience or qualifications beyond the degree itself. I graduated from an engineering college, I've got several close friends who are engineers (electrical, mechanical, civil, chemical and geological), all of them started working fresh out of college at +$10k more than that. Graduates are probably getting better offers from other employers and experienced workers are probably laughing at the job ads, or politely turning him down once salary was discussed but not telling him why.

Qz 16y ago

A friend of mine recently finished a 5 year architecture program, but for whatever reason her curriculum didn't include computer aided design (more traditional focus she said), but now she can't find a job because everyone wants people with CAD skills.

Stwerner 16y ago
Wow, I wasn't really even thinking about recent graduates not knowing how to use the software particular to their industry. I'm worried the article may be right, that there needs to be a massive re-training effort or there is going to be a whole generation of people spending the second half of their lives jobless or underemployed. I imagine the only thing keeping it from being a more pronounced effect year round is big corporation's typically slow adoption of new technology.

evilduck 16y ago

Computer skills or not, the pay is not appropriate for an engineering position if he's expecting any sort of experience or qualifications beyond the degree itself. I graduated from an engineering college, I've got several close friends who are engineers (electrical, mechanical, civil, chemical and geological), all of them started working fresh out of college at +$10k more than that. Graduates are probably getting better offers from other employers and experienced workers are probably laughing at the job ads, or politely turning him down once salary was discussed but not telling him why.