Parts backlog

[Sargie]

Originally Posted by joyridin'

If you think it just started in early '21, you were probably not paying a lot of attention to the years before that. I visit hundreds of machine shops and they have been complaining for close to 10 years now they can't find any help. Giving away all that free money in 20 and 21 didn't help at all.

Great point. All types of skilled labor availability has been on the decline for many years. Add all of the stay home free money and it’s a recipe for our current situation. I’ve been involved at a local level talking to middle school kids getting ready for high school. We introduce them to trade / tech schools where they get at traditional core education with a skilled trade. The number kids going the way of tech school is small (1% in my town) with most being encouraged to get a college education rather than a skilled trade. In The last 2 years a few of our state community colleges started to offer 2 year associate degrees in a trade. These programs focus on high tech manufacturing. It will take time for programs like this to affect long term change.