Enrollment Decline in UNC System

[mike87]

Trades are the way to go now. Had an HVAC company owner tell me recently that he was turning away business because he can’t find competent employees. He said if he could find a competent employee he could guarantee them over $100k the first year.

What does he consider a competent employee? One who is willing to take calls at 3:00 in the morning? Furnish his own vehicle and equipment? Skilled and licensed in electrical and mechanical? How many years experience does he require?

You interested?

Just judging from the requirements and expectations of my HVAC service for my heat pump. To do what your guy is expecting, takes many years of experience and a lot of training. Requires a great deal of electrical experience as well as physical strength..

So, a competent employee, then?

This is true in every trade and industry. Competent employees are hard to find. And yes, what you describe is a basic competent person who is willing to work. $100k is a lot of money and having their own transportation, basic skills and licensing and willingness to take a call after hours on occasion is not a big ask.

[appst89]

What does he consider a competent employee? One who is willing to take calls at 3:00 in the morning? Furnish his own vehicle and equipment? Skilled and licensed in electrical and mechanical? How many years experience does he require?

You interested?

Just judging from the requirements and expectations of my HVAC service for my heat pump. To do what your guy is expecting, takes many years of experience and a lot of training. Requires a great deal of electrical experience as well as physical strength..

So, a competent employee, then?

What are you talking about? I'm retired. Just saying that a skill in a trade doesn't necessarily mean a person can do the job. Many require a great deal of physical strength.

Just pointing out that you basically answered your own questions. You asked what he wanted and then you defined a competent employee. The only thing confusing to me is that you seem to have some issue with the man wanting a competent employee.

[bcoach]

Trades are the way to go now. Had an HVAC company owner tell me recently that he was turning away business because he can’t find competent employees. He said if he could find a competent employee he could guarantee them over $100k the first year.

What does he consider a competent employee? One who is willing to take calls at 3:00 in the morning? Furnish his own vehicle and equipment? Skilled and licensed in electrical and mechanical? How many years experience does he require?

Frankly that sounds like a script written for someone who just doesn't want to work. I'll bet that HVAC guy doesn't need half of that. He just needs someone who will work. I have a plumber who will train, no after hr calls, he will furnish all tools and vehicle. First hurdle is finding a guy who can pass the drug test. Next is someone who will actually show up. The trades are screaming for people.

[pop5app]

Trades are the way to go now. Had an HVAC company owner tell me recently that he was turning away business because he can’t find competent employees. He said if he could find a competent employee he could guarantee them over $100k the first year.

What does he consider a competent employee? One who is willing to take calls at 3:00 in the morning? Furnish his own vehicle and equipment? Skilled and licensed in electrical and mechanical? How many years experience does he require?

Frankly that sounds like a script written for someone who just doesn't want to work. I'll bet that HVAC guy doesn't need half of that. He just needs someone who will work. I have a plumber who will train, no after hr calls, he will furnish all tools and vehicle. First hurdle is finding a guy who can pass the drug test. Next is someone who will actually show up. The trades are screaming for people.

Screaming! What’s more you can produce practically an unlimited income, name your price and work your own hours if you want to. Back in the old days the insurance business was that way.. not any longer. Most insurance business can be conducted by computer. Hard to fix a leak in the bathroom by computer!

[AppInDC]

BS degrees are aptly named now. Most are exactly that. We have a son at App and one at NCSU. The virtual/on line Covid classes were one thing but to continue them now at regular tuition costs is mind boggling. Admittedly there were ridiculous courses even back in my day but some of them now are unreal. Intro to fly fishing was an option for my App son.

To be fair, the listed one sounds like a physical Ed requirement.

One of mine was Badminton and I graduated a while ago. Haha.

[BambooRdApp]

BS degrees are aptly named now. Most are exactly that. We have a son at App and one at NCSU. The virtual/on line Covid classes were one thing but to continue them now at regular tuition costs is mind boggling. Admittedly there were ridiculous courses even back in my day but some of them now are unreal. Intro to fly fishing was an option for my App son.

To be fair, the listed one sounds like a physical Ed requirement.

One of mine was Badminton and I graduated a while ago. Haha.

Intro to snow skiing for me

[bcoach]

BS degrees are aptly named now. Most are exactly that. We have a son at App and one at NCSU. The virtual/on line Covid classes were one thing but to continue them now at regular tuition costs is mind boggling. Admittedly there were ridiculous courses even back in my day but some of them now are unreal. Intro to fly fishing was an option for my App son.

To be fair, the listed one sounds like a physical Ed requirement.

One of mine was Badminton and I graduated a while ago. Haha.

Kind of ridiculous that there is a physical Ed requirement

[NewApp]

BS degrees are aptly named now. Most are exactly that. We have a son at App and one at NCSU. The virtual/on line Covid classes were one thing but to continue them now at regular tuition costs is mind boggling. Admittedly there were ridiculous courses even back in my day but some of them now are unreal. Intro to fly fishing was an option for my App son.

To be fair, the listed one sounds like a physical Ed requirement.

One of mine was Badminton and I graduated a while ago. Haha.

Kind of ridiculous that there is a physical Ed requirement

When I was at App back in the late 60's, three one credit courses in PE were required for graduation. If one took more than 3, the extra ones did not count in GPA.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

BS degrees are aptly named now. Most are exactly that. We have a son at App and one at NCSU. The virtual/on line Covid classes were one thing but to continue them now at regular tuition costs is mind boggling. Admittedly there were ridiculous courses even back in my day but some of them now are unreal. Intro to fly fishing was an option for my App son.

To be fair, the listed one sounds like a physical Ed requirement.

One of mine was Badminton and I graduated a while ago. Haha.

Kind of ridiculous that there is a physical Ed requirement

Given the obesity rates in this country having our colleges do something, even as little as 2 PEs, is far from ridiculous. It ought to be 4 PE credits. I took snow skiing and fencing. Not the fencing I could learn a trade however.

[MrCraig]

BS degrees are aptly named now. Most are exactly that. We have a son at App and one at NCSU. The virtual/on line Covid classes were one thing but to continue them now at regular tuition costs is mind boggling. Admittedly there were ridiculous courses even back in my day but some of them now are unreal. Intro to fly fishing was an option for my App son.

To be fair, the listed one sounds like a physical Ed requirement.

One of mine was Badminton and I graduated a while ago. Haha.

Kind of ridiculous that there is a physical Ed requirement

Given the obesity rates in this country having our colleges do something, even as little as 2 PEs, is far from ridiculous. It ought to be 4 PE credits. I took snow skiing and fencing. Not the fencing I could learn a trade however.

It's also part of the idea behind holistic/whole child/liberal arts education. I took weight training and bowling. Did either one help me in my career? No. But I learned more about how the body works and how diet and exercise affect the body than I did in any health class that I took from middle school through college. And I got pretty good at bowling, which is a nice thing to show off on dates and at birthday parties. My PE credits have probably had a bigger effect on my actual day-to-day life than say, the Shakespeare class I had to take for my English-Ed degree.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

BS degrees are aptly named now. Most are exactly that. We have a son at App and one at NCSU. The virtual/on line Covid classes were one thing but to continue them now at regular tuition costs is mind boggling. Admittedly there were ridiculous courses even back in my day but some of them now are unreal. Intro to fly fishing was an option for my App son.

To be fair, the listed one sounds like a physical Ed requirement.

One of mine was Badminton and I graduated a while ago. Haha.

Kind of ridiculous that there is a physical Ed requirement

Given the obesity rates in this country having our colleges do something, even as little as 2 PEs, is far from ridiculous. It ought to be 4 PE credits. I took snow skiing and fencing. Not the fencing I could learn a trade however.

It's also part of the idea behind holistic/whole child/liberal arts education. I took weight training and bowling. Did either one help me in my career? No. But I learned more about how the body works and how diet and exercise affect the body than I did in any health class that I took from middle school through college. And I got pretty good at bowling, which is a nice thing to show off on dates and at birthday parties. My PE credits have probably had a bigger effect on my actual day-to-day life than say, the Shakespeare class I had to take for my English-Ed degree.

I really enjoyed fencing and waited and waited until a section opened up. My legs never ached so much. The Greensboro Fencing Academy is own my side of Greensboro and I have thought about trying it a bit now.

My friend at Ga Teach took a PE that literally had them doing jumping jacks and tossing a medicine ball. How boring. Fly fishing in the mountains sounds like a fun class if one likes fishing. I don't but it uses the muscles to cast. It would be a banger of a class for some.

[bigdaddyg]

I took bowling when I was at App. We had to actually know how to score games on paper and we had a real final. We got so sick of bowling that we started using our left hand, bowling between our legs and other stupid stuff. I can't recall my other PE. As a student you loved the "easy" classes for a GPA boost but most were/are a complete ripoff. My son wants to take snowboarding for obvious reasons. I actually took Intro to Recreation and Leisure and the "professor " told us the purpose of the class was to teach us how to play. Hmm

[bcoach]

I have no words.

[Oldlknapp]

In a related topic, I’ve thought for sometime that our football players tend to be more successful, perhaps in a entrepreneurial way, than the average student. I’ve thought that the dedication, hard work, training and competitive “can do” attitude helps them in their careers. Only a few of our players actually make it to the NFL, but a lot of them are successful in the business world.
Has a study ever been done regarding this matter??

[biggie]

I took bowling when I was at App. We had to actually know how to score games on paper and we had a real final. We got so sick of bowling that we started using our left hand, bowling between our legs and other stupid stuff. I can't recall my other PE. As a student you loved the "easy" classes for a GPA boost but most were/are a complete ripoff. My son wants to take snowboarding for obvious reasons. I actually took Intro to Recreation and Leisure and the "professor " told us the purpose of the class was to teach us how to play. Hmm

Wanted to do bowling, don't remember why I didn't (except I know the bowling alley closed during my time there). Ended up with 3 semesters of skiing including the last one where they teach you to teach skiing and then give you a job after you pass.

[Mjohn1988]

Higher education has hurt itself. Way over inflated and way too many useless degrees. A lot of folks no longer value a degree like they did.

[bigdaddyg]

There was a time when a history major might still land a job with a big bank (a buddy of mine did) and they still trained you. I guess they figured you had the necessary foundation to offer something. I believe the "useless degrees " will offer the fringe student the opportunity to wait tables or pour drinks.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

I took bowling when I was at App. We had to actually know how to score games on paper and we had a real final. We got so sick of bowling that we started using our left hand, bowling between our legs and other stupid stuff. I can't recall my other PE. As a student you loved the "easy" classes for a GPA boost but most were/are a complete ripoff. My son wants to take snowboarding for obvious reasons. I actually took Intro to Recreation and Leisure and the "professor " told us the purpose of the class was to teach us how to play. Hmm

PE classes for graduation requirements were pass/fail I thought and did not really have an effect on GPA. Maybe I did get a letter grade but I don't remember that being the case. I remember having a final and the finer points of fencing and the different types of swords.

Every class was easy compared to my physics class and organic chemistry. Partly due to the other classes being a 1000 level class mostly, but those classes were the only thing that made my GPA look decent. I did NOT put my major GPA on resumes when first out of college, though was on the payroll a week before graduation as A L Brown was that desperate for a physics teacher.

[huskie3]

I enjoyed all of my PE classes, would have been PE minor if they would have let me in kinesiology and physiology. My Business Ed served me well for 44 years teaching/coaching.

[wb247]

BS degrees are aptly named now. Most are exactly that. We have a son at App and one at NCSU. The virtual/on line Covid classes were one thing but to continue them now at regular tuition costs is mind boggling. Admittedly there were ridiculous courses even back in my day but some of them now are unreal. Intro to fly fishing was an option for my App son.

To be fair, the listed one sounds like a physical Ed requirement.

One of mine was Badminton and I graduated a while ago. Haha.

Kind of ridiculous that there is a physical Ed requirement

Given the obesity rates in this country having our colleges do something, even as little as 2 PEs, is far from ridiculous. It ought to be 4 PE credits. I took snow skiing and fencing. Not the fencing I could learn a trade however.

It's also part of the idea behind holistic/whole child/liberal arts education. I took weight training and bowling. Did either one help me in my career? No. But I learned more about how the body works and how diet and exercise affect the body than I did in any health class that I took from middle school through college. And I got pretty good at bowling, which is a nice thing to show off on dates and at birthday parties. My PE credits have probably had a bigger effect on my actual day-to-day life than say, the Shakespeare class I had to take for my English-Ed degree.

Couldn't have said it better. Part of what we purchased at a liberal arts school was the college experience. My actual degree has had little to no bearing on my career, but I would never call it useless and wouldn't trade my experience in Boone for anything.