Author Archive

Middle class and concerned

August 23rd, 2012
By: Vicki Bell

Every time I see the words “middle class” in an article title, I read the article. Why? Because I relate. I consider myself middle class, and I want to know if what is happening in my middle-class life also is happening to others in my economic circle. I’m looking for reassurance that the lifestyle we have worked for and continue to work for is sustainable.

I am grateful to be middle class—to live in a country that actually has a middle class. I like to think that everyone in the U.S. has the opportunity to achieve a middle-class life, but I’ve grown more and more skeptical about this possibility over the last few years. I’ve witnessed too many friends and family members having difficulty finding jobs and paying bills—living from paycheck to paycheck with little hope of ever getting ahead. This concerns me, and I am not alone in my concern. (more...)

Spreading the word about manufacturing beyond the choir

August 15th, 2012
By: Vicki Bell

Have you read the article “A moral argument for manufacturing?” If you haven’t, please do, and if you agree with the author’s premise that the only way to really change the landscape for manufacturing in the U.S. is to bring the moral argument for its existence to the collective consciousness, then please share this article with others.

I spoke with the article's author, Jim O’Leary, yesterday. We had a nice chat about his article, the business he works for, and how much faith he has in this country’s ability to right its manufacturing ship. (more...)

The sure path to economic success?

August 1st, 2012
By: Vicki Bell

No one would argue that postsecondary education is the most likely path to greater earnings and a better quality of life. However, just how much education and what type is debatable.

For decades, parents and educators have preached fervently that a college education—preferably at a top-tier school— is the way to wealth, happiness, and security, and advanced degrees offer even more assurance that you will achieve these prized goals. And for decades, that message proved to be true for many who chose that route.

Things have changed. Having a college degree no longer guarantees that you will find a job in your chosen field, much less be wealthier, happier, and have more security than someone who chose a different path. In fact, it may be a liability. (more...)

'When working was seen as an honorable thing'

July 25th, 2012
By: Vicki Bell

You may have read the blog entry “Money and prestige” that was posted on thefabricator.com in June. The post discussed why more young people aren’t taking advantage of training opportunities such as the one being offered by Marinette, Wis.-based shipbuilder Marinette Marine.

This topic was the focus of the June issue of “Tube Talk,” and feedback from that newsletter was featured both in the blog post and in the July e-newsletter, which prompted yet more feedback, including comments from engineers and educators. These comments are very similar in nature and indicate that we clearly have a handle on why young people are not motivated to enter manufacturing careers. It’s what to do about it that continues to be a topic for discussion.

“Tube Talk” readers have a few ideas. (more...)

Will Olympic uniform outrage be the catalyst for change?

July 19th, 2012
By: Vicki Bell

By now, the U.S. Olympic CommitteeRalph Lauren, and you probably have heard much about the U.S. Olympic athletes’ official uniforms, and I don’t mean their style. A July 12 report on the ABC program World News Tonight featured a look at the uniforms designed by Ralph Lauren and made—head-to-toe—in China.

Most of the feedback to the online report on abcnews.go.com was negative. So was the feedback from “Stamping News Brief” subscribers responding to the last week’s newsletter that featured the ABC report. (more...)

How fabricators are faring this summer

July 12th, 2012
By: Vicki Bell

It’s summer, a time when some companies (not ice cream and sno-cone vendors) experience a lull in business. Although a summer lull most often is a temporary situation, businesses worldwide fear any slowdown as being an indicator of a possible move back into a recession.

On its website and through its July “Fabricating Update,” thefabricator.com has been asking fabricators how their businesses are faring this summer. It appears it’s a mixed bag out there with little cause for alarm, just yet. (more...)

'Money and prestige'

June 20th, 2012
By: Vicki Bell

A colleague brought an interesting article to my attention the other day. The article, published on jsonline.com, told the story of Marinette, Wis.-based shipbuilder Marinette Marine and its struggles to attract young workers. Among its efforts are reaching out to local schools and offering paid training programs ($12 an hour).

The company is holding open 40 positions in its training program for welders, pipe fitters, and other shipyard jobs. It has reached out to nine high schools to attract candidates and so far, only seven recent graduates have applied for the training, which begins in July.

In an attempt to spread the word, The FABRICATOR posted a link to the article on its Facebook page. We also featured this story in yesterday’s “Tube Talk” e-newsletter and asked why, in this time of relatively few job opportunities for high school and college graduates, more young people aren’t taking advantage of opportunities like Marinette Marine’s? Is it the nature of the work? The image of manufacturing and the trades? A “soft” generation? (more...)

Manufacturing and U.S. competitiveness

June 13th, 2012
By: Vicki Bell

You may have read or heard something today about how the world views the U.S. The Pew Research Center has released its Global Attitudes Survey findings, and pundits have been quick to jump on and analyze the results, particularly as they relate to this year’s presidential contest and the two main candidates’ interpretations of where things stand. 

Among the coverage is an article attributed to Bruce Stokes, director of the Pew Research Center’s Global Economic Attitudes and published on cnn.com. Stokes presents the findings as they stack up to claims by both President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney about America’s world standing. He conjectures that both are right and both are wrong.

I’ll leave it to you to read the article to learn about Obama’s and Romney’s views and decide for yourself who is more right (if it’s possible to be more right). What I want to focus on is the portion of the report that deals with the worldview of U.S. competitiveness. (more...)

'Reasons to push jobs overseas are starting to fall apart'

May 30th, 2012
By: Vicki Bell

News website headlines, such as those on msnbc.com today, battle each other for my attention. While I'm fascinated by the six-year-old spelling prodigy Lori Ann Madison, the youngest speller ever in the National Spelling Bee, reading her story had to wait until I read the one under the headline "China slowdown threatens US factory revival." The article by Economics Reporter John W. Schoen describes a catch 22—what looks like it could be a panacea for U.S. manufacturing job loss may actually exacerbate our economic woes. (more...)

Marty Rice's Memorial Day Tribute to Veterans

May 23rd, 2012
By: Vicki Bell

In my e-mail inbox this morning was the latest installment of "Rice's World Famous, Randomly Sent, Unsolicited VetLetter." Authored and distributed by Marty Rice, a veteran, welder, and educator who has contributed many articles to thefabricator.com, the VetLetter always takes me on an emotional journey from laughter to tears and back.

As Memorial Day approaches in the U.S., I can think of nothing more appropriate for my blog post this week than Marty's newsletter. So, with the author's permission, I am sharing his delightful, insightful, and heartfelt thoughts about our veterans exactly has he has written them. Feel free to add comments at the end of the post. I've already told Marty how I feel. (more...)