Article: Mercury Racing Blog: Future Techs

[Scream And Fly]

You can view the page at http://www.screamandfly.com/content....g-Future-Techs

[half fast]

Great read ,so true.We are to busy making button pushers and not gear heads .Course all us gear heads are frowned upon till someone needs their **** fixed by someone like us , then we're ya bested bud. Hello ,it's okay to get your hands dirty. Hell , it may turn into a well paying career. hf...

[Capt.Insane-o]

Nice 280's

[Nielmcque]

I went to a vocational school to work in the engine room in the maritime industry and it was one of the best decisions I ever made and turned into a great career. Getting my hands dirty has made me a good living for the last 10 years and continues to do so. Skilled labor is growing in demand since the supply of skilled laborers is declining. It can be more lucritive and less costly then a college education. There is a certain kind of pride to be taken from working with your hands and being skilled at it. Im glad to hear about more programs like this.

[spareparts]

A big issue that we seem to forget is the lack of career path, lets not joke about it. Being a marine tech takes its toll on us over the years, both physically and mentally. In times past, the most experienced techs became the service managers, or at least service writers and parts managers. Those positions are now being filled by button pushers with the excuse good techs are too hard to find, managers are a dime a dozen. If a tech is promoted to an upper position, you loose a tech in the shop.I was told by the GM of a very large Sea Ray dealer ship that their policy was not to promote techs beyond the shop, because they are too hard to find. I've seen yard guys promoted to parts positions, then service writers, then managers. If they don't work out, theres plenty of expendable yard guys or button pushers with a degree rolling thru that you can take a chance with. But very few techs coming in the industry to replace the guys leaving or retiring, At 50 years old, I'm looking at my second back operation, arthritis in both hands, hearing loss in both ears and the knees of a 75 year old. Without some plan or at least the idea of a career path that rewards the pain and sacrifice we make as techs, theres no incentive for a young person to even consider this field.