tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20340207.post2255837152839934570..comments2024-03-29T14:50:55.299+00:00Comments on Phil's Workbench: SkillsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20340207.post-75896150942369526082015-08-24T16:53:25.162+00:002015-08-24T16:53:25.162+00:00I would agree as well, despite having both a degre...I would agree as well, despite having both a degree and PhD and having returned to work in a (US) University after some time in Industrial R&D. Degrees have their uses and I'm glad I did it, but they are not the be all and end all. Not everyone needs a degree. Too often degrees concentrate on the esoteric and impractical, rather than preparing people for the work environment and contributing to society Maybe I was lucky - my work involved a lot of instrumental development, which by it's nature was very practical and hands on and demanded development of certain skills (diagnostics, electrical and electronics, parts manufacturing etc.). I also spent a lot of time at a commercial enterprise during this time which further refined my practical and life skills. As a result, these days I'm pretty self-sufficient and do most of the home improvements and electrical work in the house, have taught myself to work on cars (rebuild an old Land Rover anyone?), have rebuild the lawnmower engine, can muck out horse barns, amongst others. I get many PhD students coming through my lab to use my facility and to be honest, 95% of them are dangerous with a screwdriver. They have no practical skills outside of using a phone and cannot think outside of the box. Consequently they are helpless when things don't go as planned. <br /><br />Since the '80's, society has become too focused on becoming a service industry,dreaming up and creating non-tangible products (such as financial and insurance products) as opposed to making something real. This is now coming home to roost - people have lost the ability to take care of themselves (cook, fix things, etc.)<br /><br />My model railway work is an extension of my practical skills and interests. It results in something tangible and I can look at it and say, "I built that". Do others have better skills than I in certain aspects? Of course! Does the end product match up to RTR levels? Probably not. But most of the models I build are not available RTR, and so the only option is to build it myself or pay to have someone do it for me. I have the skills for the former and lack the finances for the latter, so there is no option. As a result, I now have a nice collection of OO9 locomotives (Backwoods NGG 16, K1, Russell, L&B Manning Wardle, VoR Tank) as well as 2 semi-scratch built South African class 91's and two rebuilt Ffestiniog Funkey Diesels. On the work bench are currently a scratch built station building approaching the painting stage, another OO9 K1 kit, a DJH WD 2-10-0 and two Mercian Models Colliery Garratts. Some of these have taken several years to progress, but they are mine and it's all my own work.<br /><br />Socety needs a mixture of people. Some will have advanced degrees, some won't have many formal qualifications. Neither one is better than the other - all can contribute. At the end of the day, it's not how educated someone is, but what they do with their lives and abilities that matter. The problem is that many only look out for themselves and have lost that perspectiveAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20340207.post-36529018720558244002015-08-24T15:41:39.412+00:002015-08-24T15:41:39.412+00:00Well said Phil. I do have a degree but work with c...Well said Phil. I do have a degree but work with colleagues who have essential practical skills instead, and others who have done apprenticeships then gone on to degree level having the best of both worlds. I don't understand the increasing push for degrees for everyone. <br /><br />That said I have no problem with cash rich time poor modellers outsourcing the jobs that take time and skills they don't have. I know good modellers kept employed this way! It could be like a club layout with the skills shared. But box shaker layouts are a turn off.Michael Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09740155011466713811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20340207.post-14982871665360868012015-08-23T17:00:20.246+00:002015-08-23T17:00:20.246+00:00My daughter is entering third-year university. She...My daughter is entering third-year university. She once told me about how great a university education is to have, to which I answered--"At 3 am a guy with a belt attached to his waist and spurs on his boots will be climbing a pole in an ice storm to give you your electricity back. And you won't care that he does not have a university degree." <br /><br />Steve Lucas.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20340207.post-32884631348307786312015-08-23T08:05:02.720+00:002015-08-23T08:05:02.720+00:00On the news this week - brickies in London earn £5...On the news this week - brickies in London earn £50,000+ a year! Who's laughing now. Only consolation about buying in is that it gives jobs to lots of people who really want to do their job. We are in a cash rich-time poor society apparently.neil whiteheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02943185141244707826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20340207.post-82103200506077473662015-08-23T07:11:43.291+00:002015-08-23T07:11:43.291+00:00Spot on. I have witnessed the creep of oh you need...Spot on. I have witnessed the creep of oh you need a degree to do this job in my own workplace and it is madness. DaveDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11995593231170018770noreply@blogger.com