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I’m not an automobile technician or a mechanic. After High School I served an apprenticeship with the IBEW to become a construction electrician. After receiving my Journeyman’s Card and a Certificate of Completion from the Department of Labor, work got tight and I went to work for General Motors as a electrician. Most of it did not revolve around construction type activities but repair of production equipment and I became very good at my craft quickly. Not long after I was asked to become a Maintenance Supervisor and was very valuable to the organization in that capacity. Not having a college education held me back on promotions but I made a great living as a Maintenance Supervisor. I spent about 15 years as a Maintenance Supervisor before I was promoted to a General Supervisor while others with a college degree with less experience and qualifications were promoted ahead of me. I then was asked to be the first non college degree member of Labor Relations in the history of the organization responsible for 1,200 skilled tradesmen. Big feather in my hat as far as I was concerned. Although I did well for myself, those with college degrees were promoted faster and received a higher salary than I did. Not because they were more efficient at their respective jobs but because they held something I did not possess that the company felt was a great assest in a college degree. So their is a great value in an education with that also comes respect and rewards from those that run an origination. I did it my way but looking back I could have made a faster climb if I had just gotten a college degree.
I’m not an automobile technician or a mechanic. After High School I served an apprenticeship with the IBEW to become a construction electrician. After receiving my Journeyman’s Card and a Certificate of Completion from the Department of Labor, work got tight and I went to work for General Motors as a electrician. Most of it did not revolve around construction type activities but repair of production equipment and I became very good at my craft quickly. Not long after I was asked to become a Maintenance Supervisor and was very valuable to the organization in that capacity. Not having a college education held me back on promotions but I made a great living as a Maintenance Supervisor. I spent about 15 years as a Maintenance Supervisor before I was promoted to a General Supervisor while others with a college degree with less experience and qualifications were promoted ahead of me. I then was asked to be the first non college degree member of Labor Relations in the history of the organization responsible for 1,200 skilled tradesmen. Big feather in my hat as far as I was concerned. Although I did well for myself, those with college degrees were promoted faster and received a higher salary than I did. Not because they were more efficient at their respective jobs but because they held something I did not possess that the company felt was a great assest in a college degree. So their is a great value in an education with that also comes respect and rewards from those that run an origination. I did it my way but looking back I could have made a faster climb if I had just gotten a college degree.