S ER V IC E Charles Bursey, Sr. I
Who's looking to hire?
N TALKING WITH OWNERS AND MANAGERS FROM MANY trades, such as builders, plumbers, electricians and HVAC companies, I have learned that their ability to hire, or lack there of, is very disturbing. Some of these companies have had to
either layoff or cut hours from their cur- rent employees because there is either not enough work or their customers only want to pay for repairs, not buy new. We also have veterans that are return-
ing from foreign lands after serving in our military who say they, too, can't find a job. I also know students and/or parents who have spent several thousand dollars on student loans at technical schools to learn a skill in hopes of finding a job working in a trade. One young man told me that after
spending $42,000 for a trade related educa- tion, a year knocking on doors and sending resumes, he has yet to get a position in his field. As a result, he has taken a night job at one of the big box stores as a dock worker making $9.00 per hour. I know that our mechanical trades are
not the only ones struggling. Recently I read that nationally, 62 percent of the May/June 2012 graduates will not find work. So what's the answer? Should we just give up? I say no way! My hope is that company owners will
find ways to diversify and grow in other fields, which in turn will require new hires.
Owners may also try reaching out to the Veterans Administration to see if there are any "Hire a Veteran" funds available. What about work share programs that might off-set wages for existing employees and new hires? The real sad picture is when seniors
that should be retired are still turning wrenches or working at Wal-Mart or McDonald's. Many of them will tell you that their long-term savings and invest- ments give so little in return that they can't keep up with their cost of living needs. If you have doubts, go to your local
bank and ask how much interest you can get on $100,000 CD or Money Market or just look at the poster board that every bank so proudly displays showing their interest rates. Because so many seniors are returning to work or working lon- ger, the young people who graduated struggle to find positions. I also recently heard of a company that
wants all their service technicians to get CDLs. You don't have to be a Harvard graduate to figure out where this is going. My real hope is that the building trade comes back to life on a larger scale because this, in my opinion, is the real life blood of our economy. This in turn will lead to the hiring and the rehiring of our tradesmen, trade graduates and veterans. l FON
Charles Bursey can be e-mailed at ChasBursey@aol.com.
New/Used Fuel Oil
and Propane Delivery Trucks for sale. Contact Dick Klein at
Felker Truck &Equipment Inc. Dale,WI
1-877-396-9826 Philly Nozzle w/Sight Glass
All nozzles have an inlet swivel, 1-1/4" or 1-1/2", M or F. Outlet has brass nut, as shown, or threads for nozzle spout. Made in Philadelphia, USA. All machining done in-house.
Deighan Equipment/ Crystal Metal Products Phila. PA
T 215.423.2500 F 215.739.0979 www.deighanequipment.com josdeighan@comcast.net
Hamco Tank Systems
• Transfer pumps • SL tank cleaning system • 5" & 20" Sludge/water isolators
• Bio-fuels compatible www.hamcotanksystems.com 603.878.0585
For information on advertising in Fuel Oil News, please contact: Eastern USA & Canada: Dave Campbell (413) 528-2364, ddc12@verizon.net, Mid-West & Southern USA: Rich Alden (603) 899- 3010, ralden@m2media360.com, Western USA:
Ken Jordan (661) 273-5733, kenjordan3@yahoo.com 46 SEPTEMBER 2012 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www.fueloilnews.com
