Joel Leonard: Happy Fixgiving
Happy Fixgiving!
Audio
Davidson Locals I wish you the absolute best during the upcoming holiday season. However shouldn't we create some new traditions and customs as we are in the midst of chronic challenges in our society. Breaking News about failures in our infrastructure, equipment failures, skilled workforce shortages are now commonplace. .
So if we want to retain current and add more businesses in the Triad region, shouldn't we start promoting more careers in the skilled trades? Artificial Intelligence can't climb on a roof, troubleshoot and replace parts, yet, so let's add more apprenticeships, and even add more training for retirees to take on new skills to build on their existing skills.
To get more talent developed we need to enable more experiential education programs at younger ages. Don't get me wrong, I love the efforts at Davidson County Community College and more should be attending their future offering. But we need more initiatives underway and risk having more fatalities and disasters if more parents refuse to back their students' choice in the trades.
We also need to host future job fairs during sporting events so that fans that need employment can locate more lucrative pathways. Glorifying sports at the detriment of critical services is a pathway to disaster, right?
Throughout history every cultural movement needs songs to create energies to make necessary changes. So hope you enjoy these proven tunes to illustrate the challenges and offer solutions forward.
Maintenance Crisis Song- Written in 2001 the lyrics are more relevant today as 10,000 boomers are retiring daily. This powerpoint has been viewed at engineering conferences around the world, at the Whitehouse, Congressional forums.
Find Me a Maintenance Woman to encourage more companies to hire women in the skilled trades. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-n8vRXYepQ&list=RDf-n8vRXYepQ&start_radio=1
What did the Maintenance Staff do for Christmas?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95uoQmm3Cuw&list=RD95uoQmm3Cuw&start_radio=1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJJ_zFvAS1M
I hope this song does not scare off potential talent but is a fun, energetic song that conveys the challenges maintenance techs face in hopes that more efforts are put forth to minimize these issues.
These are great songs for schools to play in class to kick off career exploratory sessions. In fact the Maintenance Crisis Song was played at Lexington Middle School. (LMS) and Lexington High Schools last May and many students were engaged and now considering the value of pursuing skilled trades. Since LMS multimillion dollar renovation was disrupting classes by power outages, internet disruptions, and has been underway for years and the construction manager stated finding qualified, reliable worker has contributed to the delays.
Hope you enjoy and wake up more to help us fix our society forward!
