Brad Clayton Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 We had a shadow student come through the shop yesterday. This poor confused child was from one of our exemplary local high schools. It seems I was the only one doing anything, so they asked if he could be my.....shadow. I took one look at the dude and new this was going to be an exercise in futility. He was a little runny fuck and looked about as mechanically inclined as Brittany Spears. Conversation went like this: "Hey, what's your name?" I ask. "Marquise" He replies. "Ah, is that French?" "No" Well it sounds fucking French to me, he must have slept through some of his history classes, back to the conversation. "So, is this your first or second year of classes?" "Huh?" "Automotive classes" "I'm not taking any automotive classes" He replies. I give a bit of a confused look and try to formulate my next set of questions so that they may be understood with as little explanation as possible. "How is it that you are here shadowing then?" "This was the last shadow available and I had to take it" :facepalm: "So you don't want to be a mechanic?" "No" "What is it you want to be?" "An hematologist/oncologist" He replies "How come you aren't shadowing over at the hospital then?" "All those slots were taken" Needless to say, he didn't shadow me! What a complete waste of friggin time that whole deal was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chase Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 I'd told him to go home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 More evidence that the "state run" edicational system is working just fine in America. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 Yep. I would have sent his ass home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchan68 Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 WOW...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 I handed a "4th year apprentice" a tape measure and a 2 foot long piece of 2x4 and told him to mark it at 24 inches and we'd square it off and cut it. I walked back to the back shop to get a square and grab my coffee from my work bench. I come back and he's got it marked in a bunch of places. As politely as I can, I ask: "what the fuck are you doing?" He replies that he's marking it at 24 inches. "Dual graduation tape measure, broseph. Centimeters be the small ones. Large divisions on the tape are the inches." Not a good first impression. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Saunoras Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 We've got a new guy. Going to a local tech school during the day studying to be a "diesel tech." Working 2 to 6 every afternoon and doing mostly used cars. I don't even know where to begin really but he serves no purpose at the current moment in time nor does there appear to be anything brilliant coming up on the horizon. It has to be apparent I haven't touched anything but diesels since he started and he hasn't asked one question. Don't ask don't tell? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmorris Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 I handed a "4th year apprentice" a tape measure and a 2 foot long piece of 2x4 and told him to mark it at 24 inches and we'd square it off and cut it. I walked back to the back shop to get a square and grab my coffee from my work bench.I come back and he's got it marked in a bunch of places.As politely as I can, I ask: "what the fuck are you doing?"He replies that he's marking it at 24 inches."Dual graduation tape measure, broseph. Centimeters be the small ones. Large divisions on the tape are the inches."Not a good first impression. Are you sure he wasn't trying to mess with you? Marking a 2 foot piece at 24 inches? Uh, I would have made 24-1 inch increments just to be a smart ass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 4 foot piece, my mistake. Based on the rest of the stuff I saw, he wasn't messing with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmorris Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 Got it. Makes you wonder who let him get to forth year. I worked at a dealership that put you on flat rate as soon as you passed 3rd year. Not good for the guy that was doing nothing but oil changes for the first 3 years. He quit soon after. Partially his fault though, he should have pushed for more work. IIRC: they teach you how to measure wheelbase in 1st year, in Inches. Funny stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 Oh, he was flat rate at the dealer. He must have made about $8 a week. I think a lot of the trade school teachers just pass guys because they don't want to see them back again. "One of you guys is going to have to sign off on my book." Yeah.... Not in this lifetime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Clayton Posted October 11, 2013 Author Share Posted October 11, 2013 Lots of trade school teachers hands are tied by upper management and the students checks that they are cashing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 Ours is government funded. The students pay $400 and the government pays the remaining ~2500 per term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchan68 Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 I worked at a dealership that put you on flat rate as soon as you passed 3rd year. Not good for the guy that was doing nothing but oil changes for the first 3 years. He quit soon after. Partially his fault though, he should have pushed for more work. That's how my apprenticeship went with a brand X dealership, until I quit the same week after I wrote my license and fired up resumes with every Ford store in my neck of the woods. I went from doing just mainly oil changes, while the 'other guys' got the gravy, to slugging engines and cylinder heads on trucks upon my first foot into the door of a Ford store after getting licensed. A Ford TRUCK store at that. I guess getting all the 'shit at the bottom of the pile' is what got me used to doing engines and diesels, and all the other work that no one wants to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Clayton Posted October 12, 2013 Author Share Posted October 12, 2013 I've made just about my entire living off of shit no one else would do. I currently have 5 bays at my disposal and manage to fill all 5 this week whilst everyone else was pushing brooms. They had no interest in what I saw as a means of putting food on my table and a roof over my head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmorris Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 Lucky for me I got my start at a Midas shop that had their own training, plus they signed me up for my apprenticeship. After 3 years there I was given the opportunity to work at a dealership under someone I knew on a night shift( the other guy was day shift). Finished up my apprenticeship there then moved on after a very stupid mistake on my part that got me fired. But that's another story. Thankfully I did very few oil changes in my time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Did apprenticeship at small shop. Guy at ford store smashed motorcycle into a F550. Filled in at ford shop while he was hurt and worked with that same guy at two other shops. Me and him worked well together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Saunoras Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 I did ASSET at a lincoln mercury dealer roughly 5 years ago. I was a good place to get started, good friendly guys, not a lot of shop tension but the work was nothing like what I am doing now. I felt like I fit in well there but I also didn't know any better. 4 years where I'm at now and I still don't like anyone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fabfoes87 Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 "Hi I'm Brad. Whats your name?" "Hey Brad my name is Mike. Nice to meet you. Thank you for letting me work with you this week." "Your Welcome. Where did you go to tech school?" "Baran Institute in Connecticut." "Mike I wish you had come here first. Cause I could have saved you a whole lota money." Pretty acurate first conversation with Brad when we first met. Ill never forget it. I spent a full year at tech school and graduated with honors and all that jazz. But all that school really didnt properly prepare me for dealership quaility work or diagnosis capability. Everyday was book theory and stories from the instructors and what they had ran into in the field. I was very fortunate to be shadow Brad and wrench with him for 3 years. Sharing knowledge, tips and tricks, and real world problem solving was invaluable. I thank you Brad and my hat is off to you sir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Clayton Posted October 18, 2013 Author Share Posted October 18, 2013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 I just finished the Advanced Electronics course in Yonkers - I was paired up with two guys that had little interest in learning much at first. The mentality that has some guys rush through scenarios just to get it done and get out of there pisses me off as it is but when it affects me I can't have it. Day one I came back from lunch early and took control of the mouse and keyboard. By day two we were clicking along. Both of these guys were still taking the written test as I was walking out the door with my "certificate" and headed home. FYI: I aced the written and the hands-on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieselD Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 I just finished the Advanced Electronics course in Yonkers - I was paired up with two guys that had little interest in learning much at first. The mentality that has some guys rush through scenarios just to get it done and get out of there pisses me off as it is but when it affects me I can't have it. Day one I came back from lunch early and took control of the mouse and keyboard. By day two we were clicking along. Both of these guys were still taking the written test as I was walking out the door with my "certificate" and headed home. FYI: I aced the written and the hands-on. Somehow I always get stuck with those kinda of guys as well. In my last class I ended up with two guys from the same shop. Aparently one was a foreman and the other a "the lead tech". Both had more interest in bullshitting with each other then focusing on the class. Fiquring out rather quickly they had no desire to learn I finished the daily stuff on my own and refused to share any findings with them. Come test day I banged out the written and jumped on a vehicle. Knocked that out and went home at noon. Those two retards where still trying to finish the written test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Bruene Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 I had it lucky during my apprenticeship. The dealership I worked at wanted apprentices to get the best possible experience they could before going on flat rate. I was kept hourly until well in to the 4th year of my apprenticeship. I worked a year in front end, a year in transmission and close to 2 years in tune-up until one of the tune-up techs left and his position was offered to me. I see too many dealerships look at hourly staff as a hit to the bottom line, and have yet to see the kind of techs that came of the system I learned on anywhere else. It's a shame that apprentices are being rushed on to the floor without having an opportunity to learn the skills they need to survive. JMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 THis topic started out talking about people who had no desire or intention to enter this profession. Now, we find ourselves talking about people who ARE in this profession. Is it any wonder we are not held with high regard to most people? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmorris Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Especially when we capitalize the first 2 letters of words.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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