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• Anonymous

  Wow, both of the company’s complaining about lack of workers turned my daughter; a recent college graduate, down for a job.  Fisher Engineering told her she was overqualified and Bangor Savings sent her a rejection letter with the wrong name on it.  Neither company even gave her an interview to make their decision…

• honey777

  Maybe if these businesses paid a living wage with benefits, they wouldn’t have such a hard time finding employees.

• Anonymous

  Many companies in Maine won’t hire me for entry level jobs because they consider me over qualified. It seems like they can’t afford the type of employees they are looking for. Hmmm guess it’s time to look elsewhere and get creative.

• Anonymous

  Why should we be surprised at the forum’s conclusion that  Maine doesn’t have  educated or qualified workers.  Look who sponsored the forum:Many Flags One Campus Foundation, Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce, Rockland Economic Development Advisory Committee, Community and Economic Development Advisory Committee of Camden and the Maine Coast Economic Alliance.

  These are the same fine groups made up of business people that complain about supporting  public education,  denigrate teachers as lazy and stupid, undervalue their own employees skills, ethics, dedication and loyalty, overvalue their own contribution to society and hire as many H1-B employees as the law allows.  

  The quote from Fisher Engineering,“January 1, we hired 101 workers. 92 have been terminated, left on their own accord or found other jobs or found the work is not what they wanted,”  indicates a company that cannot hold on to its employees.  It does not indicate a lack of skilled workers in this state. 

  This conference/forum was nothing more than a front for  LePage’s 5th  year high school business training program:  a dandy little subsidy program that takes the cost of specialized away from businesses and put it squarely on the taxpayer.  

• Anonymous

  I was quite impressed by Fisher Engineering’s comment about not having enough employees. Can he state how much people are paid as licensed welders and what benefits does he actually pay?   Hmmm. I wonder why people don’t want to work there. 

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_PV4CYCJTMR72D2GJP7KHVMCURU charles

  I got a good laugh a Fisher Engineering comment about workers, the pool of workers is only so big and after treating workers badly the pool drys up. I applied there a few years ago and because I’m a certified welder they thought I would do that there, well I applied for a different job and maybe if they hired me for that one I would have moved over the welding department.

• Anonymous

  I cant say for sure but it may be another lie like the mural.. I don’t believe they go through so many workers because of they aren’t qualified.. I believe you give someone a good job that pays well and they are gonna do their job and be good at it.. but if it is a non paying job like gas pumper they will move on.. People know what a good future is they wont just let it go without a fight.. If the job pays the bills in this economy you will look to keep the job..

• Anonymous

  After I finished reading this article I could’nt help wondering why there was not any unemployed workers invited to this education conference forum ? after all,this is what these company’s claim is the biggest problem, “not enough workers”.

  If fisher engineering hired 101 workers and 92 of them quit or got fired,make’s me wonder why they can’t keep help.maybe it’s not the worker’s,maybe fisher engineering has the attitude that in this depressed economy,workers will do almost anything to get and keep a job.same thing goes for Bangor savings bank. For what ever reason,seems to me that the voice of the worker is being left out of this article.

  I have noticed that most of these companies that are complaining  are the companies that expect to be able to hire a person that is only 21 years old,with no health issues but has 30 years of experience and is willing to work for minimum wage with no benefit’s.the perfect worker indeed ! unfortunatly,this worker dos not exist.At least not in the state of Maine.

• Anonymous

  “This conference/forum was nothing more than a front for  LePage’s 5th  year high school business training program…”

  I keep hearing that idea put out there, usually followed by the statement that our schools aren’t cutting it.  In this case even LePage commented that our students end up taking remedial courses in college.  If this is the case, why oh why would we want to add a year to high school?  Not working is still not working no matter how long you make it.  Fix the schools so students don’t need to do remedial work THEN consider the pre-college program.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7T3YNF6MG3FPEAVTFIJC44VQUI Dlbrt

  http://www.jobsinme.com/seek/resultdetail.aspx?jobnum=611307

  Temporary Job with NO BENEFITS!

  Skilled Tradesmen work for $13.00hr

  I can’t imagine anyone staying or  applying for that matter!

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7T3YNF6MG3FPEAVTFIJC44VQUI Dlbrt

  Govenuh!

  You gotta PAY EM!

• Anonymous

  Your skepticism seems warranted.  All this talk about businesses that have plenty of jobs but not enough skilled workers doesn’t pass the straight-face test.

  I took a look at the Fisher Engineering website.  Looks like they are a good company, but many of the job openings they have (example below) are for temporary workers — and offer no benefits.  No wonder they can’t keep workers.

  “Posted: 06/30/2011
  We currently have openings for MIG welders. Requirements include
  previous welding experience within a manufacturing setting, passing a
  company weld test, demonstration of basic math and reading skills, basic
  computer skills, a strong understanding of safety and quality, and the
  physical ability to do the job. Welders are expected to be motivated by
  goals set for the team, cooperative and willing to work at any task.
  Positions are available on the first and second shift. Must pass
  pre-employment drug screen. These positions are temporary to possibly
  permanent through an employment agency and do not include benefits.”  –Fisher Engineering website

• Anonymous

  A 91 percent turn over rate in 10 months? Sounds more like a problem with the company rather then with the work force. This constantly blaming Maine Citizens who by the way have constantly been acknowledged for their positive work ethic garbage is getting really really old. BIW doesn’t seem to be having a problem hiring and retaining welders and they are not that far from Rockland. This sounds more like LePage doing what he has been doing all along, make a promise and when he finds out he can’t keep the promise blame it on someone else. He is the one who promised JOBS, JOBS, JOBS. Unemployment in Maine is higher today then the day he took office (US Dept. of Labor ) so now he is blaming the work force and education. Remember this is the same man who told the story about the person who worked for him at Marden’s who he termed his risk manager who he was paying $10 per hour and when he offered her a 50 cent per hour raise turned it down because she would lose State benefits. Risk managers in Maine average above $60,000 (salary.com). Maybe if the pay was commensurate with the skill there wouldn’t be a turn over problem.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7T3YNF6MG3FPEAVTFIJC44VQUI Dlbrt

  Leave it to the Public Cons to turn an Unemployment Crisis into an Education Crisis where the answer is Taxpayers paying the way for training the employers employees!

  Shamoo! Picks up 3 times it’s weight in spills!

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7T3YNF6MG3FPEAVTFIJC44VQUI Dlbrt

  This is an insult to  my Intelligence!

• Anonymous

  Thanks for posting that link,this pretty much proves what fisher engineerings hiring practices are.

• Anonymous

  Not a single company in the state of Maine that pays a living wage has a problem hiring or keeping employees. Not one. Maybe the governor can help Fischer Engineering figure out a way around the pesky pay issue, like he did at Marden’s. We need to educate Mainers on how to live on $7.50 an hour, part time. Teach them how to fill out the applications for heat assistance, food stamps, etc..

• Anonymous

  Makes one wonder, doesn’t it, if the pay rate is a major factor?   Of course, that little insignificant detail was conveniently omitted.

• Anonymous

  Once again, our illustrious governor shows his true colors.  His line-of-the-week is that we should “pay teachers better.”  This after he has done nothing but denigrate our teachers.  His Royal Phoniness is becoming more blatant by the day.

• Anonymous

  Commissioner Bowen is right on!  If you set an incentive where kids can ” learn and go ” it will motivate many more to tune in and get on the ball.  But when they have to sit there and soak up what isn’t relevant just because of seat time requirements of Maine law, kids turn off early and often.

  Businesses need to speak up.  When many schools attempt cooperative learning activities, the loonies came out of the woodwork and want education to be “what we learned – readin’ writin’ and arithmetic”   and  to hell with “…the ability to work in teams, which is critical…”

  While there may be much Maine can do to improve its preparedness of students, businesses have a responsibility of their own to train its workers in the “what and how” of its work culture and specific skills.  That isn’t something taxpayers should be doing. 

• Anonymous

  Schools give you what you want!  Ever try to retain a student?  Ever try to make summer school mandatory for students who haven’t completed their course work? Ever try to keep a kid back then have the state say your school doesn’t make “adequate yearly progress” because 93% who entered as freshmen didn’t graduate in 4 years?  Ever taken a close look at attendance of kids whose parents don’t make them go to school then blame the schools for lack of learning?  

• Anonymous

   ”Must pass pre-employment drug screen”  That’s a STOP sign right there!

• Anonymous

  Oh, and don’t ask him about the murals…

• Anonymous

  Just shows that throwing money at schools doesn’t educate students.  Go back to the basics & that will better prepare young people to cope with the real world.

• Anonymous

  Could you indicate where my organization, the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce, is on record attacking teachers or public education funding? For the record, we support a strong and robust public education system with businesses supporting teachers and students alike in a spirit of enlightened self-interest. I think debate on the future of Maine’s education priorities is key in order to further support public education, and that is the belief of all the sponsoring organizations (who are comprised of your fellow citizens, not shadowy cigar chompin’ plutocrats!).
   
  I think we should be discussing the issues that arose at the forum from all present (including school administrators, representatives of the University of Maine system, and the community colleges) that were reflected in the article rather than indulging in ad hominem attacks, otherwise we’ll never move forward together.
   
  Dan Bookham, Executive Director, Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce

• Anonymous

  Could you indicate where my organization, the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce, is on record attacking teachers or public education funding? For the record, we support a strong and robust public education system with businesses supporting teachers and students alike in a spirit of enlightened self-interest. I think debate on the future of Maine’s education priorities is key in order to further support public education, and that is the belief of all the sponsoring organizations (who are comprised of your fellow citizens, not shadowy cigar chompin’ plutocrats!).
   
  I think we should be discussing the issues that arose at the forum from all present (including school administrators, representatives of the University of Maine system, and the community colleges) that were reflected in the article rather than indulging in ad hominem attacks, otherwise we’ll never move forward together.
   
  Dan Bookham, Executive Director, Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce

• http://www.facebook.com/people/Kathy-Stuart/100000378618564 Kathy Stuart

  Just some of observations regarding education and employment in the US.

  For the past 25 years most school systems (the ones not found in wealthy communities) have tried really hard to “homogenize” the class room. Everyone learns the same subjects and learns the them all the same way. The priority was to get kids through the door as soon as possible, with the admonition that they should go to college. We had/have a production line education system.

  Unfortunately a great number of students do not fit the mold and not everyone’s talents will be best served by a university education. My son has an incredibly high IQ, his gift is music. He finally dropped out of high school as a junior because he was bored out of his skull and could not make himself conform to the by rote manner of education he was receiving. He then promptly took and aced the GED and moved on to studying in his chosen field on his own terms. 

  I won’t say the system failed him, as he is happy in his profession, but he could have been better served. In the US an intellectually challenged child has a library full of laws to protect them while in the system. Intellectually gifted students have no such resources if their community or their parents cannot afford better..

  I would also like to address the employment catch phrase; the ”team work” idea that is so heavily pressed by HR types. That is a euphemism for not making waves no matter the problems at hand. Be a good worker bee. There are many people in the world who will not stand by and say or do nothing when confronted by improper working conditions or illegal activities. (One of the main causes of high employee turn over at MBNA) And there are, God bless ‘em, people who are not team players, nor do they do well at “playing” with others. They work and problem solve best if given a task and left to their own devices. Those are the people who change the world with their innovations.

  There have to be some fundamental changes in education. We are leaving too many children adrift in the world with no way to find what their particular gifts are or what direction they want to take as an adult. As long as we have the “my way or the highway” type of schools we see all too often now, the scientists, mathematicians, artists, writers, researchers and dreamers that might have made our country great again will find themselves stuck in dead-end jobs (like the ones discussed in this article), if they can find one at all. Our nation will continue its downward slide and everyone will shake their heads and wonder what happened.

• Anonymous

  Why isn’t the problem low pay ? 

  Where is the capitalistic economic solution to your business’ retention problems ? 

  ???????

• Anonymous

  There are no workers because many have LEFT the state, due in no small part to the failings of the businesses and corporations themselves.

• Anonymous

  Boy, what a shame. That pretty much says it all.