Is it really worth it?

[DB.Cooper]

Not to derail this thread, but what are the other opportunities out there for kids without college degrees? The options for kids WITH college degrees aren't that great, and they're saddled with a ton of debt. People bitch and moan about the "dismal future" of the USPS, but there are no guarantees of future employment in the private sector (though to hear some people on this board talk you would think there were . . .)

My son went to college, and now makes about 3 times what I'm making... but it does depend on each person's personal circumstances... even local power plants are better alternatives around here for peeps without degrees... as are some paper mills... many places including Wal-Mart are heading for $15 an hour to start...

I've often said that in many locations... if you'd track a new RCA against a new Wal-Mart hire... in 10 years the Wal-Mart hire might likely be doing better... have some benefits, maybe a better schedule... not have to provide/tear up a POV... etc., etc... jmho...

Most other employers seem to be increasing wages and benefits... USPS seems to be constantly driving them down...

 

[eomr]

Unfortunately DB, being a rural isn't what it used to be but you have to hope that will change down the road. Maybe that is being a bit optimistic.

 

[johnwayne]

We haven't had any retirements for several years now... but I could see that we may have quite a few in the next couple of years...

I'd hate to be a 20-something year old rural regular in the PO nowadays... I think they have a dismal future... hopefully it'll turn out better for them than I am seeing in my crystal ball... ?

I agree with eomr... CCA would be better for making Reg faster, and their Table 2 pay catches up with Table 1 at the top step... so over the long haul, you'll probably be better off as a city-side carrier... jmho...

im 47. so im not young anymore. but to me it seems that every job a young person considers..is considered a dead end..and no future..maybe its just the jobs im looking at..but most seem to think that the job wont exist in 15 years. It just seems to be completely negative viewpoint. I cant imagine growing up in a world where you cant pick a job..because everyone will tell you it wont be there by the time you graduate.

 

[DB.Cooper]

Unfortunately DB, being a rural isn't what it used to be but you have to hope that will change down the road. Maybe that is being a bit optimistic.

Somebody once told me a story about wishing in one hand... I think I've repeated it on here once or twice... would anybody like to hear it again...

I checked at the US Bureau of Labor... and they listed Postal Workers as the NUMBER ONE job field set to decline over about the next 10 years... so, of course postal managers are now claiming... YAY... We're NUMBER ONE!!! ?

They did the same thing with the Postal Pulse results when Gallup came out and said we ranked in the 1st percentile... until they found out that was the LOWEST percentile... ?

 

[DB.Cooper]

im 47. so im not young anymore. but to me it seems that every job a young person considers..is considered a dead end..and no future..maybe its just the jobs im looking at..but most seem to think that the job wont exist in 15 years. It just seems to be completely negative viewpoint. I cant imagine growing up in a world where you cant pick a job..because everyone will tell you it wont be there by the time you graduate.

Totally agree... if I were a young person now... I'd be looking at things like computers and/or technology... and the medical field... I figure those jobs will be around... maybe even the energy field... Postal Services... seems to be being replaced by emails and so forth... doubt we'll be able to compete with all of the cheap labor being pumped in to parcel delivery by Amazon and many others....

 

[Jmdw52]

Medical.... I’ve really felt that’s the way to go.... tech fields and trades tend to have barriers that aren’t readily apparent to an outsider....

Before I joined the PO as an rca, I worked as a machinist doing high tolerance grinding.... it’s a very good deal... if you’ve got journeyman’s papers... if not... well, I make the same now as I did there except I work less hours. Most of the guys in those shops are miserable...

I’ve always wondered why the postal service didn’t set up a national email system... could be linked to you physical address or ID. if they had a mindset like other tech companies.... they’d probably benefit tremendously... not to mention could offer a useful additional public service...

In fact in the same line of thinking... I’d be surprised if companies like google, etc, wouldn’t be pretty interested in simply buying the postal service if it ever could be sold privately... I mean.. they are in the data business.... what better way to link up all that data with physical people and addresses than to have control of the old fashioned information business.... the post office...

I’d probably jump ship pretty fast if amazon offered the right deal.... it just doesn’t seem like they are willing... personally I think if we really only charge em $0.68/package, they’ll never be able to solidly deliver as cheaply as we are. Ultimately I think the logistics of to the door delivery will catch up with them and break... cmon... drone delivery? Delivery robots? People will steal them for parts!

 

[btdtret]

Kmdw52 -- "I’d probably jump ship pretty fast if amazon offered the right deal.... it just doesn’t seem like they are willing... "

-- Amazon has recently offered people $10,000 and 3 months salary to quit their job and start a delivery business.

-- Of course, the program is for Amazon employees.

 

[Wilco183]

Most want to be with family period. Have you thought about truck driving? Bigtime shortage and growing in the outyears. Lots of cons...family seperation possibly biggest. Oherwise, 50K a year and a sense of autonomy appeal to some folks.

 

[Wilco183]

Kmdw52 -- "I’d probably jump ship pretty fast if amazon offered the right deal.... it just doesn’t seem like they are willing... "

-- Amazon has recently offered people $10,000 and 3 months salary to quit their job and start a delivery business.

-- Of course, the program is for Amazon employees.

Sounds like fair deal. Be even better if they threw in their accountants to show how not to pay Fed taxes like themselves.

 

[FrozenToes]

Unemployment rates and earnings by educational attainment, 2018

Educational attainment	Unemployment rate (%)	Median usual weekly earnings ($)
Doctoral degree	1.6	1,825
Professional degree	1.5	1,884
Master's degree	2.1	1,434
Bachelor's degree	2.2	1,198
Associate's degree	2.8	862
Some college, no degree	3.7	802
High school diploma	4.1	730
Less than a high school diploma	5.6	553
Total	3.2	932
Note: Data are for persons age 25 and over. Earnings are for full-time wage and salary workers. Source: Current Population Survey, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

 

[wamailmom]

Not to derail this thread, but what are the other opportunities out there for kids without college degrees? The options for kids WITH college degrees aren't that great, and they're saddled with a ton of debt. People bitch and moan about the "dismal future" of the USPS, but there are no guarantees of future employment in the private sector (though to hear some people on this board talk you would think there were . . .)

I agree with EOMR. Best track for actually being employable is becoming an apprentice or going to a vocational school and learning a trade.

 

[Wilco183]

Seems to be a segment of working society not represented in this chart. My bad, training is not education. So sayeth the DoL, keeping in tune with the talking points of the Higher Education Syndicate.

Craft, Skills, and Trades? Is that something like joining the military or working for the Post Office.

"Rebuilding the Pipeline: Supply and Demand in the Skilled Trades"
by Henry Fields
March 11, 2019

When workforce analysts meet with businesses these days, the need for workers is usually the first topic of conversation. Across the country unemployment remains near record lows and the workforce is aging, which makes finding and retaining workers a top priority.

The manufacturers, builders, and other businesses in Oregon that rely on skilled tradespeople are particularly concerned with workforce development. They worry that they face additional hurdles when recruiting for these vital yet underappreciated roles.

Many believe that a push towards “college for all” drove the elimination of vocational programs that introduced young people to trades, limiting the pipeline of potential workers.

If so, rebuilding that pipeline will be a task that can’t be completed overnight. Even high wages and plentiful jobs aren’t always enough to overcome the gap in the perception of opportunities in skilled trades.

 

[johnwayne]

Most want to be with family period. Have you thought about truck driving? Bigtime shortage and growing in the outyears. Lots of cons...family seperation possibly biggest. Oherwise, 50K a year and a sense of autonomy appeal to some folks.

truck drivers are going through the same thing we are. cameras in the trucks, gps systems that tell manglement every time you shift. I ve heard of guys that got fired for shifting their truck incorrectly.

 

[Wilco183]

truck drivers are going through the same thing we are. cameras in the trucks, gps systems that tell manglement every time you shift. I ve heard of guys that got fired for shifting their truck incorrectly.

Ahhh! Robots aren't replacing us, we are the robots. I hit the casinos in LA or OK a few times a year. Much fewer trucks in the parking lots than before.

 

[yardbox]

I agree with EOMR. Best track for actually being employable is becoming an apprentice or going to a vocational school and learning a trade.

Welding

 

[realroutecarrier]

I went regular in a big office and it still took me 9 years! But it was the best part time job I could have ever ask for and despite all the negative comments from management it's still a great job! I really do love the post office!

 

[DB.Cooper]

As noted above, unemployment is at historic lows... if you're young and aren't sure the PO is gonna be your cup of tea... probably no better time than now to be thinking about looking elsewhere... in my area they've been advertising to try to hire linemen for the power companies... a lot of baby boomers are retiring nowadays... wasn't too long ago a potential new RCA got on here talking about how the USPS was jerking them around and so they went and got one of those jobs...

If you don't believe me... Google job outlook for Postal Workers and do the research yourself...

Job Outlook
Overall employment of postal service workers is projected to decline 13 percent from 2016 to 2026. Automated sorting systems, cluster mailboxes, and tight budgets are expected to adversely affect employment. Although the need to replace workers who retire will result in some job openings, strong competition can be expected as the number of applicants typically exceeds the number of available positions.

 

[Skierstmoritz]

Seems to be a segment of working society not represented in this chart. My bad, training is not education. So sayeth the DoL, keeping in tune with the talking points of the Higher Education Syndicate.

Craft, Skills, and Trades? Is that something like joining the military or working for the Post Office.

"Rebuilding the Pipeline: Supply and Demand in the Skilled Trades"
by Henry Fields
March 11, 2019

When workforce analysts meet with businesses these days, the need for workers is usually the first topic of conversation. Across the country unemployment remains near record lows and the workforce is aging, which makes finding and retaining workers a top priority.

The manufacturers, builders, and other businesses in Oregon that rely on skilled tradespeople are particularly concerned with workforce development. They worry that they face additional hurdles when recruiting for these vital yet underappreciated roles.

Many believe that a push towards “college for all” drove the elimination of vocational programs that introduced young people to trades, limiting the pipeline of potential workers.

If so, rebuilding that pipeline will be a task that can’t be completed overnight. Even high wages and plentiful jobs aren’t always enough to overcome the gap in the perception of opportunities in skilled trades.

The education system in the northeast made a huge mistake @25 years ago when they eliminated all trade based education in the high schools and built specialized schools for the trades. This drastically reduced the number of students exposed to good, well paying blue collar jobs. We are reaping the "fruits" of that decision today. Very few skilled tradesmen. In my area plumbers are charging $140/hr. Pretty good for no college. The other trades are well paid as well

 

[FEDUP Amazombie]

When I hired as a RCA I never thought I would get to go full time I started late in life 40's. After 7 years of being there every time I was called routes got cut & I got an 4 hr. aux route. I ran it for about 2 years then it went full time pending a count, and Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. That put a delay in going full time about 8 months. Now I am at 13 years full time but there is very little pension for us that haven't been working regular long. So, when I hear the younger folks saying they think we should move along and let them in, my question is, After you work 10-15 years are you gonna move along and let the younger one have your job you worked for all your life? Just something for you to ponder!

 

[Jmdw52]

So..... I guess the question that follows here...

Was the long wait being an rca worth it for you when you did finally get regular..?