WCBS 880 Special Series: Where The Jobs Are – Part 3 – Jobs That Don't Require College Degrees
With the economy struggling to rebound and the unemployment rate having just spiked up to 8.2 percent, WCBS 880's news anchor Wayne Cabot other members of the Newsradio 880 team are producing a weeklong special series of reports, running through June 8, called Where The Jobs Are.
BAYVILLE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) - A career without college? Some say it's the way of the future, WCBS 880's Wayne Cabot reported.
WCBS 880's Wayne Cabot On The Story
Podcast
Recently on 60 Minutes, venture capitalist and PayPal founder Peter Thiel explained why he is encouraging skilled workers to skip college and jump right in.
"There are all sorts of vocational careers that pay extremely well today," he told correspondent Morley Safer. "The average plumber makes as much as the average doctor."
Right off the Garden State Parkway in Bayville is a manufacturing firm called Greener Corporation.
"We make parts for packaging machines," production manager Mark Salisky told WCBS 880's Wayne Cabot.
He's been there for 30 years and said they make the machine that puts the candy in the packages with the zig zag tops.
"[We make] knives that seal and cut bags - Frito-Lay potato chip bags, any bag that has a seal on the top, we make parts to seal that," he said.
"You realize that you're in New Jersey... and most manufacturing jobs are not anymore," queried Cabot.
"Well, we're here to stay" said Salisky.
Cabot asked how they have been able to survive and thrive in this economy.
"Well, we think we're pretty good at what we do. We've made a lot of plans and decisions to keep us profitable," Salisky said.
"But aren't there other companies, other countries, that are doing the same thing for cheaper?" asked Cabot.
"The old cliché 'You get what you pay for,' that's what we feel," said Salisky.
They're hiring. But more than that, they pay for their workers to be trained at the Ocean County Vocational Technical School, and they have to.
"They don't offer metal shop in this area anymore. So, it's tough to get somebody into this trade," Salisky said.
He said they're looking for people with a real knack for machinery.
One of the men they paid to train is Chris Grant.
"They said 'No experience necessary.' I applied and here I am," Grant told Cabot.
He's been there for seven-and-a-half years.
"It's a good job. They take care of you here," he said.
He said he makes good money now, but he came in with no skills.
"Everything I learned, I learned here and through the vocational school," he said.
He is looking forward to working there until he retires.
Do you know of a company that is hiring? Please share in the comments section below.
