[Jewelry making - Article 01057] - Re: [Orchid] Apprenticeships?

[Christine Quiriy]

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>     They want to know about their "career ladder" before they pick up
>     a hammer. No one is willing to begin at the bottom and there seems
>     to be little in the way of loyalty to anyone of anything. No one
>     is willing to begin at the bottom and there seems to be little in
>     the way of loyalty to anyone of anything.

    May I speak in defense of the poor young apprentice? Life is so
    complicated and risky today. The times they have a changed, and
    lots. I'm 52, and it wasn't so complicated and risky when I was
    young; when my mother washed her hands of me at 18, I was able to
    get a full time job as a file clerk and support myself and save
    money. (And believe me, that awful experience has shaped my entire
    life.) 

    Frankly, I think if any of you want a good apprentice, you will have
    to be able to provide them with a living wage (or room and board and
    a stipend) and health insurance. And if you live somewhere where
    there's no public transportation, i.e., mostly everywhere in the
    good ole independent US of A, then you'll have to provide them some
    way to get around because it's too dangerous to hitchhike anymore.
    It's impossible to have a goal and stick to it if you can't afford a
    place to live, food to eat, and a way to get around. Ok, maybe not
    impossible, but incredibly difficult. Yes, I know a lot of kids and
    other younger people seem to be more concerned with getting extras
    but really, if you could provide the basics, you'd have qualified
    candidates knocking your door down. 

Christine in Littleton, Massachusetts

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