[Coco] Re: Thoughts about going back to school full time.

[Jim Cox]

James:

You make some good points about pensions and health care 
regarding older workers.  I am guessing you have had some 
bad experiences in that field.  I have too.  In a previous 
job, I was actually told my overtime was being cut since I 
was a diabetic and the company didn't want me to get sick. 
 Yes it was illegal, but it was a one on one conversation 
and that made it hard to prove.

I guess when you hit a certain age, you need to start 
looking at other options to keep a roof over your head. 
 Besides diabetes, I have several sleep disorders and 
while my current employer is willing to make 
accomidations, I also wonder if I am at the top of the 
next lay-off list.

With outsoursing going on, I am wondering what options lie 
ahead for me.  I'd like to find work working on scientific 
instruments for meteorology or oceanography, but I think 
my testing experience is holding me back.  Another option 
is to see if I can find an engineering tech job restoring 
old computers, but I think a lot of people on this list 
would be in front of me in the line up for the job (though 
there is the MS Computer Museum down the road :)

I am beginning to agree that I should pursue programming 
more for the hobby aspect than to improve my employement 
hopes, thought doing the former may improve chances for 
the latter.

-Jim


On Wed, 07 Dec 2005 22:46:33 -0500
  jdaggett at gate.net wrote:
> Richard
> 
> You did reply to the right person.
> 
> I can further add that here in Florida there is a 
>movement to have 
> even Community College professors having Masters 
>Degrees. 
> Teaching K-12 is still a BS/BA degree.  You can't teach 
>at university 
> level with less than a masters and at least working on 
>your PHD. 
> Thanks to "No Child Left Behind" program to teach math 
>in K-12, 
> they would prefer the instructor to have a degree in 
>Mathematics. 
> Even though a BSEE has all the math requirements now to 
>teach 
> Mathematics. 
> 
> The problem with older workers, over age 50, is that the 
>cost of 
> benefits are very high. Insurance, life and health, plus 
>pension 
> contributions can easily add up to 10 to 20K per year 
>above any 
> salary. One major problem that GM faces as with some 
>major 
> corparations in the US is that they already have under 
>funded 
> pension funds now. The big Baby Boomer retiree period 
>will be 
> between about 2009 and 2018. 
> 
> oh well i need to get off my soapbox.
> 
> james 
>