Do children still want to work? Recent conversations at FABTECH 2024 in Orlando, Florida prompted Josh Welton to return to this old trope. Butler photo

Evolve and adapt or get left behind.

In the summer of 2014, we launched The Still Building America Blog for The Fabricator, in direct response to this old “Kids don’t want to work anymore” trope. But based on my experiences working on the road across the country, I saw something different. Both in person and on social media, I found young men and women passionately finding their place in the collar world, contradicting that tired narrative pushed by companies and industry lobbyists.

In the 10 years since, my wife Darla has helped grow the platform, and the Still Building America column was recently relaunched as a podcast on the FMA Podcast Network. But essentially nothing has changed. Our mission remains to highlight welders, fabricators, metal artisans, blacksmiths and entrepreneurs under the age of 35 who are pushing boundaries, discovering their passions and boldly shaping the future of the industry.

One of the highlights of attending FABTECH is meeting and connecting with other industry professionals and diving into candid conversations about their companies and their goals for the show. At FABTECH this year, Darla and I were joined by two gentlemen for lunch one afternoon – one probably in his early 50s, the other in his late 60s. After some polite talk about the show (they were looking to buy a laser), they naturally asked us about our work. We immersed ourselves in our Still Building America mission, highlighting our passion for connecting with the next generation of industry talent.

But as it turned out, I kicked the hornet’s nest.

“Good luck with that!” said one of them.

“They don’t want to work!” said the other.

“We start trade school welders at $15 an hour, and they can move up the pay scale over time. We don’t let them weld right away though. He has to push a broom for a few weeks.”

“It’s a good job, but our welders and engineers keep leaving for better pay.” They said this despite previous claims that they paid competitive wages.

“They wouldn’t stay if I paid them $100 an hour!”

Josh and Darla Welton in the studio of The Fabricator Podcast at FABTECH 2024 in Orlando, Florida. Darla Welton

I wondered if they actually tried that. Later in the conversation, they confirmed that they had not.

“We teach them and train them, and they go elsewhere for better pay,” they said.

I’ve seen this quite a bit with small and medium sized companies. They rightly see the training as a valuable perk, but wrongly conclude that the employee now “owes” them and should receive a “hometown discount.” Regardless of how they learned what they learned, they now possess skills that the industry wants and needs. They deserve to be paid accordingly – if your company don’t, others will be more than happy. Heck, raise the salary and you might start poaching talent.

As they headed to catch their flights back to 1989, Darla turned to me with wide eyes and said, “I not work for those guys.”

And it wasn’t even about payment at that point. Their cynical view of young workers, coupled with their disgruntled and defeatist attitudes, would have driven any of us away from their store. Our meals were great, but the date left a sour taste.

Fortunately, we returned to the show floor, where we soon met Don Johnson of Combilift, the world’s largest manufacturer of multi-directional, side-loading and articulated forklifts. I wanted to keep going, but his persistence in talking cars drew us in!

Meeting Don was like meeting Mr. Incredible from the Pixar movies, only his superpower was an infectious enthusiasm for forklifts and a real ability to meet people where they are.

Of course, we discussed who we are and what we’ve done, which led us to talk about our Still Building America project. Don chimed in with a personal anecdote that Darla and I have reflected on several times since our meeting.

While working for another company, Don had a young employee who, although talented, often showed up late. Don also noticed that this employee frequently sent emails at 2 or 3 in the morning. Curious, Don asked, “Hey, why are you always late and why do I get these emails in the middle of the night?”

The employee replied: “I have young children. I want to pick them up from school, have dinner, play with them and put them to bed. Once I fall asleep, that’s when I like to do my work.”

Instead of reprimanding him, Don realized that this employee was putting in more hours and producing more by working in a way that suited him. As a result, they found a compromise that benefited all parties. Don’s willingness to accommodate the young employee’s schedule retained the employee (who still works for that company) and supported his productivity and family life.

Could accommodating everyone’s schedule always work? Not likely. But being open to new ways of working is worth a try. Industrialization and lifestyle have changed significantly in the last 20 years. Companies must consider adaptive approaches to provide employees with a better quality of life. Simply put, improved technology should mean improved quality of human life.

Don also discussed Combilift’s operations in Ireland, where hundreds of workers have formed a tight-knit community. From the owners on down, the Combilift culture reflects genuine respect for the workforce and rewards them well for their work.

The reality is that it all starts with compensation. I recently had a conversation with an area manager at my workplace. The company is trying “very hard” to hire more drivers/mechanics. It’s a job that requires a lot of skilled work, from electrical to tightening to cutting to painting to welding; a mandatory seven-day, 12-hour program; and the ability to drop everything at once to go on the road for months at a time. It’s not an easy lifestyle.

The one thing they didn’t try and actively opposed was raising the starting salary. They lag behind industry norms when they should be keeping pace with the industry. I asked the manager, “Man, why are you coming to work? To make money.”

The other things a company does to boost employee morale are essential, but the priority when facing a labor shortage is to raise wages significantly. Next on the priority list is treating employees with respect.

Do these things now and in the future. It’s not something you wear for a month and then complain that it “doesn’t work”. It really is that simple.

Check out the Still Building America podcast