Industrial Maintenance Resources

I'm back from another hiring venture for engineering technicians. The field is called multi-craft maintenance. Another name is "mechatronics". It seems that finding people with the right broad skill sets is very hard. A lot of the promising candidates haven't refreshed their basics for many years. I mentioned to a few candidates some resources which they might want to have to brush up on their basic skills.

So, If you stumbled across this looking for hints, here are a few key trade resources:

• Audel Mechanical Trades Pocket Manual
• Ugly's Electrical References - the other Uglys books are good too.
• Rigging Pocket Guide

For PLCs and electronics there are a lot of online resources. Use your google-fu or drop me a line if you need hints for starting places.

Breaking News

So...  For the last several months things have been breaking down.   Cars, irons, microwaves, shoes....  Wearing out....

Our situation reminds me of the Israelites: for forty years in the desert their clothes and shoes didn't wear out.   That's how blessed we have been.  Maybe not forty years worth, but our 'stuff' has lasted well. 

Imagine how the Israelites felt upon entering the promised land when their stuff started wearing out normally.  "What kind of junk is this?  My last ox cart lasted over forty years and this one only ten!  They just don't make anything the way they used to..."

It feels a little like that.  Still, blessed be God from everlasting to everlasting!