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More from Vicki Bell
- From The Fabricator
Manufacturing, who needs it?
- By Vicki Bell
- Jul 11, 2013
- Manufacturing Software
- Blog Post
Flipping through The Costco Connection July 2013 magazine last night, I ran across an interesting tidbit on page 8—an image of a welder with the caption: “Debate goes on—in response to the June Debate, ‘Are U.S. manufacturing jobs still important to the economy?’” Clearly, I had missed...
- From The Fabricator
Oh, Canada
- By Vicki Bell
- Jun 13, 2013
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
After reading yesterday’s “Fabricating Update” e-newsletter, a reader from Brampton, Ontario, Canada, wrote to tell me how disappointed he was that Canada was not included in the news item about how difficult it is to find skilled workers globally. Mexico’s stats, which are nearly the...
- From The Fabricator
Beware poor service
- By Vicki Bell
- Jun 6, 2013
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
In this age of many choices that are similar and competitively priced, what really makes the difference in your buying decisions? Where a product is made? Those of us who support U.S. manufacturing routinely note this and buy U.S.-made when we can. However, a recent experience—one many of you...
- From The Fabricator
Just a phone call away
- By Vicki Bell
- May 29, 2013
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
Sometimes good news is simply a phone call away. Case in point—I just had a call from an author of some very thought-provoking articles on thefabricator.com. Some months ago, “Stan” voluntarily left his job of many years for various reasons, not the least of which is that he’s a highly...
- From The Fabricator
Welder and assistant, a good team
- By Vicki Bell
- May 23, 2013
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
If you pay attention, you can learn something new on any given day. And sometimes, what you learn makes you smack your forehead, either literally or mentally, and think I should have known that. Such was the case a couple of weeks ago when I was sharing an exchange on Facebook with a dear friend...
- From The Fabricator
I can do WHAT and get a raise?
- By Vicki Bell
- May 1, 2013
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
You want a raise; I want a raise; we all want raises. Even corporate heads who take pay cuts to show how much they empathize with their workers probably want and think they deserve raises, but that’s a topic for another day. What would you do for a raise, besides doing the best job you can...
- From The Fabricator
Go for it, Christophers!
- By Vicki Bell
- Apr 24, 2013
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
Last week’s “Welding Wire” e-newsletter featured the blog post “Backbone of America deserves a round of beer,” which focused on comments from Christopher W., a young welding student, about welding formerly being on a worst jobs list. He couldn’t understand how that could happen. We...
- From The Fabricator
Backbone of America deserves a round of beer
- By Vicki Bell
- Apr 10, 2013
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
As content manager for thefabricator.com, one of my job duties is to moderate comments left for articles on the site. This is an interesting task. Some comments are blatant promotions, complete with links, for companies that want to use this opportunity to hawk their products. While you have to...
- From The Fabricator
A race to the bottom
- By Vicki Bell
- Apr 4, 2013
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
“Wal Mart is the death knell for small business everywhere they open shop. Wal-Mart is good for small business in the same way amputation is a successful weight-loss program. Wal-Mart is killing America, and if you shopped there this week, here’s hoping the American job you just shipped...
- From The Fabricator
A decade later, cautious optimism still applies
- By Vicki Bell
- Mar 21, 2013
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
ManpowerGroup has released its latest Employment Outlook Survey findings, which suggest that employers worldwide are seeking signs of a robust global economy before labor markets are likely to achieve sustainable traction. Despite the recent stock market gains, thought by some to be a barometer...
- From The Fabricator
Sequestration and job training
- By Vicki Bell
- Mar 14, 2013
- Automation and Robotics
- Blog Post
You think the skilled worker shortage is bad now? It could get worse. We’re almost two weeks into sequestration, and queued on the chopping block is federal funding for training programs. Last month, the National Skills Coalition released a report: “Disinvesting in the Skills of America’s...
- From The Fabricator
Not OK to take the metal
- By Vicki Bell
- Mar 7, 2013
- Assembly and Joining
- Blog Post
I confess. The first thing I read in the free local newspaper that’s tossed in my driveway each Wednesday is the Public Safety section that lists the DUIs, drug arrests, and crime in my community. Fortunately, the latter usually consists of shoplifting and an occasional burglary. Imagine my...
- From The Fabricator
Americans weigh in on job market and economy
- By Vicki Bell
- Feb 27, 2013
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
How do you feel about the job market and the economy these days? Positive, negative, mixed? According to a Harris Poll conducted in February, Americans have mixed feelings about the job market and economy, and the majority of us are concerned about covering our expenses this year—all...
- From The Fabricator
Avant-garde retirees
- By Vicki Bell
- Feb 20, 2013
- Additive Manufacturing
- Blog Post
Last month I wrote a blog post about retirement, a term that some believe is becoming an anachronism. As early as 2008, financial consultants were writing about this possibility: “The word ‘retirement’ conjures up visions of leisurely days spent traveling, dining at fine restaurants, golfing,...
- From The Fabricator
The scoop on U.S. worker confidence
- By Vicki Bell
- Feb 6, 2013
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
In the early days of 2013, January 3, to be exact, Randstad released the results of its December U.S. Employee Confidence survey that painted a rosy picture heading into the new year. The Confidence Index was 55.4, one of the highest levels of optimism recorded in 2012. The Index, which...
- Podcasting
- Podcast:
- The Fabricator Podcast
- Published:
- 04/16/2024
- Running Time:
- 63:29
In this episode of The Fabricator Podcast, Caleb Chamberlain, co-founder and CEO of OSH Cut, discusses his company’s...
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- Upcoming Webcasts
Nitrogen Generation for Laser Cutting: Navigating System Design for YOUR Operation
- April 24, 2024
- Sponsored
- Presented By: Purity Gas
Navigating Change: The Manufacturer’s Guide to Change Management with ERP Implementation
- May 16, 2024
- Sponsored
- Presented By: ECI Software Solutions, M1