Glad I'm not in Connecticut. . .

[C-Dog]

Well, I like my little state. Supe, what is O&G - oil and gas? Did not know that was an industry. Manufacturing jobs pay a hell of a lot more than service jobs - this is one of th roots of the high cost of living in CT since the economy, since its founding, is based on manufacturing - though, the Chinese are taking that slowly away.

Back to licensure. I think Mama Rell has given up fighting with the Dems. that control the legislature (who btw need to all be voted out).

On the surface, it would be nice if the Feds took over licensure of engineers - it would make moving to other states easier - but that is probably it and I am not moving.

 

[Supe]

Manufacturing jobs pay a hell of a lot more than service jobs

What service jobs are you referring to? Everything I've seen points very much to the contrary in terms of engineering.

 

[EM_PS]

Faced with a two-year state budget deficit of $8.56 billion

hell don't know what i was smoking earlier, but I in fact retract my earlier statement that my state's deficit is hurtin worse than that! Wow, what the hell you crazy Connecticut-ukians been doing over there?

I never thought Connecticut to be a manufacturing mecca. . . Michigan's been one for say over 100+ years now, and our cost of living has never been high (perhaps understandedly for other reasons) - Manufacturing here paved the way for a new 'middle-class' that could afford to send their kids to college while never having attended it themselves.

 

[Katiebug]

Back to licensure. I think Mama Rell has given up fighting with the Dems. that control the legislature (who btw need to all be voted out).
On the surface, it would be nice if the Feds took over licensure of engineers - it would make moving to other states easier - but that is probably it and I am not moving.

Yeah, looks like Mother Governor has let it go into law, although apparently she could and did veto certain pork barrel line items.

And I agree with you re: licensure by the Feds.

I never thought Connecticut to be a manufacturing mecca. . . Michigan's been one for say over 100+ years now, and our cost of living has never been high (perhaps understandedly for other reasons) - Manufacturing here paved the way for a new 'middle-class' that could afford to send their kids to college while never having attended it themselves.

My job in CT has very little to do with manufacturing. I do product development, qualification testing, and field support. Our components are made in Asia and Europe. I've never even been to the factories, although I do know how product is made so that I can troubleshoot field issues.

The manufacturing base in Connecticut is focused primarily on defense work. Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, Electric Boat. In the less-defense related sector, there's Kaman, Jacobs Vehicle Systems, Johnson Controls, etc. We used to have a big Torrington Bearing factory and engineering center here. And there are a ton of smaller vendors and job shops that support the big players. Slowly things have been going overseas or just closing up entirely.

Growing up here, more than half of my friends' dads were machinists at Pratt (that was also 20 years ago). It's not that way anymore, but it used to be like that.

A lot of the engineers who I go to grad school with work at Pratt in manufacturing engineering, but they have a lot of test and design types as well. Personally I'd never be happy in such a huge engineering organization. At my place we have to sort of become a jack-of-all-trades and I like being able to do a lot of different things.