Don't use other pin pullers, You could get hurt! 
Monday, February 07, 2005
Five jobs with a bright future in Utah
List includes nurses, truck drivers, plumbers, welders and administrative assistants
By Lesley Mitchell The Salt Lake Tribune
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Randy Jeffs is a licensed plumber with Coates Construction. He is currently working on a building of the West Jordan campus of the Salt Lake Community College. (Danny Chan La /The Salt Lake Tribune)
Randy Jeffs figures the physical demands of his job as a plumber may wear out his body well before retirement. "It's extremely hard work," said Jeffs, a licensed plumber who specializes in commercial and industrial work. Despite the aches and pains, though, Jeffs said he is drawn to the work, because "There's always something new to learn. You can never learn it all." Not only that, but Jeffs and other plumbers typically make a good living and have job security, especially now that demand for plumbers is climbing. The plumbing profession is one of five professions with bright futures in Utah, according to a list compiled by Department of Workforce Services economist Mark Knold. Knold based his list for 2005 on jobs that pay higher-than-average wages, have ample job openings statewide and offer full-time employment. His top-five occupations are featured in a soon-to-be-released report. Their profession has been boosted by Utah's increased construction activity so that plumbers in the state earn an average of $19.90 an hour, according to Workforce Services data. The top position on Knold's list is registered nurse. They earn an average of $24.10 an hour in Utah. Registered nurses have completed a minimum of two years of college. An RN with a bachelor's degree, master's degree or even doctorate could make more. Some specialists can command lucrative signing bonuses. The employment outlook also is good for licensed professional nurses (LPNs), who have completed at least one year of college. LPNs average about $15.30 an hour, according to the survey. "There are openings for nurses at any given time at nearly every facility in Utah," said Debra Huber, chairwoman of Weber State University's nursing department. Flexibility is a major advantage of a nursing career. Hospitals and other health-care organizations offer different types of schedules. "There also is a flexibility in focus," Huber said. "You can focus on anything: children, pregnant women, long-term care - so many things." No. 2 on Knold's list is heavy truck/tractor-trailer driver ($17.10 per hour) followed by plumbers. Welders, No. 4, earn an average of $14.70 an hour. While nurses with high aspirations could become a nursing manager or move on to an administrative position in a hospital, Knold said plumbers and welders have fewer opportunities to advance. But that doesn't necessarily mean they can't earn more over time, he said. "Being a plumber could be a path to owning your own business." Knold said. "Many plumbers are self-employed." Another plus to plumbing and welding is that they require limited vocational training and experience instead of a traditional college degree, Knold said. He advises career seekers to look not only at pay and forecasts of available
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positions but to consider the disadvantages of each industry. Talk to professionals in that industry, he said. Plumbers such as Jeffs who work on new buildings, for example, say they are often tied to the boom-and-bust cycles of the construction industry and may be more vulnerable to economic downturns than those who fix leaks and clogs in homes and apartments. In lean times, many plumbers working in new construction have had to move to find work. Knold said truck drivers will tell you they may have their pick of good-paying jobs, but long hours on the road can be tough. "This job takes people away from their families for extended periods of time, and many find that lifestyle is not for them," he said. Rounding out Knold's top five are executive secretaries and administrative assistants, who on average earn $15.70 per hour in Utah. The job responsibilities of those two positions vary greatly but focus on clerical and administrative tasks vital to running an office or department. Some positions require specialized computer, speaking or management skills. Some secretaries and administrative assistants conduct computer-training classes and manage complex projects. Some starting salaries for executive secretaries and administrative assistants can be low, but veterans can earn as much as $70,000 or more. Knold's list of the five worst professions for Utahns include professions plagued by low pay and few available positions. Often these positions are part time and offer no benefits. He believes the worst five prospects are: sewing machine operators, preschool teachers (except special education), maids and housekeepers, janitors and vehicle and equipment cleaners. Looking For a Good Job? The Utah Department of Workforce Services has Utah-specific wage information on 580 professions at http://jobs.utah.gov/jsp/wi/utalmis/wageDefault.jsp. Entry-level, average and median wages are included for each of the jobs listed. The agency also has a list of "Five-Star" jobs - which includes positions such as respiratory therapists and paralegals - sorted by their education and training requirements at http://jobs.utah.gov/wi/pubs/Outlooks/State/. Click on Utah Job Trends Publication.
By Lesley Mitchell The Salt Lake Tribune
-->
Randy Jeffs is a licensed plumber with Coates Construction. He is currently working on a building of the West Jordan campus of the Salt Lake Community College. (Danny Chan La /The Salt Lake Tribune)
Randy Jeffs figures the physical demands of his job as a plumber may wear out his body well before retirement. "It's extremely hard work," said Jeffs, a licensed plumber who specializes in commercial and industrial work. Despite the aches and pains, though, Jeffs said he is drawn to the work, because "There's always something new to learn. You can never learn it all." Not only that, but Jeffs and other plumbers typically make a good living and have job security, especially now that demand for plumbers is climbing. The plumbing profession is one of five professions with bright futures in Utah, according to a list compiled by Department of Workforce Services economist Mark Knold. Knold based his list for 2005 on jobs that pay higher-than-average wages, have ample job openings statewide and offer full-time employment. His top-five occupations are featured in a soon-to-be-released report. Their profession has been boosted by Utah's increased construction activity so that plumbers in the state earn an average of $19.90 an hour, according to Workforce Services data. The top position on Knold's list is registered nurse. They earn an average of $24.10 an hour in Utah. Registered nurses have completed a minimum of two years of college. An RN with a bachelor's degree, master's degree or even doctorate could make more. Some specialists can command lucrative signing bonuses. The employment outlook also is good for licensed professional nurses (LPNs), who have completed at least one year of college. LPNs average about $15.30 an hour, according to the survey. "There are openings for nurses at any given time at nearly every facility in Utah," said Debra Huber, chairwoman of Weber State University's nursing department. Flexibility is a major advantage of a nursing career. Hospitals and other health-care organizations offer different types of schedules. "There also is a flexibility in focus," Huber said. "You can focus on anything: children, pregnant women, long-term care - so many things." No. 2 on Knold's list is heavy truck/tractor-trailer driver ($17.10 per hour) followed by plumbers. Welders, No. 4, earn an average of $14.70 an hour. While nurses with high aspirations could become a nursing manager or move on to an administrative position in a hospital, Knold said plumbers and welders have fewer opportunities to advance. But that doesn't necessarily mean they can't earn more over time, he said. "Being a plumber could be a path to owning your own business." Knold said. "Many plumbers are self-employed." Another plus to plumbing and welding is that they require limited vocational training and experience instead of a traditional college degree, Knold said. He advises career seekers to look not only at pay and forecasts of available
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document.writeln(AAMB6);
positions but to consider the disadvantages of each industry. Talk to professionals in that industry, he said. Plumbers such as Jeffs who work on new buildings, for example, say they are often tied to the boom-and-bust cycles of the construction industry and may be more vulnerable to economic downturns than those who fix leaks and clogs in homes and apartments. In lean times, many plumbers working in new construction have had to move to find work. Knold said truck drivers will tell you they may have their pick of good-paying jobs, but long hours on the road can be tough. "This job takes people away from their families for extended periods of time, and many find that lifestyle is not for them," he said. Rounding out Knold's top five are executive secretaries and administrative assistants, who on average earn $15.70 per hour in Utah. The job responsibilities of those two positions vary greatly but focus on clerical and administrative tasks vital to running an office or department. Some positions require specialized computer, speaking or management skills. Some secretaries and administrative assistants conduct computer-training classes and manage complex projects. Some starting salaries for executive secretaries and administrative assistants can be low, but veterans can earn as much as $70,000 or more. Knold's list of the five worst professions for Utahns include professions plagued by low pay and few available positions. Often these positions are part time and offer no benefits. He believes the worst five prospects are: sewing machine operators, preschool teachers (except special education), maids and housekeepers, janitors and vehicle and equipment cleaners. Looking For a Good Job? The Utah Department of Workforce Services has Utah-specific wage information on 580 professions at http://jobs.utah.gov/jsp/wi/utalmis/wageDefault.jsp. Entry-level, average and median wages are included for each of the jobs listed. The agency also has a list of "Five-Star" jobs - which includes positions such as respiratory therapists and paralegals - sorted by their education and training requirements at http://jobs.utah.gov/wi/pubs/Outlooks/State/. Click on Utah Job Trends Publication.
Scrutiny falls on license testing
Post / Cyrus McCrimmon
Richard Lammers, president of U.S. Truck Driving Schools in Wheat Ridge, says his company hires experienced instructors and screens students well. He says that’s why Motor Vehicles Division records show relatively few problems at his school.
The Somalis came to Colorado by the dozens over a three-year stretch, seeking something they were having trouble getting in their home state of Minnesota: driver's licenses.
They streamed to a Denver driving school and so-called third-party tester, which trains drivers, tests them and then certifies to Colorado officials that they are ready to drive.
The federal investigation of illegal driver's-license sales in Colorado has cast intense new scrutiny on such companies and individuals who perform road tests on the state's behalf.
These so-called third-party testers have the state's blessing to train and then test people for truck-driving and ordinary licenses.
But critics say third-party testers vary widely in quality and are too susceptible to manipulation, sometimes allegedly taking cash to wave drivers through and in other cases failing to live up to the letter of state regulations.
Richard Lammers, president of U.S. Truck Driving Schools in Wheat Ridge, says his company hires experienced instructors and screens students well. He says that’s why Motor Vehicles Division records show relatively few problems at his school.
The Somalis came to Colorado by the dozens over a three-year stretch, seeking something they were having trouble getting in their home state of Minnesota: driver's licenses.
They streamed to a Denver driving school and so-called third-party tester, which trains drivers, tests them and then certifies to Colorado officials that they are ready to drive.
The federal investigation of illegal driver's-license sales in Colorado has cast intense new scrutiny on such companies and individuals who perform road tests on the state's behalf.
These so-called third-party testers have the state's blessing to train and then test people for truck-driving and ordinary licenses.
But critics say third-party testers vary widely in quality and are too susceptible to manipulation, sometimes allegedly taking cash to wave drivers through and in other cases failing to live up to the letter of state regulations.
