[NICKG]

well, i will chime in hear. To all you people who think that a college degree is worthless...you haven't a clue..seriously. I will elaborate. I am an ASE certified master tech with 17 years of combined repair, parts sales and most any other type of automotive related business experience. Real experience not BS i made it up stuff. I have done tech line to design and fitments of European parts/accessories for some of the biggest places going. I have done marketing for manufacturers on an outsourced regional level, national retail/wholesale sale and customer service...hell I have even trained these guys at the manufacturer. I got into parts so I could have a less physical environment, and truthfully it is, no busted knuckles or bad knees anymore. Anyway I have a technical degree for a prestigious Automotive school here in the north east and even was in a manufacturer specialized step program. but all this is worthless.
I have found that in trying to get into one of the manufacturer's for the last 8 years, it is nearly impossible with out a bachelors degree..experience means nothing... I am being interviewed consistently by all the big guns in the Euro car hq's in NJ and they always go with that 23 year old with the degree...every time. I have even asked them why, answer? corporate policy dictates that they take degrees over experience, bottom line. So I am 34 and back in school now to get my degree because I see the big picture, and it ain't pretty here in the north East. with out a degree, you work at walmart, with it you shop at walmart...for now i am just the new accounts manager at Bosal USA...tier 2 is closer than a dealer and i network with as many of the OEM's as I can...2 more years
as for unions, let me tell you about the uaw...we have to put up with their crap and demands all the tiome. they just sealed their own deal with our factory in Ontario, they wanted huge concessions in a diminishing market, they have our plant so locked down as to be a prison. the union adds so much redtape to anything that it makes production very difficult. Ironically they said that they would close us down if we did not do what they wanted...they succeeded, we are closing the plant and moving it to Mexico now because they were so impossible to deal with...Canada lost 500+ jobs and mexico get 750 out of it..hope the uaw was proud of that one...better for me, the Mexican stuff is cheaper and MUCH nicer than the junk the Canadians were making