Southern California Job Market : Transitions : Some Expert Advice for Those at Risk : Ex-Aerospace Worker Can Fix Problem
As a tool mechanic for nine years at McDonnell Douglas in Long Beach, Bruce Sweatman was a problem solver.
Now Sweatman has a real problem to solve. He’s been out of a job since June, and his industry--aerospace--is slumping. But before he can solve the problem of finding work, he has to solve the problem of which option to pursue.
Sweatman has made no decisions on future career moves.
The 37-year-old tool mechanic lives in Perris, in Riverside County, with his wife, who is quality assurance manager at Riverside Community Hospital, and two sons.
“Everything is fluid at the moment,” he says. “I haven’t made any decisions, because I’m not sure which way to go.”
Among the options Sweatman is considering is one closely related to his past job and one that is quite remote.
First the construction option: “I learned some masonry skills from my grandfather,” Sweatman says. “I might be able to get involved in brick-laying and tile cutting.”
Or entrepreneurially: “I could develop a business that would train people to convert gas-powered cars into electric vehicles,” he says. “Emissions standards will become more stringent; there might be a demand for that kind of service. That’s a long-range option.”
What the Experts Say
DIAGNOSIS: Sweatman needs a job, but his career prospects aren’t sick.
PRESCRIPTION: Our experts, Bernard Howroyd, president and founder of Appleone Employment Services in Glendale, and David Hendon, manager of the Verdugo Center for Jobs and Retraining in Burbank, believe that Sweatman should make no radical career changes. Hendon, who advises aerospace workers on job training options, urges Sweatman to build on his brick-laying and tile cutting skills.
“The competition is pretty stiff in the less skilled areas of masonry,” Hendon explains. “It’s great that he has skills in this area. He can increase his opportunities by enhancing those skills.”
As for electric car conversions, it’s not the way to go, says Howroyd.
“The life expectancy of a car is not long enough to justify the expense of such a conversion service,” he says. “If he wants to be an entrepreneur, he needs some training in business.”
Howroyd says Sweatman might opt for an entrepreneurial endeavor more closely related to his former job. He could examine franchising opportunities related to repair work, because they might be more appropriate for someone without an extensive business background, Howroyd says.
If Sweatman chooses employment, he might check with institutions--hotels and hospitals, for example--that have a wide range of repair needs.
“In the short term, he should be building on knowledge he has currently,” Hendon says.
PROGNOSIS: “I don’t think he will have difficulty finding work,” Howroyd says. “There is demand for repairs, and when the economy is weak the demand is greater because there is a reluctance to purchase new items.”
Aerospace Outlook
Aerospace employment peaked with Reagan-era defense spending in mid-1986 and has been declining steadily since then. Between the current quarter and 1995, an additional 30,000 layoffs are forecast
Source: UCLA Business Forecasting Project
