In preparation for a gas line being built from the North Slope to Valdez or somewhere else in the state. The State Of Alaska has been training young men and women pipeline construction, and oil and gas field work. The state is spending millions on training these young people, and they are finding work. In North Dakota, and other oil and gas producing states. Seems these young men and women don't have a problem like their older counterparts leaving home and family behind for a good paying job. I was talking to one of the Instructors a couple of weeks ago. He was a bit upset that all his students have left the state for work in the lower 48.
As I drove through North Dakota last year I saw bill board signs looking for workers, with phone numbers. They could not find enough workers for everything.
Now for a rant:
One of Sky's high school buddies, Carson came by today. Young man that graduated a year before Sky. Carson and Sky played Hockey together, I took them every spring break to the cabin and let them play in the deep powder on snow machines. I taught Carson to shoot and to hunt along with Sky. Carson was hot, he had just had it out with his Mom and Dad. Dad is crying about his being laid off, and the only job he can find is just paying the bills. No disposable income for the family. Dad, Mom, and youngest Daughter, at home. Daughter graduated high school a couple of years ago, just too lazy to leave home. Claims the only job she can find is in a child care facility, low pay. Mom and Dad won't consider leaving because this is home. They won't insist daughter move out because she has a baby, and they don't want to lose the grandchild. Carson and his oldest sister don't have that problem. Both moved away for jobs. Another sister older than Carson married an Army Officer and moved away four years ago. Carson made over 148K last year working in the oil fields. His oldest sister made over 120K working as a Paralegal/Contract Monitor/Arbitrator, for an oil company down south as well. They just can not understand why their parents won't leave. Carson spent an hour here talking to Sky and I trying to get over being so mad. He parked his Dad's truck behind my shed, asked if he could leave it there till spring. Then he told me why.
I wish they could convince the parents to move, I'm tired of listening to them whine about their poor living conditions, and lack of work. Two years ago when he was desperate for money, right after he lost his job, he sold me his snow machine. Last year I bought his 4-wheeler. He called three weeks ago wanting me to buy his F-250, he needed to buy fuel oil and did not have the money. Sorry I did not want his truck, I figure if I bought his truck I would enable him to stay longer. I've been trying to convince him to move myself. Carson just bought the truck, not because he wants or needs it, but to fill the tank to heat the house. They have been trying to heat the house with wood and a small wood stove. They have lost the down stairs bathroom and one bedroom dur to frozen pipes. If they did not do something soon they are going to lose the house. (Freeze-up) So Carson filled the fuel tank this time, with enough to fill it one more time this winter. I went down and helped Carson cut all the standing dead spruce trees on his Dad's property. Then we hauled them to the back of the house with my big snow machine. Carson and I figure they can cut off the limbs and cut it into usable lengths. (Maybe his lazy sister will get up off her lazy behind and do something. One heck of a job for us today at 30 below. Yes they have fuel oil, but they are going to have to supplement with wood to make the fuel oil last. Otherwise they will be running out before spring. When he had to replace his boiler four years ago before he got laid off, I tried to convince him to convert to coal. Now he wishes he had. Coal is cheaper than wood, higher BTUs, and a lot less work.
When we finished with the wood Carson and Sky went into town together. Sky had a class, and Carson was going to spend time in the student center. The boys were going to go out looking up old friends after Sky got out of class. Carson asked if he could spend the night later, he is too ticked off at his Dad.
My wife has been complaining that she is in a dead end job, no where for advancement. I told her to look for a job else where. She applied for a job in Georgia. If she gets selected, we are out of here. Sky is a big boy, he can take care of himself.