40yrs ago today

nilagin

nilagin

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40yrs ago today, this motley looking crew embarked on a career as toolmakers at Ford. (I am 4th from right)
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Some never survived the 4yr apprenticeship, some took voluntary redundancy on completing the apprenticeship. Over subsequent years some left of their own accord or through further voluntary redundancy programs. Today there is just 5 of us left, celebrating 40yrs. :)
 
40 Years in one Company, I take my hat off to you, I could never have managed that (or more likely, I would have been fired).
Do Tool Makers still exist?
 
MatBin said:
40 Years in one Company, I take my hat off to you, I could never have managed that (or more likely, I would have been fired).
Do Tool Makers still exist?
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We were all trained to build, repair and maintain press tools and some of us got the job of getting them working in the presses.
Now the Ford tool maker apprentices are trained as machinists.
Sadly in 2013 we were no longer required as toolmakers as they closed down our stamping plant and tool rooms and I was retrained as a prototype mechanic. I still consider myself a tool maker though.
 
Bobsyeruncle said:
40 years!
Well done.
Did you get a special gift?
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We get awarded points to spend with an awards company.
In the past I have used the points to get a new Panasonic bridge camera. This year they are using a new awards company who made a bit of a cockup sening out passwords etc out to the wrong people. I ended up with the password for someone with 30yrs service. That has been cancelled and I am still waiting for mine to arrive.
 
nilagin said:
We get awarded points to spend with an awards company.
In the past I have used the points to get a new Panasonic bridge camera. This year they are using a new awards company who made a bit of a cockup sening out passwords etc out to the wrong people. I ended up with the password for someone with 30yrs service. That has been cancelled and I am still waiting for mine to arrive.
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Where I worked did something similar, you got 500 quid and a clock after 40 years, think it was £300 for 30 years
I took an early leaver payment after 38 and a bit years, one year salary tax free and no more work, seemed like a good choice to me.
Sod the clock!!
 
tijuana taxi said:
Where I worked did something similar, you got 500 quid and a clock after 40 years, think it was £300 for 30 years
I took an early leaver payment after 38 and a bit years, one year salary tax free and no more work, seemed like a good choice to me.
Sod the clock!!
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25yrs and 30yrs had high award points, it takes a dip at 35yrs, I was expecting it to rise again for 40yrs but for some reason it doesn't.
If I had still been crawling around in power presses, I might have been tempted into early retirement / voluntary redundancy but where I am now is a lot more relaxed and it feels like a part time job, so seeing 45yrs and 50yrs service are a good possibility.
 
My work was ok, but always said I would retire at 55, lots I wanted to do.
Last almost six years have gone so quickly, never regretted it for a minute.
Fair enough if you enjoy it, no one solution fits all and some people don't cope well with retirement
 
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My wife worked for a local authority. At 25 years service they used to be given £500 worth of vouchers to spend in places like Argos or M&S. The same year she finally got the right amount of service under her belt they “downsized” the scheme due to cutbacks. She got a framed photo of herself shaking hands with the mayor. Whoopee.

I managed 25 years with my company but again, a couple of years before I would’ve qualified, they increased it to 30 years. :(
 
MatBin said:
Do Tool Makers still exist?
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As long as injection and press mouldings still exist then toolmakers will still exist.

Going back slightly over 40 years, the tooling company my dad part owned had the only spark eroder on Slough trading estate. I remember being very impressed with all the coloured illuminated buttons, it was like something out of Star Trek to seven year old me.
 
Reading these posts I’m glad I went the freelance route. The longest I stayed at one place was 3 years although there were places I went back to, sometimes several times. I have a lot of time for the people who spend their careers at a single organisation: they’re the backbone of such places and seldom get the recognition they deserve these days.

When I left school it was still common that promotion from within was the default. About 20 years later that was changing rapidly and it was disconcerting when a manager would leave half way through my contract and I would be asked to “assist” (train) their replacement. I can just about imagine how infuriating that must have been for the permies.
 
AndrewFlannigan said:
Reading these posts I’m glad I went the freelance route. The longest I stayed at one place was 3 years although there were places I went back to, sometimes several times. I have a lot of time for the people who spend their careers at a single organisation: they’re the backbone of such places and seldom get the recognition they deserve these days.

When I left school it was still common that promotion from within was the default. About 20 years later that was changing rapidly and it was disconcerting when a manager would leave half way through my contract and I would be asked to “assist” (train) their replacement. I can just about imagine how infuriating that must have been for the permies.
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I worked for a multinational communications company and had many different roles throughout my 38 years there
My main task since 1998 was to set up new working groups that were required as technology rapidly gathered pace.
Once these organisations were up and running usually about two to three years off I went to start again.
Never boring and got to see so many facets of the business, some I didn't even know existed.

I met some people who had only ever undertaken one task and many found it very daunting to start afresh.
Think I was too much of a menace to keep in one place and my roving troubleshooting role suited everybody.
 
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Wow, some of you lot are working longer than I've been alive!

Old farts :P

It's great when old pics like this come around, the FB page for my old home town has been taking in pics and uploading, asking people to tag them. Recently a bunch went up of my old primary school class, our communion photos inc. Was hilarious looking back at them. . Also someone recently shared pics from one of my old work places, had forgotten almost how skinny and baby faced I was in my 20's
 
Cagey75 said:
Wow, some of you lot are working longer than I've been alive!

Old farts :p
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And there is a good chance that you will end up working a lot longer than us old farts :p
 
40 odd years ago i was just about learning to walk, to be fair, i still haven't quite mastered it :p

But 40 years, well done that man, don't think you'll see that level of commitment to a company much these days and even less in the future.
 
Cobra said:
Sorry but that'll be after me :p
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Someone told me you have to actually start doing it first! - better get cracking! :D

I don't mind sharing btw, just so long as it's mahhoooosive one.
 
Cobra said:
:LOL: :LOL: :LOL:


Yeah I guess so, time maybe running out. Will *they* let us play though after brexit? :D
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Well I should be good over here :P

You can have the UK lottery then, we'll spread out a bit to avoid suspicions
 
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