Pittsburgh's residents have still not gotten it when it comes to getting a good job and getting ahead in life it requires a good education

Yes at one time it was true when I was growing up you could be the biggest screw up in school and life and be able to walk into a mill or factory and all you do was push a button  or other mundane job and make $18.50 an hour union wage . in 1970's
Many of the people I grew up with in Carrick took that exact path in life screwing around and partying getting criminal records etc and still when they left school even with out a diploma they could walk in a mill or factory and get hired. These where dead weight any one could do them jobs which required no skills or even thought. and basically that's who mills and factory's  hired to do these jobs because they where so boring.

But then came the death knell to the steel industry between 81-83 and overnight these worthless dead weight  jobs where gone.
You now had 2 choices get an education or work for minimum wage . Most of those I knew who worked these jobs  chose  not to educate and worked minimum wage and collect government benefits and did nothing but scream how badly they where treated by mills and government  for not doing anything with there lives.
I still see it too many times around here where young people are given the chance to excel and decide not to and all you still hear is the complaining there are no jobs while thousands of high skill and high tech jobs go unfilled around Western Pa. as people come in from out of state to fill them.
The reason the high pay  no need to know anything to do them jobs have disappeared is because of automation the know nothing jobs where eliminated altogether a machine or robot does it now.

Railroad switch mans job gone do to automation they would sit in these towers and lower gates when trains approached  

Take J&L/ LTV Steel  in Pittsburgh where my dad worked in 1920's when my dads neighbor started there where 20,000 men employed in that mill alone by the time my dad stated working there less than 10,000  and if the mill was built today less than 1000 would be needed .
Its the same reason you see so many self check out registers and self park and pay lots there's no human interaction  the machine is there a business owner does not have to worry employee will not show up or fool around not work or steal or file false disability claim .

Your going to see more of these machines as minimum wages keep rising why pay an employee when machine will do the work faster and better.
yes the vast majority of dead weight, dead end jobs are gone you either educate your self or you  work in a very meaningless job . If you get convicted of a Criminal Felony your life as you know it is over as well even minimum wage cleaning jobs are often out of reach of felons as well. this means you work construction or in a kitchen that's it.

These are todays rules when trying to get a job not in Pittsburgh but everywhere and the message is not getting to our young people .