pandabear Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 What should happen is that the polytechnics and technical colleges should come back. Courses should be things like, PCB fabrication, Plastic extrusion, mechanical engineering, production engineering, embedded software design etc etc Oh! And they should bring back a dedicated channel similar to the OU where they have non stop programs teaching people, C, Java, HTML, electronics design etc etc Yes, exactly, eloquently put. Brilliant! Knowledge economy solved, skilled workforce. Oh, but where is the debt in that? No debt, no future sadly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandabear Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 So, if you had or have a 16 year old, what would you tell them? Personally, unless they were going into law, medicine or some form of science, I'd say avoid uni - after that, it would be to try and make something out of what they are good at, whatever 'it' may be. 1: Learn to dance. 2: If you arent fully decided or driven towards medicine etc. Do a trade. Work for free for anyone who will take you, but work well. Sod everything else. Get something under your belt which can earn from day 1. In a few years you can earn well, and if you want to go to uni then, you have an income stream you can take with you. 3: In your teens/ twenties, you cannot try enough jobs. If you aint happy and have another offer, take it, sod the money. Rinse and repeat until happy. 4: Wash your hands carefully after cutting chillies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmf Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 In 18 years time, the baby boomers will be hitting peak death! Seriously, in about 20 years time there will be a large demand. 20 years times China's population will have crashed and they will probably have had a revolution or something. If only they had not put all their earnings into Tbills ... Not sure about India. My guess is that India needs to import people/talents not export them. They need hack their civil servants more than the UK does. Aim for 8 GCSE - base of maths, english, a science. Bar Spanish and Mandarin, modern languages have very limited use. Play it safe at A levels - maths, physics (or chemistry) and a simple subject. Keep you options open. India has 1/3 of it's population under 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 . 4: Wash your hands carefully after cutting chillies. And before you have a wazz (blokes). I won't make that mistake. Laid up all night, dipping it in yogurt - honest, she didn't have thrush or owt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Trouble is some of the professional bodies got greedy. In the north at least there are far too many accountants for too few jobs. Most accountants are crap. You pay top rates and the work is given to an unqualified book keeper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the shaping machine Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 (edited) Lots of schadenfreude on here, and very low on solutions... A policy solution: make the minimum age for attending university 19, thereby forcing everyone to go and do something else for a year. Most people would end up making a better decision on a degree course, some would chose not to bother. Edited November 16, 2011 by the shaping machine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 What should happen is that the polytechnics and technical colleges should come back. One of the biggest, unspoken disasters at the moment is the number of former technical colleges that have turned into sixth forms for the non too bright. They offer a wide range of pointless A levels which are absolutely useless in getting you into a good university. I mean, what sixth forms thinks offering a student As in English, psychology and business studies? Typically, about 15% offer traditional vocational courses. The rest is just job creation for cr*p teachers. The second shocker is that tech colleges use to offer a small, good range of night course - maths, english, accountancy type stuff. No its all hopi candles, head massage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the shaping machine Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 (edited) It's just disinterest on the part of most schools not to provide kids with access to industry professionals. Listening to a series of specific sector pro's would sharpen up/refresh the knowledge base of most careers teachers. A valuable bonus. My sixth form careers interview in its entirety :- Careers advisor: "Right sit down. Have you thought about what you want to do after you leave school?" Me; "Yes, I would like to become an engineer." Careers advisor (writing in book): "E n g i n e e r." "OK, best of luck, NEXT!" Edited November 16, 2011 by the shaping machine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandabear Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 (edited) The second shocker is that tech colleges use to offer a small, good range of night course - maths, english, accountancy type stuff. No its all hopi candles, head massage. Yep. Now, nothing will be run unless its funded. A levels at night whilst working in a mates shop? No chance! Hairdressing? Of course! Foreign Languages? Non funded, every speaks english anyway.... Forensic Science? Of course, every kid watches CSI. How many gruesome murders are there? Plumbing? Not unless you work in the area! But i want to retrain? You shouldnt have lost your job.... Farcical A CRAP TEACHER Edited November 16, 2011 by pandabear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandabear Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 And before you have a wazz (blokes). I won't make that mistake. Laid up all night, dipping it in yogurt - honest, she didn't have thrush or owt. Then try rubbing your eye. The one that winks, not the one that stinks.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blod Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 It won't be banks doing it, this will be mandated by law by (very) popular demand. The easiest way to make a degree worth something is to ban everyone who doesn't have one from the industry. See - doctors, dentists, lawyers etc etc Want to work with computers? Hope you have your degree in that area (froma state recognised Uni) because otherwise it'll be illegal. This is where society is headed if something doesn't alter radically in the very near future. It'd be good in one way if they did do this, however how would this work with free trade agreement and and Mode 4. It'd completely close our domestic employment market to foreign nationals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lulu Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 In 18 years time, the baby boomers will be hitting peak death! I was serisously considering going into the undertaking business. There will be increasing demand over the next 15/20 years. Even better get some money off the old codgers before that point but I can't quite think of a fool proof way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the shaping machine Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 It'd be good in one way if they did do this [restrict jobs to graduates] How would it be "good"? Pointless and wasteful is how I'd describe it. how would this work with free trade agreement and and Mode 4. It'd completely close our domestic employment market to foreign nationals. They (NuLab) did something similar with domestic electrical work (the Part P regs). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurricane Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Yes, but your spelling is woeful I have no real qualifications, only a couple GCSE's and a City and Guilds evening course. No A Levels, no Degrees. All through my working Career i have shown people i can do the job, and more and they have employed me. i now am the manager of a drawing office for a medium to large company. the Staff i am responsible for ALL have degrees in one field or another, some useful some not. and it winds them up knowing that their "boss" has no degree. but i started at the bottom, and worked my way up, its taken 8 years to get ot where i am now, with my current company, and 8 years before that working for other companies doing the same. when i left School i didnt have a clue what i wanted to do (1996) i was pushed into "computers". yes they is where my "natural" talent is, but everyone did "computers" i got half way through a BTEC National Deploma Level 2, and thought "nah, this isnt for me" and left, i got a job working for a Partitioning company as the CAD Junior, i had never touched CAD before, but when asked in my interview "could you draw this?" i said yes, i got the job. first day i didnt have a clue, it was a very steep learning process teaching my self AutoCAD Release 12, whilst keeping up the charade that i knew what i was doing. since then i like working with CAD and stuck to it, with doing retail work when i needed to. this is really before the internet really kicked off, and to learn anything you needed books, and for CAD that meant alot of reading, just to work out what you wanted to do. but most of the grads i get to see now, all expect to have everything given to them, if they dont know how to do something they ask me to show them or either do it for them. i do neither, thy have to research them selves, they have had 4 years or so researching (or so i am beleived) for their degrees, so why not "google" Dynamic Block Entity Editing LISP, you get the answer you need with in seconds, without trawling through pages and pages of books just trying to find that paragrapth and figure to explain that one small thing. i constantly hear from them "oh no i cant do that (either using another programme, or something they have never done in CAD)" WHY? say yes and learn, thats what i do, i'll explain that i have never done this before and to acheive the results they want may take a little longer than anticipated, but i'll give it a go. how hard can it be, its just "software" i'm not saying University is a waste of time, for some people it is, but it is needed to get the understanding of atual things and REAL qualifications, like Engineer (Civil, Structural, Geo, etc) Geology, doctor, etc non of this wishy washy Media Studies, Critical Thinking, Leisure and Tourism etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FedupTeddiBear Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 I imagine this was the same broadcast that featured an item on engineering companies, many with innovative products, struggling to bring products to market because (in part) because of the lack of engineering talent produced, and much of that which is goes to the City. Personally I think a lot of this comes down to the state of mathematics education in the country, hardly any primary teachers have experience of post-school mathematics and I'd wager few have more than a minimal GCSE pass. So this fundamental skill is often being taught by people who have no real understanding of it, kids get muddled instruction and are taught a seemingly unconnected set of rules to be applied and it quickly becomes the subject nobody likes. Only kids with tutors or numerate parents really stand a chance. Part of the problem is the method that teachers are now having to use to teach maths. Not so much at primary level as this is all very basic, but at GCSE. I have heard a number of maths and physics teachers complaining about this. Including those with good degrees in maths. One example is quadratics - kids now have to use a "formula" to solve a quadratic equation - involves drawing some sort of table under the problem and filling it in without thinking about what they are actually doing. When it comes to using quadratics in a applied context, even A* GCSE pupils haven't a clue as they have never learnt to understand what they are doing. The GCSE exam requires the use of these "brainless" methods. There is also no need for arithmetic skills so at A-level, many have to use calculators to do basic multiplication, addition etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitarman001 Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Undertaking - I thought about that (though perhaps not seriously!!) as well. Did anybody see the youngsters interviewed on ITV news? No wonder they can't get a job, their English and presentation are awful!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitarman001 Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Some form of science ? Really wouldn't bother with that either, the only people I know who have science degree's and making over £30,000 a year are pharmacuetical sales reps. I know one with a first who earns £9,000 with 5 years experience. It has to be vocational ie dentistry, medicine if you ask me. +1 and don't go into engineering if you want good money...! (Damn) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandabear Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 I was serisously considering going into the undertaking business. There will be increasing demand over the next 15/20 years. Maybe a bit sooner if you doubt the longevity suggested by actuaries. We are all going to live to 90 seems to be their best guess. Most boomers missed rationing and have had the benefits of burgers, fags and strong drink to preserve their lifespans. Never a good prospect. The longevity will pass with the boomers parents/ elder siblings who are already 70. But the pension age will stay at 68. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lagarde's Drift Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 I was serisously considering going into the undertaking business. There will be increasing demand over the next 15/20 years. Even better get some money off the old codgers before that point but I can't quite think of a fool proof way. Undertakers have been selling prepayment plans for yonks. Pay a sum every month, when you die you'll have some sort of burial rather than being left to rot whilst your descendants gleefully spend your estate. I guess you could offer added value such as a non chip board casket, mourners, a more stable headstone etc.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CviewUK Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Cash-strapped student girls in Brighton are increasingly turning to prostitution to pay their bills. Students and graduates are flocking to the industry as they face spiralling debt and a desperate search for jobs. http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/9367036.Brighton_students_forced_into_life_of_prostitution/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitarman001 Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 (edited) *Ahem* removed Edited November 17, 2011 by guitarman001 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iLegallyBlonde Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 There's definitely been more working girls signing up to adultwork... or so I hear............ FFS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitarman001 Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Sorry. I've a mate who's a real perv. And no, that mate's not me...!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Professor Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 Maybe not the best example but Rebekah Brooks started as a secretary at News International and ended up as CEO. Yeah, but she slept with her superiors every step up the career ladder (allegedly, allegedly) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitarman001 Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 Yeah, but she slept with her superiors every step up the career ladder (allegedly, allegedly) Is there any truth in that or is it a made-up comment (no offence, just curious). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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