Low Pay Britain - C4

[olde guto]

Just watched this programme about apprenticeships, look like some sectors (e.g. not manufacturing or construction) are just using them as cheap labour (plus they get free money from the government).

There has been a >80% growth in retail apprenticeships, retail apprenticeships? retail apprenticeship? FFS! Yet areas where apprenticeships are required are struggling.

Apparently one of the worst offenders was Next (run by a Tory donor) whose scheme with c.800 apprentices was rated inadequate. The programme showed there was little if no training and they were just used as cheap labour and that through the scheme they got £1.8m from the government and saved £2.5m in labour costs.

This country really needs to stop pissing on its future generations because sooner or later some charismatic leader will come along who will spur them on to do something.

[spyguy]

Yes its a total con. Again, from Labour.

[Bora Horza]

Yes it's terrible. Especially the shop assistant apprenticeship schemes, brings the whole system into disrepute.

For a job to qualify for apprenticeship status they should really be required to be working towards at least A-levels equivalent in my view.

[Bora Horza]

Yes its a total con. Again, from Labour.

And massively expanded by the Tories.

Both the established parties are as bad as each other.

[spyguy]

And massively expanded by the Tories.

Both the established parties are as bad as each other.

From talking, it seems that the Cons have wound it back a bit. Mainly be whacking FE money.

[Dorkins]

I was once shown around a house by an apprentice estate agent, she was probably on the usual £100 for a 40 hour week and seemed totally fed up. I'd probably be fed up too if I spent all week every week showing older people around bog standard suburban houses costing 100 times my annual wage and listening to them complain about the kitchen and bathroom fittings.

I almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

[mattyboy1973]

This country really needs to stop pissing on its future generations because sooner or later some charismatic leader will come along who will spur them on to do something.

Exactly right. The young are an electoral force, if only they knew it, and the time is getting ripe.

[steve99]

What happened to the 'apprenticeship' whereby you were on the dole then 'They' put you in poundland for a pound and hour and when they were bored of you you 'graduated' as a McNobody?

Apprenticeships were and should be about somebody taking some years to learn a real skill, ie electrical, plumbing, building, machining of various types, all of which took time to learn and in many instances a degree of intellect. Not just a cynical line in cheap labour with zero outcome at the end.

[mrtickle]

This was an episode of Dispatches. For some reason, the broadcasters are hell-bent on hiding this and renaming the series every week. So in all the EPGs it's a different Series name every week. The BBC pull the same stunt with Panorama. Almost as if they are ashamed of current affairs investigatory programmes.

[durhamborn]

What happened to the 'apprenticeship' whereby you were on the dole then 'They' put you in poundland for a pound and hour and when they were bored of you you 'graduated' as a McNobody?

Apprenticeships were and should be about somebody taking some years to learn a real skill, ie electrical, plumbing, building, machining of various types, all of which took time to learn and in many instances a degree of intellect. Not just a cynical line in cheap labour with zero outcome at the end.

Scrapped in the budget.All Welfare to Work schemes have been scrapped.It will be interesting to see how the conditionality in UC will work without any workfare schemes.

https://johnnyvoid.wordpress.com/2015/11/29/what-a-******ing-shambles-the-rise-and-demise-of-community-work-placements/

[mrtickle]

Scrapped in the budget.All Welfare to Work schemes have been scrapped.

Blimey. I watched the whole thing and all the chatty stuff afterwards and that bombshell completely passed me by. Almost as if they were trying to hide it! Or maybe I was asleep

[Bora Horza]

Scrapped in the budget.All Welfare to Work schemes have been scrapped.It will be interesting to see how the conditionality in UC will work without any workfare schemes.

https://johnnyvoid.wordpress.com/2015/11/29/what-a-******ing-shambles-the-rise-and-demise-of-community-work-placements/

Why do you think they've done that? An acknowledgement it doesn't work/isn't cost effective?

[Dorkins]

Why do you think they've done that? An acknowledgement it doesn't work/isn't cost effective?

Osborne wants to shift the cost of supporting the low paid off the taxpayer and onto the businesses that employ them. Hence the introduction of the living wage and the attempted reduction in tax credits.

[Snugglybear]

From talking, it seems that the Cons have wound it back a bit. Mainly be whacking FE money.

Wound it back a bit? 3 million more, you mean. https://www.conservatives.com/ShareTheFacts/post?name=3-million-more-opportunities-get-life&id=23570a2c-eadf-4665-aef8-ee05d3e940f1

[LivingWithTheInlaws]

This country really needs to stop pissing on its future generations because sooner or later some charismatic leader will come along who will spur them on to do something.

Russell Brand looked for a short while to be that person, then he stopped making sense and refused to stand in parliament. The revolution fizzled out.

[durhamborn]

Why do you think they've done that? An acknowledgement it doesn't work/isn't cost effective?

Yes probably.They actually lower the chances of you getting a job.Easy saving's to scrap them.There is the chance they are working on a new scheme though.

Maybe they want all focus on getting UC to work and in and free DWP staff to work on that?

[spyguy]

Yes probably.They actually lower the chances of you getting a job.Easy saving's to scrap them.There is the chance they are working on a new scheme though.

Maybe they want all focus on getting UC to work and in and free DWP staff to work on that?

If they set a threshold - say 5 years NI contributions and left those people alone for 2 years on JSA, with no hassle, then they would free up most of the DWP.

People who have worked and need to claim JSA for 6 months or so are not the problem.

Fckit - double JSA for people who have paid for 5 years.

[PopGun]

Yes its a total con. Again, from Labour.

>5 years with this shower. Yet the Tory Shills still blame everything on Labour.

Very sad and tiresome, just like how labour blamed everything on the milk snatcher before infesting the party with her faux disciples.

It's beyond irksome that on this of all sites, people still play party politics.

[PopGun]

Wound it back a bit? 3 million more, you mean. https://www.conservatives.com/ShareTheFacts/post?name=3-million-more-opportunities-get-life&id=23570a2c-eadf-4665-aef8-ee05d3e940f1

Lol

[LondonBooming]

I am not surprised, our main contractor pocketed 200k from local council to employ 30 apprentices on site.

Just checked our contract we are responsible to employ some of them, without compensation.

[spyguy]

>5 years with this shower. Yet the Tory Shills still blame everything on Labour.

Very sad and tiresome, just like how labour blamed everything on the milk snatcher before infesting the party with her faux disciples.

It's beyond irksome that on this of all sites, people still play party politics.

Been through this before with you.

Im a Northern blue collar Laboury type.

I can see a transparent attempt at Labour making up work for what is it now core base - public sector wimmin with clipboards - and trying to sell it as something that helps the (previous) tax paying client. It doesn't.

[Agentimmo]

I was reading an article in a French paper the other day, on the same subject but looking at the impact of all the new players on the Net economy with their "disruptive" apps. Guess what? These giants of the new economy are not much different from the old employers. Their model rests upon the little guy at the bottom being paid less and less. Low pay, in other words.

Depressing - that all the technology and scientific genius can only "create" wealth by hammering the low paid...paying them even less. I'd love a new piece of this "disruptive" technology where the low paid actually gained. How marvelous would that be ?

The equivalent of an automatic washing machine or hoover, that liberated women from spending all day cleaning - allowing them to go out to work. Or mass produced cars, cheap enough for workers to buy. Or medicines that meant people lived longer and could provide for their families.

Where is that app ?

[spunko2010]

What the working class/youth of this country need, is a political party that will protect their interests via protectionism and removing of the low-paid migrant worker. Is anyone following the momentous rise of Ms Le Pen in France? It is fascinating stuff; whether you agree with her or not, if only there was a similar politician as her in this country.

[Sour Mash]

I was reading an article in a French paper the other day, on the same subject but looking at the impact of all the new players on the Net economy with their "disruptive" apps. Guess what? These giants of the new economy are not much different from the old employers. Their model rests upon the little guy at the bottom being paid less and less. Low pay, in other words.

Depressing - that all the technology and scientific genius can only "create" wealth by hammering the low paid...paying them even less. I'd love a new piece of this "disruptive" technology where the low paid actually gained. How marvelous would that be ?

The equivalent of an automatic washing machine or hoover, that liberated women from spending all day cleaning - allowing them to go out to work. Or mass produced cars, cheap enough for workers to buy. Or medicines that meant people lived longer and could provide for their families.

Where is that app ?

Capitalism is essentially all about a rush to the bottom - the theory is that competition maximises efficiency and results in the end consumer getting everything at the cheapest possible price, so margins should be razor thin with price pressure on every level but ultimately ending up strongest at the bottom.

It doesn't quite work that way of course as there's so much troughing and gouging going on, but the idea of squeezing those at the bottom of the tree (in this case, low skilled low paid workers) is guaranteed to happen one way or another. It's baked into the system.

[pig]

What the working class/youth of this country need, is a political party that will protect their interests via protectionism and removing of the low-paid migrant worker. Is anyone following the momentous rise of Ms Le Pen in France? It is fascinating stuff; whether you agree with her or not, if only there was a similar politician as her in this country.

I guess the age old culture of french protectionism is why the French are pouring into London. Which to be fair does somewhat undermine all my recent arguments against Libertarianism !