What future for the young?

[MrSmith]

I'm glad to hear they're doing well. Sadly I don't have the luxury of living at home so paying the rent eats a large portion of my income - I'm still saving for a deposit though. I don't smoke/drink/eat-out either - most people would be surprised at just how many of the current generation don't.

My post was more about the qualifications required to work, in my experience a degree is more of a hindrance than a help, but it depends on the job, the system as created an over qualified workforce with no work experience. I sympathise with your generation and future generations.

[Conrod]

. . . . How many unemployed Doctors are there in Sheffield? How many unemployed Veterinarians? How many unemployed Nurses? How many unemployed pharmacists? How many unemployed Engineers? How many unemployed physicists, chemists, microbiologists, civil engineers, architects, lawyers (probably a few of those) mathematicians? (to name but a few.)

 

There may well be a few unemployed Alpine flower arrangers, a few meeja studies graduates and more than a few underwater basket weavers, but didn't they check the employment prospects before they started their studies? . . . .

Plenty of people thought it was a wonderful move, a great social leveller, when higher education was made so widely available with the doors thrown open to anybody who wanted to get a degree, in whatever subject they chose, whether they were bright enough to do it or not.

 

However, it was a dreadfully short-sighted bit of lefty nonsense and the current situation was inevitable: degrees in general degraded (to make them achievable for the many students who 25 years ago wouldn't have been able to pass a degree), and useless degree subjects which will turn an employer off before they even see the candidate.

[ampersand]

and useless degree subjects which will turn an employer off before they even see the candidate.

 

As an employer, it isn't the degree subject which puts me off - it's the level of expectation some graduates seem to have - especially those in non-relevant subjects (I can only speak from the experience of those I have interviewed and employed over the last 5-6 years)

 

Of those, a large proportion aren't inclined to start at the bottom and learn the ropes on a starters salary - they want to move straight into a more senior role which they don't have the qualifications and experience for but believe their degree should give them a higher starting role and salary than someone who doesn't have the degree but has more relevant experience and qualifications.

 

I'm not saying all graduates are like this, just the majority of those I've interviewed over the past few years (approx 20-30 graduates)

[ampersand]

in response to the OP - it is very difficult these days - the opportunities are still out there but they are fewer and further between in a lot of industries, and the competition is greater - more people looking for jobs with more and more qualifications and people working longer so fewer vacancies arising

 

For what little it is worth, the only advice I give is - think seriously about how you want to earn your living as young as you can and target your education and qualifications towards it, don't do qualifications just for the sake of it, get as much help and advice as you can from any organisations willing to offer it, and write to potential employers in well presented, properly spelled (or is it spelt?) and grammatically correct letters asking for a job or training or temporary work or anything they might have going, try any voluntary work going to get something extra on your CV and demonstrate to an employer that you are more than just a load of GCSE's, AS's and A levels - and above all - keep doing it and don't give up - take the initiative because no-one else will give it to you

[Anna B]

What I don't understand is the two sections of society, one is working long hours 5 days a work and will work until they are 70 getting mental and health problems like stress and obesity caused by enforced sedentary lifestyles, the other is doing nothing by choice or because there are not enough jobs getting problems like stress and obesity because they have nothing to do.

 

Is it me or is there a ridiculously easy solution to a lot of this bull, a 4 day working week for example? My job could easily be shared between two people maybe adding a bit of responsibility to each role. We would be paying less for people not working which could go towards pensions, we would be paying less into the NHS because everyone would be healthier. I know this is very simplistic but surely it would help! There are a lot of salaries that could be cut in two the amounts bankers and lawyers get.

 

I remmember when I left school (in the seventies) there was all this talk about a leisure society where everyone would work less and have more free time. We were even encouraged to pursue qualifications in 'leisure managemenr.'

 

Money would not be a problem as 10 robots producing 10 cars would be cheaper than 10 men doing the same job, but the output would be the same and the profit margin would be greater. The assumption was that this 'good fortune' would be shared by all in that people would only need to work part time to achieve the same salary. (This was in Socialist Labour days...)

 

Well it hasn't worked out like that has it? As you say, half the population are overworked, and the other half have no work at all. Various taxes and employment laws mean employers employ as few people as possible, and all profits go to the shareholders.

 

The solution does seem simple, but while profits are king, it isn't going to happen.

[theripsaw]

My post was more about the qualifications required to work, in my experience a degree is more of a hindrance than a help, but it depends on the job, the system as created an over qualified workforce with no work experience. I sympathise with your generation and future generations.

 

Dont admit to having one then!

[samstar999]

I remmember when I left school (in the seventies) there was all this talk about a leisure society where everyone would work less and have more free time. We were even encouraged to pursue qualifications in 'leisure managemenr.'

 

Money would not be a problem as 10 robots producing 10 cars would be cheaper than 10 men doing the same job, but the output would be the same and the profit margin would be greater. The assumption was that this 'good fortune' would be shared by all in that people would only need to work part time to achieve the same salary. (This was in Socialist Labour days...)

 

Well it hasn't worked out like that has it? As you say, half the population are overworked, and the other half have no work at all. Various taxes and employment laws mean employers employ as few people as possible, and all profits go to the shareholders.

 

The solution does seem simple, but while profits are king, it isn't going to happen.

 

Totally agree - and it made me laugh that bit about being encouraged to do 'Leisure Studies' degrees.

[llamatron]

Totally agree - and it made me laugh that bit about being encouraged to do 'Leisure Studies' degrees.

 

its all a bit stupid when you consider the theory required to design a robot compared to the skill required to make a car, and then you need engineers to fix the robots who probably have similar skills to those required to make a car. What we did was make everything a lot more complicated and of lower quality at massively inflated prices.

 

I left school in the 90s and I remember being told that leisure studies was a good career option. I went to the talk and thought "what the ffffff?" Even prior to the 50% must do a degree insanity my 16 year old brain said a degree in leisure studies would be ridiculous!

[Anna B]

'Good qualifications'. How good? Were those qualifications pertinent to the job they were looking for?

 

They are good kids, who were promised a future

 

Who promised them a future? When I was born, if you were lucky enough to be born into a wealthy family you might inherit (I wasn't.)

 

Otherwise, you were on your own and life was what you made of it.

 

When did the rules change? When was a law passed which says: 'The world owes you a living?

 

If you want to go out, set up a business (In Sheffield or in most other parts of the world) and make a fortune, who's going to stop you?

 

Yes, I've read (on this forum) about how Richard Branson's dad was rich ... But Branson's dad didn't buy Virgin for him ... he did that on his own.

 

How many unemployed Doctors are there in Sheffield? How many unemployed Veterinarians? How many unemployed Nurses? How many unemployed pharmacists? How many unemployed Engineers? How many unemployed physicists, chemists, microbiologists, civil engineers, architects, lawyers (probably a few of those) mathematicians? (to name but a few.)

 

There may well be a few unemployed Alpine flower arrangers, a few meeja studies graduates and more than a few underwater basket weavers, but didn't they check the employment prospects before they started their studies?

 

 

 

 

Why do the big companies take on Eastern European workers?

 

Can those Eastern European workers read, write and express themselves fluently in English? (No doubt many of thems can do that in at least one other language.)

 

Can the English people they beat out to get the jobs read, write and express themselves fluently in English? - Or R they ltd 2 txtspk m8?

 

Actually, there are quite a few nurses unemployed apparently, I can't speak for any of the other proffesions you mention, tho' I've heard it's quite hard to get work as a Scientist.

Also remember that cost is an important part of the equation, we might need more doctors and nurses etc but the government says we can't afford them. Midwives are a case in point.

[I1L2T3]

It is worrying but I think kids have got to be getting smarter earlier. Mine are still quite young with a few years to go until GCSEs. I'm telling them to consider everything and not bank on going into higher education. We have enough money invested for them so that even at today's costs we could cushion them quite a bit but I've said that if some vocational career offers them a better life they should consider that too. The other thing I'm trying to encourage is the idea of them getting their own businesses running - I'm hoping they could get something running on a small scale even before they leave school just so they can get the basics.

 

It's a tough message to deliver to young kids but my message to them is nobody is going to give you anything unless they work for it and never to expect their future just fall into their laps. I wonder how many kids go through school and uni without ever being told this by their parents - I bet there are loads.