Do you want to discuss boring politics? (23 Viewers)

[MalcSB]

I knew a lot of kids who wanted into various trades but either needed maths and English C grade for some reason or had to get a company to sponsor them and places were always limited. I know there’s been less interest recently, but generally it feels like we’ve let a whole generation of mechanically if not academically capable boys go to pot.

The trouble is that there has been qualification inflation, largely following Blair’s encouragement of attendance at University and forcing people to stay in education until 18. When I started out, I got a job locally and then went on day release to Lanchester Polytechnic as it was then. Got an HNC followed by a masters level professional qualification all by part time study, paid for by the employer, while earning a reasonable wage. (I suppose this will be used as yet more evidence of the benefits enjoyed by boomers).

Then degrees became the norm. The Lanchester became Coventry University as universities became big business and you can now do a degree in the psychology of Taylor Swift, ffs. Many jobs arguably became easier to do with automation and now AI, and yet it seems as if a degree is required where at most A levels would once have been.

University vice chancellors get richer as students get poorer and the country does not necessarily get the skills it requires. Stopping bursaries for student nurses was madness. Allowing the BMA and the like to influence (depress) the number of medical students equally so. Who needs a Taylor Swift degree?

Rant over.

 

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[Brighton Sky Blue]

Wow.

I'm so glad I didn't go to uni. Currently discussing options with my daughter and work based degree apprenticeships are looking good.

It will get very tough if we succeed in starting a family, but hopefully not for too long. If we started struggling with the wife going down to maternity pay, I’d probably start offering private tuition again.

Surprised me that there is no support offered to postgraduate parents but there we go.

 

[Nick]

It will get very tough if we succeed in starting a family, but hopefully not for too long. If we started struggling with the wife going down to maternity pay, I’d probably start offering private tuition again.

Surprised me that there is no support offered to postgraduate parents but there we go.

There isn't much for working parents is there?

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

There isn't much for working parents is there?

More than the £0 we’re entitled to.

 

[Marty]

I knew a lot of kids who wanted into various trades but either needed maths and English C grade for some reason or had to get a company to sponsor them and places were always limited. I know there’s been less interest recently, but generally it feels like we’ve let a whole generation of mechanically if not academically capable boys go to pot.

For some trades it's definitely needed to have a good understanding of English and maths. I remember they used to run English and Maths courses along side our course, but it was done during practical time in the work shop. I know some apprentices were essentially glorified tea boys at their job, so they got zero practical skills for the first year of the apprenticeship, even at 16/17 I could see the glaring issues with it.

If feels like everyone is shoe horned in to going to university, it has it's place but I don't think it's needed for a lot of things.

 

[shmmeee]

For some trades it's definitely needed to have a good understanding of English and maths. I remember they used to run English and Maths courses along side our course, but it was done during practical time in the work shop. I know some apprentices were essentially glorified tea boys at their job, so they got zero practical skills for the first year of the apprenticeship, even at 16/17 I could see the glaring issues with it.

If feels like everyone is shoe horned in to going to university, it has its place but I don't think it's needed for a lot of things.

The difference between what I got at Marconi 97-01 and what’s on offer now is pathetic. I’ve been in businesses that see apprenticeships as a way to get around minimum wage legislation.

Wow.

I'm so glad I didn't go to uni. Currently discussing options with my daughter and work based degree apprenticeships are looking good.

See above. Make sure you to your due diligence on any apprenticeship these days.

 

[Marty]

The difference between what I got at Marconi 97-01 and what’s on offer now is pathetic. I’ve been in businesses that see apprenticeships as a way to get around minimum wage legislation.



See above. Make sure you to your due diligence on any apprenticeship these days.

A friend's lad had an apprenticeship to work on the shop floor at Next, absolutely ludicrous and I think you're right, it's just a way of getting round minimum wage.

 

[Nick]

More than the £0 we’re entitled to.

Is there? What's the difference?

 

[Nick]

Interesting all of these MPs who are getting freebies like birthday parties paid for literally all the same. Regardless of party.

Anybody who this Labour are just like the normal working class people need their heads checking.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Is there? What's the difference?

Free childcare for one

 

[Nuskyblue]

The difference between what I got at Marconi 97-01 and what’s on offer now is pathetic. I’ve been in businesses that see apprenticeships as a way to get around minimum wage legislation.



See above. Make sure you to your due diligence on any apprenticeship these days.

A friend's lad had an apprenticeship to work on the shop floor at Next, absolutely ludicrous and I think you're right, it's just a way of getting round minimum wage.

I might be wrong but I think that minimum wage loophole has been closed.

 

[Nick]

Free childcare for one

I didn't get any?

 

[Earlsdon_Skyblue1]

I assume this has no effect on our Infrastructure.

More than 700 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats on Saturday

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

I didn't get any?

Don't know when it was introduced but:

How working parents can get 15 and 30 hours free childcare

Parents in England can now access 15 hours of free weekly childcare for children from nine months.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Nick]

Why is it different if you have a degree?

No I didn't get any of that.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Why is it different if you have a degree?

No I didn't get any of that.

Students don't count as people in work for stuff like this. Undergraduate parents can get a separate kind of payment for childcare, as can people on various types of benefits-postgrads don't qualify for any of these.

 

[chiefdave]

When I started out, I got a job locally and then went on day release to Lanchester Polytechnic as it was then. Got an HNC followed by a masters level professional qualification all by part time study, paid for by the employer, while earning a reasonable wage. (I suppose this will be used as yet more evidence of the benefits enjoyed by boomers).

I think it's understandable you've got generations now who look at the current generation of retirees with envy. I'd love the life my dad had tbh. He left school with a handful of qualifications, got a job at a local firm and worked there until he retired. Off the back of that he had a good standard of living. Holidays every year, house that when I look a while ago I would need to be earning £150K a year to be even considered for a mortgage and a pension thats on a par with my salary.

Obviously there will have been tough times. The one that gets brought up most often is when mortgage rates spiked under Thatcher but having gone through all this paperwork recently, which for some reason he's kept, even at its worst the proportion of his salary going on mortgage payments is around the same as mine before I get a nice big increase in a couple of months when I renew.

I have no clue if I'll be able to afford to fully retire, or if there will still be an NHS or care system to look after me yet I would say I'm working hard and paying in just as current pensioners did.

Also heard a good point on a podcast recently. There's people in the workforce now who are in their 30s who have known nothing but crisis after crisis and austerity, hard for them not to be asking questions.

I’ve been in businesses that see apprenticeships as a way to get around minimum wage legislation.

Seen this a lot, one place I worked cut a decent percentage of their workforce and replaced them with apprentices that cost them next to nothing as they get subsidised.

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

Think our kids and grandkids are gonna have more of a struggle with life than work

Would imagine civilisation as we know it will collapse within that time?

we are leaving an utter shit show

 

[Sick Boy]

Think our kids and grandkids are gonna have more of a struggle with life than work

Would imagine civilisation as we know it will collapse within that time?

we are leaving an utter shit show

It won’t collapse but children will stay with parents (late 20s/30s) until much later compared to now and there will be a lot less disposable income.

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

It won’t collapse but children will stay with parents (late 20s/30s) until much later compared to now and there will be a lot less disposable income.

How many more billions do you think the planet can contain before doomsday

 

[Sick Boy]

How many more billions do you think the planet can contain before doomsday

No idea but people moving due to climate change will be the beginning of the end.

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

No idea but people moving due to climate change will be the beginning of the end.

Agreed

 

[Marty]

Agreed

What's the solution?

 

[MalcSB]

No idea but people moving due to climate change will be the beginning of the end.

I have a feeling that they will be repelled at borders.

 

[MalcSB]

I think it's understandable you've got generations now who look at the current generation of retirees with envy. I'd love the life my dad had tbh. He left school with a handful of qualifications, got a job at a local firm and worked there until he retired. Off the back of that he had a good standard of living. Holidays every year, house that when I look a while ago I would need to be earning £150K a year to be even considered for a mortgage and a pension thats on a par with my salary.

Obviously there will have been tough times. The one that gets brought up most often is when mortgage rates spiked under Thatcher but having gone through all this paperwork recently, which for some reason he's kept, even at its worst the proportion of his salary going on mortgage payments is around the same as mine before I get a nice big increase in a couple of months when I renew.

I have no clue if I'll be able to afford to fully retire, or if there will still be an NHS or care system to look after me yet I would say I'm working hard and paying in just as current pensioners did.

Also heard a good point on a podcast recently. There's people in the workforce now who are in their 30s who have known nothing but crisis after crisis and austerity, hard for them not to be asking questions.

Seen this a lot, one place I worked cut a decent percentage of their workforce and replaced them with apprentices that cost them next to nothing as they get subsidised.

It generally seems to be beyond envy, it feels more like resentment.

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

What's the solution?

There is no one answer
Found out yesterday one of my friends helps with extinction rebellion - I admire him a lot
Any answer starts with facing up to the reality of where we are
I’m just starting to

 

[Sick Boy]

I have a feeling that they will be repelled at borders.

Exactly. As it'll be a mass movement as part of a humanitarian crisis, it'll be the beginning of the end.

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

Exactly. As it'll be a mass movement as part of a humanitarian crisis, it'll be the beginning of the end.

I think we are way way passed the beginning

 

[Marty]

There is no one answer
Found out yesterday one of my friends helps with extinction rebellion - I admire him a lot
Any answer starts with facing up to the reality of where we are
I’m just starting to

What is the reality? Earths population is too high?

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

What is the reality? Earths population is too high?

Our way of life is unsustainable and in our children’s lifetimes without meaningful interventions society and our way of life will collapse and we will either survive as a species or not
I reckon
You!
Definitely earths resources can’t cope with the human species

 

[MalcSB]

Our way of life is unsustainable and in our children’s lifetimes without meaningful interventions society and our way of life will collapse and we will either survive as a species or not
I reckon
You!
Definitely earths resources can’t cope with the human species

Is the second coming approaching?

 

[shmmeee]

What is the reality? Earths population is too high?

If so then we’re fine cos most places are in population decline.

 

[MalcSB]

If so then we’re fine cos most places are in population decline.

So would the UK be but for immigration.

 

[shmmeee]

So would the UK be but for immigration.

Eventually the places were pulling from will get rich and stop having kids like everyone else tho.

 

[MalcSB]

Eventually the places were pulling from will get rich and stop having kids like everyone else tho.

They will probably follow China and India in burning lots of coal to achieve it though.