Something Z said set a train of thought going which ended in a recollection of a lady I worked with receiving a 30 year long service award. This was some years ago and it turned out that we were much the same age. Anxious to dispel any thought that she was as old as the hills she revealed that she had "started in the post room at 15".
That got me thinking. When I started work we had people collecting and delivering mail (internal and external). On my desk were two telephones, internal and external. The internal one was a new fangled direct dial, the external one got you "what number would you like?".
We had a coffee trolley and a tea trolley.
We had secretaries. I don't think you're allowed to say that today. They typed stuff, arranged travel expenses and generally sorted things out. Today it's all DIY.
So what do young people today do? None of this required much skill but it got you out of bed on a morning, put a few bob in your pocket, gave you a a sense of how things worked and got you set on the upward trail leading to.... ? I do know quite a few who got a long way in life. They just needed a start. We're a smart lot aren't we, automating our lives away.
John
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And these were all great jobs for people with no formal qualifications or experience, to work their way up the ladder, if they so desired. Great roles to build internal social networks.
The world of corporate work is much more transient these days, long service will be unheard of.
As the father of a working "youth" - service industry is the place to start, all you need are people skills and an ability to communicate.
My lad is now in a telecom retail environment. From there he has had time to examine his options and is working to get into more technical and consultative roles.
Mobility is the key.
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I am glad to see that "internships" are starting to make an appearance again. This and craft apprenticeships is the way to get kids into work
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My eldest is on one at the moment, 6 months as well... Hopefully there may be something at the end, though she is learning new skills as she goes... Fingers crossed...
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After edukashun I went to work in a large company. Three of us started on the same day. We didn't have jobs as such, they just put us in different bits of the business for a few months at a time. I learned how to manufacture things, how to sell things, how to wholesale things, how to market things, how to retail things, how to source things, how to manage people, how to finance things, how to ship things, how to advertise them etc.
After five years of that merry-go-round they decided what you seemed to be good at and gave you a permanent job. Those of us who followed that scheme ended up eventually getting the more senior roles later in life on the basis that there were very few areas of the business we hadn't at least got a working understanding of.
They saw that as investing in their future I suppose. Doesn't seem to be a budget for that in modern companies now so instead they hire "insultants" at astronomical fees to tell them how to run their businesses. They in turn know very little of the specialised nature of the companies so almost always create the same set of guidelines which include firing the expensive experienced people, screwing suppliers and binning any manufacturing because the Chinese will do it cheaper.
This shows a good result for a while until someone realises that they no longer have a credible product or anyone left with enough knowledge and experience to create one.
Then they go bust.
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>> so instead they hire "insultants" at astronomical fees
>> to tell them how to run their businesses. They in turn know very little of
>> the specialised nature of the companies so almost always create the same set of guidelines
>> which include firing the expensive experienced people, screwing suppliers and binning any manufacturing because the
>> Chinese will do it cheaper.
>>
>> This shows a good result for a while until someone realises that they no longer
>> have a credible product or anyone left with enough knowledge and experience to create one.
>>
>> Then they go bust.
I've never heard it put so succinctly.
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have seen many good companys go like that over the last 20 years.
there doesnt seem to be much for the younger people to do at the moment
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Pretty much any menial job in answer to the original question.
My ex-wife was always loosing her job through bad attitude, but I never failed to steer her into new employment within a few days.
It depends if you want money or career. Career means choices about where is appropriate, work means perhaps taking 2 or 3 part-time jobs anywhere you can.
My wifes employer takes on many part time younger workers such as students and those who may work in a pub part time.
Ive had alot of young lads send me CVs asking for work, usually well written although I havent any scope to employ ( nor the suicidal business tendancies ).
Many young people seem to lack the awareness of how easy it is to start your own business and create a job rather than just looking for one already in existance.
With a few hundred £££ you can set yourself up doing quite a few basic self-employment jobs. I know people who have done this with house cleaning and especially cutting grass. There is a lad who goes house to house with a bucket and bottle of car shampoo washing cars. There is very little support for this apparent to young people - the help is actually out there in many ways, but you have to know where it is ( Princes Trust springs to mind ).
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It cost me just £200 to setup my business and a lot of that went on cheap office furniture to store documents.
It did take two months of solid hard to work to get everything ready before I started trading though.
I keep telling any friends who are unemployed there must be something they can do to make their own job but they just think it is not for them.
Being self employed is a life style choice, it means you can never fully switch off (I only properly stop working on Saturday evenings) but it also gives you a lot more flexibility. I don't earn that much but I have been working solid for the past 5 and a bit years, where as I might have been able to get a higher paying job working for somebody else but I am pretty sure there would have been dole stints in between.
I am just thinking of other ways to boost my income and I am toying with the idea of selling some of my photographs at fairs but not sure if they are up to standard. I might go down to some trade places next week to see if I can get any ideas for something unique to sell.
My cousin some how makes money out of selling cheap toys in ebay, he only makes 30p-50p on each item but he sells enough to make it worth while.
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Childrens toys do sell as i have got shut of many so long as you will post them.
Have a market stall on a sunday selling your computers or spare parts and do repairs while you wait & stick the cash just in your pocket. :-)
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>> >> Then they go bust.
>>
>> I've never heard it put so succinctly.
>>
To all of you who are whinging about the way Companies are run, I say:
Go out and set one up yourself, run it the way you seem to think is the way to succeed, and see how long you last before you go bust.
Obviously does not apply to Manatee, because as he said in another thread recently, his comfort zone is to remain a slave. Also, remember, Humph "gave up" his own company to be enslaved by others.
Last edited by: John H on Sun 20 Feb 11 at 16:11
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Far too many white collar workers and not enough monkeys.
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My old man started with Hoveringham Gravels as a tea-boy/errand boy at 14, back in 1939. He took redundancy in 1983, a year after the firm was bought out by Tarmac. The only job he ever had, and he learned as he went along, eventually ending up as foreman of the static plant department, repairing crushers, conveyors, etc.
Nowadays, if any firm wanted to set a school-leaver on like that, for one thing they'd need an NVQ in making tea, and for another the kid would be expecting at least £150 a week take-home, otherwise it's "exploitation" which is demeaning and will undermine the poor little lamb's confidence.
It does no-one any harm to start at the bottom and work their way up; if they're bright enough they'll succeed and get promoted, if they're not they'll at least earn a living. Too many want the MD's job straight out of school, and think that a useless degree in "media studies" entitles them to it.
Respect, BTW, to those kids who do go out, look for work and find it, and to those parents who encourage this. Boo to those who think the world owes them a living.
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BAe taking on apprentices in Broughton (Fflint) where all the Airbus' wings are made and Land Rover in Liverpool were advertising for the same in the local rag a few months ago - seems there are jobs about. My nephew is doing a degree in design technology has had a placement (no pay) with a caravan manufacturer and has been offered a further placement there next term - he had a cash bonus for some innovative IT work he did for them and has been offered holiday work with them...so it isn't all bad news.
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Having a 17 year old currently at college doing his AS levels I can tell you that there are very few especially part-time ones.
The jobs which suit him by working around his college hours are pretty much restricted to service industry jobs, call centres, supermarkets, fast food places, restaurants and the like and the competition is intense. As he is 17 pubs are out as they can't employ anyone under 18 to work with alcohol. The youngsters also haven't been helped by Essex Uni setting up a campus in the town over the last few years as that has brought a considerable number of students into the town who also are looking for jobs in the same lines. The Uni has been good for the retail outlets in the town as they are all customers but hasn't helped the local part-time job economy for the youngsters. We have also lost two major call centres in the area with Eon and HSBC closing theirs and LloydsTSB implementing redundancies so things haven't been good in that area, there is some hope in the call centre market in that I've been told Lloyds are about to have some recruitment in the next month or two.
I have always been a great fan of apprenticeship type schemes for getting youngsters into work but they are also suffering from a touch of 'grade squeeze'; the apprenticeship that I was accepted into with certain grades in certain subjects at 'O' level, which most of us probably remember as the old version of GCSE's, now requires similar subjects and grades at 'A' level! Even with these increased requirements the figures show that there are actually more applicants for each apprenticeship place than there are for a place at Oxford!!!!
This grade squeeze is also affecting general employment prospects. My SiL joined a major clothing supplier 8 years ago in a role which was basically phone based building a relationship with major retailers and selling them the product and taking orders, she has done well has been promoted up the ladder and was recently told by her MD that she is one of the best they've had in the role. She was then told that she would not only have not got the job but wouldn't even have got an interview had she applied for the job today because she would have been sifted out at the application stage as she left school with only 'O' levels; the minimum requirement to apply for the job is now a 2.1 degree. I wonder how many of us out there have jobs and careers that we are not qualified to even apply for today?
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>> BAe taking on apprentices in Broughton (Fflint) where all the Airbus' wings are made and
Not been BAe for a number of years - they sold out their interest in Airbus a few years back when they realised it was going to be a big cash drain. Airbus is now soley owned by EADS
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i started with one old car and a boot full of chemicals to wash and valet cars.
i grew that into a van then 2 vans.
within 5yrs i had 5vans with 6 reliable people. then i ventured into the supermarket carpark car washers and have 12 now all in the midlands and when i thought of it i was the only one doing it in the whole city and many heighbouring citys.
i pay my people well and collect a rent for the vans and a commision for the supermarket washers and have a great manager who knows all the scams poeple will try and pull.
the vans earn the valets about 450 a week net and the supermarket washers get about 200 in the colder weeks and 500-700 in the heat of spring and summer.
i now sit on my backside making good money from day trading in stocks etc , have to do tons of reading but have friends in lots of companies so get to here all the gossips for a price of a few pints now and then.
i make a good wage and its all instant with no waiting to be paid.
Last edited by: nyx2k on Sun 20 Feb 11 at 17:30
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A university friend of mine has just joined the RAF as an IT technician but that was after 5 years of being a games tester which is a boring and difficult job.
The biggest employer of youth now seems to be supermarkets.
I think the introduction of the minimum wage has affected this badly, for more basic jobs why employ a 22 year old (which you have to pay full minimum wage to) when you can employ a 30 year old with a lot more experience for the same money?
I've certainly found it easier to get jobs as I have got older, not that I have applied for any for a while.
I have a couple of 30 year old mates who find it very hard to find work though.
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>>
>> The biggest employer of youth now seems to be supermarkets.
>>
I'm inclined to disagree with you there - the vast majority of employees in my local Tesco are coffin-dodgers who should have handed over the reins to someone much younger. While I accept that people past retirement age may still want (or need) to work, a supermarket is not the right place.
Instead, it takes a position that could be offered to a younger person who will probably learn faster, be more motivated, and has potential to progress within the company. Interestingly, anyone joining the graduate management scheme at Aldi has to do x number of weeks working on the shop floor first.
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the vast majority of employees in my
>> local Tesco are coffin-dodgers who should have handed over the reins to someone much younger.
be more motivated,
Don't think Tesco are being charitable here, they do things for financial reasons...maybe these mature workers are reliable, respectful and competent.
You must be of young years AF, one day you'll be nearing seniority, i hope you don't mind such disrespectful terms being used by young go getters describing you...remember this when you have to work to 80 and possibly still no prospect of a pension.
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>> You must be of young years AF, one day you'll be nearing seniority, i hope
>> you don't mind such disrespectful terms being used by young go getters describing you...remember this
>> when you have to work to 80 and possibly still no prospect of a pension.
>>
GB, I don't disagree with you, just making a point. The supermarkets employ older people because they're polite, conscientious, and are happy to do the same job for considerable time on minimum wage. Effectively, they're reached (for them) the top of the ladder and are prepared to work "at the bottom" for convenience.
However, that's still leaving a large number of younger people with no hope of even getting started.
"Coffin-dodgers"? Only disrespectful if meant that way. I find it quite offensive that older people feel entitled to ask my age at work, then directly question my ability to do my job because of it. "OAP"? "Elderly"?
Neither of those are particularly good substitutes and frankly, I think we have such a crisis approaching in elderly care and pension systems in general the world of work when I'm 80 will be unimaginably different to how it is today.
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Our local Waitrose have quite a balance of staff to fit around the working patterns of modern life. They are very suportive of working mums allowing them to take shifts that fit around school hours, and they also employe a lot of the local sixth form to fill the shift the mums dont want.
Works well for them, and gives them a good age balance across the store with the full time staff who appear to vary in age from 21 to 70
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>> The biggest employer of youth now seems to be supermarkets.
Both stepsons did stints in the local Asda. Youngest (the metal drummer) modified his badge to read "unhappy to help" [sigh]...
I think it was a useful experience for both of them, and the store discount was useful for us :)
Last edited by: Focus on Sun 20 Feb 11 at 20:54
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... modified his badge to read "unhappy to help" [sigh]...
Ha ha, that is so rock and roll.
I'd keep him away from the Focus - unless you want it parked in the local swimming pool.
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>> I'd keep him away from the Focus - unless you want it parked in the
>> local swimming pool.
Oh don't you worry! Anyway he still hasn't managed to destroy his S reg 1.0 Corsa, despite valiant efforts (or rather lack of effort, as in minimal servicing).
Last edited by: Focus on Sun 20 Feb 11 at 21:29
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...Oh don't you worry!...
Might be worth nailing his bedroom window shut, just in case he's of a mind to pick up the telly....
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>> i now sit on my backside making good money from day trading in stocks etc
>> , have to do tons of reading but have friends in lots of companies so
>> get to here all the gossips for a price of a few pints now and
>> then.
>> i make a good wage and its all instant with no waiting to be paid.
>>
>>
nyx2k - that where I want to be. Manage to make a bit day trading, but not enough to live on so for now the day job remains, which in reality is stopping me making enough day trading!
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i used my own 10k when i first started trading and a friends free account online to trade.
in the first year i turned 10k into 42k and then people started to believe i knew what i was doing with no formal traaining at all.
my brother offered me 25k and in the end ive ended up with 200k to play with.
its a bit of a syndicate now and if someone wants to join the minimum is 25k and no take outs for minimum 18 months.
3 years ago i ivested 45k in gold and now its at around 200k.
its a great way of making money and ive never lost on a trade worse than -5 percent.
yearly it averages at +22percent but last yr was 45percent.
Last edited by: nyx2k on Sun 20 Feb 11 at 21:14
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nyx2k>>day trading, syndicate etc. etc.
I don't mean to be a killjoy, but I hope you're sure what you're doing. I suspect you should have an FSA registration, exams etc. (or some equivalent) to take money from other people and invest it for them - presumably for reward.
It's all fine when you're making profits for them, but once you start making losses that's when you find they want all their money back and you end up in trouble.
If of course you are not doing this by way of business (i.e. they're not paying you) then you are presumably fine.
www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Doing/Do/index.shtml
Last edited by: Mapmaker on Mon 21 Feb 11 at 10:56
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Think he is operating as a syndicate, which as I understand it requires no registration or regulation.
I hope he has his tax sorted properly tho.
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the tax problem is a bit of a night mare but the accountant helps us all and he gets a good wedge for sorting stuff out and he also has 50k with me so i think they trust me.
to be honest there is nothing stopping me taking all the money and doing a runner.
we met last week and we are going to more than double the pot over the next few months.
its a big responsilbility for have more than 500k at mty disposal and i sleep well at nights as i know ive done my research and ive it all goes wrong then we can still afford the bills
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its a friendly informal arrangement between friends.
all the members are my friends or friends of my brother and they are only allowed to join if they have a spare 25k. ive only had one person who needed the money as hed lost his job and the others rallied around and gave him his money back so the25k stayed in the pot.
if they all came today and wanted there money back they could have it in a few days.
we have a meeting every three months to decide what direction i will go in with there money but once a decision is made between us then that money is tied up until i see fit.
it works well but id never do it as a full time job, i spend about 15hrs a week and make better returns than most of the markets.
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You are that pyramid ponzi Bernard Madoff.
I claim my prize.
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outsiders see it like that most of the time but i post profits reguarly and its up to the members if the profits stay in the pot are are taken out.
ive had members turn up at 3am before now wanting to see my position in the markets and they get a cup of coffee and free access to all material and are free to look at all past transactions.
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SQ
>> This shows a good result for a while until someone realises that they no longer
>> have a credible product or anyone left with enough knowledge and experience to create one.
>>
>> Then they go bust.
And mutatis mutandis (as the lawyers say) the same applies in the public sector.
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 21 Feb 11 at 00:16
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And I remember we used to have a contractor who came round the office I worked in 20 years ago and cleaned all the telephones with one of those lemon smelling wipes!
Do they still do that in big offices?
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Well I've been out of it for just over 2 years but yes, they did. If I were cynical I might suspect it was a box ticking exercise.
John
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>Do they still do that in big offices?
Oh yes, at least in the public sector.
The customer site that I work at have a contractor who comes around every now and again to clean phones, screens and keyboards etc. They'll clean mouse balls too but we've gone laser ;-)
Kevin...
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Telephone sanitisers. The Golgafrinchams.
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With the demise of so many production line jobs the basic employment options are far less than in my youth. I was made redundant from my first job after six months and given a pack of lies. I soon found another training job and moved on from there.
Both my children found very good part time jobs in the outside world while at school and without our assistance. We believe we gave them the basic grounding to have the confidence to sell themselves plus good communications skills.
My son enquired re a Saturday job at a large local retail company. "No jobs " was the reply. He requested to speak to the HR lady and gave her his CV. The next week he was working for them.
Both sat only three A levels and did not achieve three As but were still accepted at a top university. They are bright but their communication skills are what make them stand out.
Both have recently been head hunted at quite high level so anything is possible for them.
I have been on several good "presentation skills " courses and a third party pointing out your good and poor points is an eye opener. I would suggest this is the first step towards getting one of those jobs, whatever is available. Rather than paying for a course I feel sure there are means of getting some honest feedback. IMO if you sell youself well there are jobs out there.
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I can only refer to first hand knowledge I have: I have relatives running businesses with paid apprenticeships and they cannot fill the places. And these are not age restricted either. Some lazy people out there?
Last edited by: rtj70 on Sun 20 Feb 11 at 23:43
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>> Telephone sanitisers. The Golgafrinchams.
The useless third?
tinyurl.com/c4df2t
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I’d like to relate the experience of one school leaver and his attempts to get a job.
There have been countless phone calls and details given to firms with no response.
CV’s have been submitted and put on file.
A week’s work experience was completed at a garage before leaving school with a glowing report. The same garage asked if the person would do a couple of week’s holiday relief after his last day at school.
Hope was raised and he threw himself into two weeks of 7am to 6pm days and loved every minute of it. He got on well with everyone but at the end of the first week no money was offered, and at the end of the second week he was given just £40 for the whole fortnight, with an aside, that he shouldn’t really have ‘employed him’ so he couldn’t pay him anymore. That worked out to just 40p an hour.
Before Christmas he heard of an apprenticeship job through Connexions for a local authority leisure centre.
He applied along with one other lad. They were both told there was only one job but that the successful applicant would have to do a week without pay with a final interview at the end of it.
When he turned up he was as surprised as the other lad to find them both there. They completed the week and were both told they would get a phone call on Monday to tell them who would be starting the apprenticeship.
10 days later both received a letter saying there was no job for them.
But there appears to be two more lads doing another ‘free’ week in an effort to obtain a job….is there a job available or not?
In desperation he rang about a job packing goods in a warehouse. He was asked his details on the phone and gave name address and date of birth, and was given an interview a week ahead. Arrived 10 minutes early and was kept waiting for an hour and a half, only to be told as he walked in the room that they had just noticed he was only 17 and they couldn’t employ him until he was 18 yrs old due to insurance purposes.
Trying to keep up the morale and resolve to teenagers after this sort of treatment isn’t easy, but it’s an experience we all have to go through, so probably sooner rather then later.
I have the dubious pleasure of being the ‘listening ear’ instead of his parents when he feels a failure yet again, and I run out of ideas as to how to put a positive spin on it.
He found another new apprenticeship advertised on the Connexions website yesterday in his area. Between us we did a bit of detective work and found the identity of the firm and he is going to call them direct this morning, so fingers crossed a bit of ingenuity works.
Pat
Last edited by: pda on Mon 21 Feb 11 at 08:18
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Sorry to hear about that Pat - the only silver lining to his personal cloud is that in hunting down a job he is gaining very valuable skills in inter-personal skills, interview skills and a modicum of work experience all grist to his personal mill - he will learn and benefit from it. I have no doubt he will eventually get something with that perseverance !
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Pat, get him to actually do voluntary work for connections as well, my son got himself on the local branch youth council. It looks good on the CV.
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Now that's an idea neither of us had thought od Zero, it will help with the boredonm as well.
I shall suggest that when I hear later how the phone call went today.
Pat
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Graduates looking for white collar jobs have a bleak future in UK because most graduate level jobs are created overseas (due to outsourcing).
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Not strictly true,
Non graduate jobs are being outsourced to india to be done by graduates.
I hate to think what they graduated in, they are utterly useless, inflexible, have rubbish communication skills, and cant handle pressure.
Apart from that they are great.
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Should anyone be interested there's always jobs going cleaning Trains working the night shifts as this job is not the most pleasant of jobs but after 6 months you can apply for a job on the railway in other areas.
They start on agency work and after 6 months if successfull they get set on.
The work is 21.00-06.00 7 on 7 off cleaning inside and not very nice but it's a start and many went on to become drivers etc.
I beleive the age limit is 18 +
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Up in the lakes last week - it was surprising the numbers of people we heard on the streets speaking in eastern European languages - the profile generally were early twenties some in couples with young kids. I could take an informed guess that they weren't there for the views. They were workers and this is in a recession. My informed guess is that the local employers prefer them as they are generally better educated, have better people skills and have a better work ethic than what we're producing at the same age. There were dozens.
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I think you are right PU. The total staff of my local Aldi appear to be Poles, nothing wrong with that BTW! My waiter in Reading Pizza Express the other day was a charming Romanian, who must be struggling a bit to live there on the PE wage.
My 19 year old daughter has educational qualifications but no experience and not much relevant input on her CV and she can't find work of any sort in Northumbria (Morpeth)
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>> day was a charming Romanian, who must be struggling a bit to live there on
>> the PE wage.
Tips.
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>> have better people skills and have a better work ethic than what we're producing at
>> the same age. There were dozens.
>>
Work ethic, and the willingness to move where the work is. They are also prepared, if necessary, to live in what we consider sub-standard accommodation.
Warning - Daily Mail link coming up - tinyurl.com/6eo6ml7
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Thanks John. I did some work a few years ago around HMOs - in the process I ended up speaking to some landlords who happened to be the employers as well. The messages from them were pretty stark. The Poles (in particular) had, in their experiences, better written and spoken English (aka higher literacy) than the locally educated kids - consequently local kids are losing out - Significantly one quarry owner told me he could depend on his, Lithuanian, workers to remain drug-free for compulsory testing. Just two examples but evidence based stuff.
Last edited by: Pugugly on Mon 21 Feb 11 at 11:04
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That will have changed quite a bit - lots of Poles have gone home. Certainly from Ireland anyway !
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official statistics - latest figures published 25 November 2010
Polish people in the UK
www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=2369
Last edited by: John H on Mon 21 Feb 11 at 12:36
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>> Non graduate jobs are being outsourced to india to be done by graduates.
>> I hate to think what they graduated in, they are utterly useless, inflexible, have rubbish communication skills, and cant handle pressure.
Since I work in IT, I can't comment on other industries. However, local multinational firms are NOT creating any graduate level jobs in UK (for IT). These roles are stright going to offshore vendors.
Some very high end jobs (management consultancy) are also going offshore (China/India/Phillipines/Vietnam etc.) as most well known consulting firms (like McKinsey, BCG, Delloitte, Accenture, Bain & Co etc.) have overseas operation. British govt. often makes strategic decisions based on recommendation from these consulting firms.
Last edited by: movilogo on Mon 21 Feb 11 at 09:53
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I worked in IT as well.
Frankly, IT work, at technical support level, are NOT graduate jobs. Never should have been.
And I stand by my assertion about the skills in India.
And you will find HM Gov is inserting clauses about the nationality of workers when subcontracting, for security reasons. Read your ITT from the Gov carefully if you dont want to end up in the mire later.
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While it's tempting to knock our people as unwilling to work, I reckon the burgeoning number of immigrant workers in the Lake District has nothing to do with anything other than cheapness.
It's a view shared by a couple of business people over there with whom I have discussed the topic.
Similarly, a lot of firms appear to be abusing work experience teenagers simply to get near-free labour.
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>> Frankly, IT work, at technical support level, are NOT graduate jobs. Never should have been.
I think that applies to most "graduate" jobs in the UK. There are very few jobs that I believe should say "graduate degree essential".
>> And I stand by my assertion about the skills in India.
>>
That may be true, but what matters is the shift in the balance of trade. A deficit means in effect that we are exporting our jobs to them. As long as we export less to a country than we import from them, we "need" or "use" their resources (humans as well as materials) more than they do ours. Changing balance of trade with India and China for last three years illustrates this.
------------------------------
£ million - value of exports and imports to/from India, for years 2008; 09; and 10 respectively
Exports: 4,119; 2,893; 3,952
Imports: 4,266; 4,325; 5,447
--------------------------------
£ million - value of exports and imports to/from China, for years 2008, 09, and 10
Exports: 4,870; 5,129; 7,225
Imports: 21,968; 22,871; 28,228
---------------------------------
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Pat, Conexions worked for our youngest (led to Macdonalds!) but for our eldest it was Agency work... You make no mention of that alternative in your earlier post... worth looking at it perhaps?
Re the first example, I did "work experience" many moons ago, as far as I am aware its not payable, so to get £40 was surely a bonus?
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>> Pat, Conexions worked for our youngest (led to Macdonalds!) but for our eldest it was
>> Agency work... You make no mention of that alternative in your earlier post... worth looking at it perhaps?
From long experience in that genre, as temp, consultant and client, I'd say yes.
It does not suit everyone, on the more mundane jobs you really are just a number, but it's an excellent way of broadening your skills and experience, and proving yourself to a potential long-term employer.
It is essential, though, that you take it for what it is; temporary work. All too often, agencies come across as promising permanent employment and untold riches, when the reality is that you might start off with a shift here, a shift there and then nothing for a fortnight. The agencies are in thrall to their customers of course, but if you get lucky and hit on an assignment where you like the job and the client likes you, it can be a worthwhile stepping-stone to "permanent" full-time work. It also looks good on a CV since it proves to a potential employer that you are willing to work.
If the current government makes true its promises to "make work pay", then the agency worker's lot should theoretically become easier. One of the biggest obstacles to getting people into work is the bureaucracy faced by families whose breadwinner can only find temporary work, leading a lot of people to dismiss it as being too much of a hassle, and a threat to their guaranteed state benefits.
For a young person living at home, I'd certainly consider it.
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I think the trick is to do something unusual. My sister has four good A levels, all A's apart from ironicaly her B in Socialogy. She got an A in maths etc. She also got an A in computing after I adviced her that she would find IT too mickey mouse.
She then went off to Manchester University to study socialogy. She got a 1st in that with honours. She graduated at 21 and found it very hard to get a job, she applied for the police on a £12k admin job. She got it.
Six months later an internal post came up, which required a degree, and good understanding of computers and databases. She was told that nobody within the police had the suitable qualifications and she should apply. She is now 24 on £30k and running her own office.
She has the gift of being very clever though, at university I was one of the brighter ones on my course but that wasn't really saying much! The entry requirements (which I more than exceeded) were too low.
My problem is I didn't do enough to stand out when I graduated, we were not really given any advice on what we had to do.
I got paid £100 for my two weeks work experience when I was 16, but was told I was the first person to ever be paid it by the company and must not let the school or TEC (as it was known then) know about it.
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Sorry I didn't make myself clear!
He was asked to do the holiday relief fortnight after his work experience stint and after he'd left school, but at the same garage. I certainly wouldn't expect payment for the work experience arranged while still at school.
Pat
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Just had a phone call. He's got an interview tomorrow night at 7pm for the connexions apprenticeship advert.
Phoning the boss of the firm direct this morning seems to have paid off.
My fingers are crossed and he's thrilled to bits!
Pat
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Interesting to see all the positive comments about the Connexions service.
In my experience the Connexions service has been a major force for good for many of my sons' contemporaries that have needed assistance not only with jobs but housing and many other aspects of keeping them on the straight and narrow.
The Connexions service in Essex run by Essex County Council is closing at the end of March due to the £6 million per year it costs to run being withdrawn by central government for the next financial year..............
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... Essex County Council is closing at the end of March due to the £6 million per year it costs to run being withdrawn by central government for the next financial year...
Essex County Council is a tax-raising authority.
Perhaps the residents of the county would like to fund the £6m running cost of Connexions.
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Its closing in Surrey too.
Alas a short-sighted fallout of the financial crisis. I don't think people realised how well it worked.
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Fully understand your point, Iffy.
I for one believe that they should because the service is worth more in benefit than its cost. Unfortunately the County Council are freezing their council tax in order to qualify for the extra they will get going forward for doing so; and they don't seem inclined to divert any of that funding. Will probably cost more ultimately when they have to pick up the pieces of society a few years down the line however.
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Same here Pat - hope he gets it. Hopefully all the experiences he's gained quickly will help him no-end. Let us know.
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The phone rang at exactly 7.45:)
He is going to work on Thursday and Friday.
He's been told he will be collected and dropped back home and his lunch will be bought for him for those two days.
By then, the firm will have sorted out a day release college course and if he still likes and wants the job after those two days, it's his:)
It's a two year contract for a Landscape Gardening business and because it's more physical than academic he's delighted.
Driving lessons will be resumed and the Micra will soon come into it's own!
Pat
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A victory for initiative.
The more I hear about this firm, the more sensible they sound.
It's only a starter's job, but a short trial should give both sides an idea if they are going to get on.
Fingers crossed it works out well.
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Mazda near side front disks glowing - must be stuck piston/warped disk.......anyway it is at the local indie for some TLC.
Whilst @ the Indie, who is very busy, she said they need another mechanic but getting a good one was tricky - also said they were being pressed by the Council to take on an apprentice. They have a council contract for service and repair of diesel pickups, mini buses mostly.
So far 3 boys sent down and 3 sent back after a week's work experience 1) Attitude was awful and did not want to be there 2) Could hardly read and write far less spell 3) Had physical handicaps - Very deaf (nearly got run over in w/shop as deaf aids switched off as he could not stand the noise) along with very poor eyesight, shaky hands, poor time keeping......
In her words the 3 of them were nearly unemployable as she could not see where they could fit in. Gone are the low grade factory jobs of pushing barrows about, labourer cleaning up in foundry, digging holes...............so where will the "less able" stand a chance of getting a viable job for 40+ years.
For young girls it is just as bad as the thousands of jobs in this area making shirts, knitwear, electronic assembly are well gone 10- 20 years ago to the Far East.
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Quote from the Times Educational Supplement of May 2010
"Around a fifth of pupils leave school functionally illiterate and functionally innumerate, despite average achievement in the three Rs improving over the past decade, a new Government-funded study has found.
Sheffield University researchers synthesised more than 60 years of evidence on numeracy and literacy and concluded that standards have generally risen in England, with the highest skills among the best in the world.
But they also found a significant proportion of young people still lacked the basic skills needed to function in society."
I recall very high failure rates some years ago is a simple "Living in the Real World" type of test given to school leavers. It showed that they couldn't read a bus timetable in order to get somewhere by a certain time, if they bought 4 items for 80p they didn't know how much change to expect from £5 and so it went on!
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>>so where will the "less able" stand a chance of getting a viable job for 40+ years.
In a world where binmen are on 40k (and have the joy of going through Pat's bins ;) as well) maybe they have some hope. Otherwise, it's the dole.
That said, they're better off on the dole than they were in one of those jobs 50 years ago. 6 day weeks; 12 hour days; proper poverty. Compare: no work, flat screen tellies, satellite dishes etc. etc.
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So what jobs are available for young people? - Zero
