Forum Topic

Aspiring  apprentices a better option?

This morning's news was all about nervous students aspiring to gain entry to Universities.With the onset of AI likely to take over academic jobs, many graduates will find themselves jobless and in debt.For those students unable to make the cut today, seeking an apprenticeship in a trade would be a great option. In 4 years a qualified electrician or plumber for instance would be in huge demand and guaranteed a regular income for life.The current student debt stands at £250b, most of which is unlikely to be repaid.The current National Health budget stands at £182b.  

Denis I. Fox ● 100d27 Comments

“ can understand some want to work but can't afford it as they are in a position where the jobs they can take or apply for are of the minimum wage”That’s just a cop out. Every sensible person knows that it’s better to get out there and do something rather than suck off the State and watch TV all day. No wonder so many claim ‘mental health’ issues. Even getting minimum wage to get some experience has got to be better than doing nothing!!

Steve Taylor ● 99d

Would say be careful of scams if you have to complete forms.

Janice Evans ● 99d

Just to let you know if you are happy to work from home you can search "online jobs" or online jobs for students" some say no experience required.Not recommending as know nothing about this kind of work but it may helpsomeone.

Janice Evans ● 99d

People don't realise they are subsiding low wages, that is the trouble!

Nicholas Beard ● 99d

It was always difficult to buy or rent I had friends who moved away to live on houseboats or in caravans, you were allowed to live in them all year then, also some took live in jobs.

Janice Evans ● 99d

The idea of housing/council tax benefit has always struck me as a little strange in its nature.Rather than make the mininmum wage a living wage etc.,government has decided that the tax payer(other workers)will subsidise someone's housing costs thus allowing big employers like supermarkets to pay low wages.They know tax payers will top them up.

Keith Iddon ● 99d

The challenge with increasing wages is it has a knock on affect with inflation so it’s a vicious circle, earn more but you pay more for everything so it makes no difference. Higher costs mean higher prices,

Jayne Thorburn ● 99d

"...how the heck are you supposed to live with rents increasing.."Housing benefit ?

Richard Greenhough ● 99d

On the job front, I think one problem we have is the minimum wage.Now I think something has been said about that for 16-year-olds who get less until I think you are 18 or 21, not sure.But as things stand with the cost of living, the minimum wage is not enough. If you are not qualified and have been on low wages and you are say 30 years old, how the heck are you supposed to live with rents increasing general bills high and food not budging that much in price?I guess the state helps out or does it?We might have people who don't want to work but in some ways, you can understand some want to work but can't afford it as they are in a position where the jobs they can take or apply for are of the minimum wage.A small business would have concerns over an increase in the minimum wage, but it is surely way too low from at least 5 years ago.That is unless you're living at home with your parents.

Julian Pavey ● 99d

also when you then try going direct to a Company to find work rather than go down the benefit route, the Company said we are only allowed to acceptpeople from the job centre so you are well and truly stuck.  I was very luckyto find temporary work that's how bad it is.

Janice Evans ● 99d

Bob, this is the problem, I was asked if I had any life long illnesses whichI do, the chap then said go to you G.P and get a sick certificate, I said that'snot the point I really want some part time work, it was hopeless.  I'm notsurprised so many are out of work.

Janice Evans ● 99d

There is really not enough help for those who want to actively seek work.

Janice Evans ● 99d

Bob, I'm surprised he wasn't given advice by his Uni careers service.

Richard Greenhough ● 100d

Quite right Vanessa, My Grandson visited the Canterbury Job Centre last Monday, having only graduated from Uni only a few weeks ago was turned away as he was not on any benefits. Crazy to call them Job Centres when only interview and advise those on Universal Credit.

Bob Guyett ● 100d

Quite why they are called 'Job Centres' now is beyond me - they don't have jobs displayed in them like they did some years ago, and there's precious little support or information on training, upskilling and work available. It's all farmed out to these 'employment' agencies which seem to be staffed by twelve year olds, and mess people around, so much so that half the time they don't know if they've got work from day to day.

Vanessa Smith ● 100d

Are there enough job centres and are they inviting enough, I found them off putting when I was caring for my mother and wanted part time work justas a break from caring in the end I had to find work myself and took temporary work.

Janice Evans ● 100d

the jobs were just not available for those who went to Uni, some I remember were doing the refuge collections to earn a living.

Janice Evans ● 100d

Did Blair not also intoduce tuition fees at the same time?

Keith Iddon ● 100d

Blair’s aim was for half the population to go on to higher education, not everyone, and included vocational diplomas not just degrees. We do need an educated, highly skilled workforce to compete in the modern world. This isn’t incompatible with providing our own stream of skilled tradespeople rather than relying on workers from other countries.

David Turner ● 100d

Yes, silly me! I quite forgot that Richard suffers with a severe case of whataboutery.

Vanessa Smith ● 100d

Vanessa, you should know by now that in GreenhoughLand everything wrong with this country was caused by Jeremy Corbyn and any and every Labour Prime Minister ever.  The last fourteen years didn’t happen.

Alastair Banton ● 100d

“ vocational course such as medicine or law you may be better off learning a trade. ”And of course a law degree is pretty meaningless on its own. It has to be followed by years of specialist legal training before it’s really worth anything.

Steve Taylor ● 100d

Yes, It was - but so what, how long ago was that? And your point is?

Vanessa Smith ● 100d

Agree. But wasn't it Tony Blair who wanted everyone to go to University ?

Richard Greenhough ● 100d

Agree. Unless you're attending a top uni or doing a vocational course such as medicine or law you may be better off learning a trade. Nothing wrong with aspiring to be a first rate plumber/boiler engineer/electrician etc and something we should be encouraging young people to think of as an option.

David Turner ● 100d

Fully agree but when an influencer can earn a staggering amount of money for having an opinion the youngsters get a distorted view.

Mark Frost ● 100d

Yes, the biggest mistake made was shutting our Technical Colleges, along with proper indentured apprenticeships. If you have a trade you will always be able to earn a living, we cannot be a country of academics, we need to value our practical students as highly as those doing A levels and going to Uni.

Vanessa Smith ● 100d