The way of the world

Just been on the phone to Dymag - I needed some work doing to a wheel,
but they've basically told me that they're so busy they don't know
when they'd be able to do it.

This is because they're short of staff. They've got an outstanding
advert for machinists to which no one has replied. They could
probably start two new machinists tomorrow. But there's no young
people with the skills, and older people with the skills have either
got a job, or have left engineering for good.

So, if anyone with machining skills wants a job in Chippenham, working
on the fanciest car and bike racing wheels, get on the phone.

 

...and they aren't training any, nor is anyone else.

Madness.

 

That's because you can do degrees in Bookbinding and surfing these days and
those are much easier than engineering.

 

Will they take someone with no machining skills?

 

We should get the government to embark on a policy of promoting
some sort of vocational education. You know, getting paid
while learning a new skill that could be beneficial to all.
Engineering certainly sounds like an ideal area to start.
They could call it, err, um...

....ah, yes, I know. An *apprenticeship*.

 

You should *have* to attend some sort of training/vocational course every
working day if claiming unemployment benefits. Simple really and Govmint
should be required to pay for it. Long term gain and all thet.

 

If they offered £50k a year, 25 days leave, non-cont pension and BUPA it
would probably change things though.....

 

Nail on the head.

 

With a mixture of community service type work thrown in as well.

Actually , *every* day is a bit much as it doesn't leave much room for
finding a job , but certainly some kind of scheduled mandatory training
activity would make sense

--
Alex

"I laugh in the face of danger"
"Then I hide until it goes away"

www.drzoidberg.co.uk
www.upce.org.uk

 

Sure. Somewhere that doesn't have a nanny for a government. A place where
competition is still encouraged at school and where benefit isn't so easy to
obtain.

 

isn't this because engineering apprenticeships pay less than working
in Tesco?

 

^^^^^^^^^
Ah yes I remember them...

Naughty boys in nasty schools
Headmasters breaking all the rules
Having fun and playing fools
Smashing up the woodwork tools
All the teachers in the pub
Passing 'round the ready-rub
Trying not to think of when
The lunch-time bell will ring again.

I'll get my coat...

--
Steve
1996 Triumph Trophy 1200 For sale
Velocette Clubman
Velocette Thruxton
Milk floats, stainless steel sinks

 

I did an apprenticeship. For nearly five years. It wasn't called an
apprenticeship though, oh no.

The company that I was apprenticed to would never have wished to acknowledge
that they employed an apprentice even in the lowly position that I held. Nor
would they have appreciated the thought that they were actually training
somebody to be a useful skilled bod.

No, it was more "we want somebody cheap, so yeah we'll pay your polytechnic
fees and give you day release if you'll work for ****-all pound fifty"
coupled with "oh bollox, I suppose we'll have to get you some training for
so-and-so now that we've invested squibblies in it and it is of course *so*
complicated".

I didn't care how they viewed it really, I had an income which small though
it was was plenty to fund my then lifestyle, my fees were paid for, I had
day release to go and study, I got some training through work and on the job
experience / training too... I'd call that an apprenticeship and it worked
bloody well for me in the long run.

This was in the late 80s through early 90s, so apprenticeships do still
exist (well they did then), they're just hard to find and very rarely called
an apprenticeship.

 

But what are the hours like?

 

True enough, but you'd prolly get around 14-15k at 16 I think.

And I think most people going for an engineering job like that
nowadays would be grads.

Hell, I'd go for something like that myself if it paid ok.