Slavery?

Smokin Joe

The problem with the education system is it has always steered the brightest pupils into getting the qualifications to enable them to find employment, rather than giving them the knowledge to start their own businesses and create employment for everyone else. The creation of wealth is often left to the mavericks like Alan Sugar and numerous other entrepreneurs who didn't waste their time worrying about NVQs' in paper clip arranging.

rick_chasey

Jez mon wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

I just don't understand the gov't's currently policy on the economy.

a) they seem to think unemployment is fine, when it's the worst of all economic malaises

b) it's like not a single one of them has read about the '30s and the great depression.

I'm not sure they think it's fine, but rather they aren't sure what to do about it. It was meant to be the private sector, but the economy is pretty stagnant, and finance is hard to come by. Small companies are struggling to survive, larger companies are often laying off/not growing. So jobs just aren't being created. The government is I think loathe to pump any amount of money into the economy because they got elected on a wave of belt tightening and economic frugality.

Combine this with the fact that the unemployment is hitting what (I would guess) is a typically non-Tory demographic, and I think we can see why they are shying away from unemployment

I didn't come across anyone who had any idea how the private sector was supposed to fill the gap.

It's serious facepalm stuff if it wasn't so bad...

I am disappointed with the left across Europe who haven't seem to have created a strong clear alternative argument - the Keynsian argument. It's a little more nuanced than the 'we borrowed to much we need to rein it in' argument but not by much.

The UK's in a fortunate position that it's long term borrowing costs are low at the moment. Places like Greence and Italy would kill for rates the UK has > the debt problem that was such an issue come election has temporarily subsided. Now for sure, the borrowing costs take into account the current gov't actions with regard to austerity, but a) recessions mean less cash for the gov't anyway so that increases the problem and b) Osbourne isn't even hitting his own targets for austerity.

It's nuts to keep cutting. The cuts haven't even all happened yet.

It doesn't help that we see the problems Greece and Italy have, but in all honesty, the UK just isn't like that > hence the flight to gilts.

Vesterberg

Smokin Joe wrote:

The problem with the education system is it has always steered the brightest pupils into getting the qualifications to enable them to find employment, rather than giving them the knowledge to start their own businesses and create employment for everyone else. The creation of wealth is often left to the mavericks like Alan Sugar and numerous other entrepreneurs who didn't waste their time worrying about NVQs' in paper clip arranging.

you are just jealous because you got bummed by a sheep live on TV and your mates never let you forget it aaahhhhhh!!!!!

rick_chasey

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... employment

John Harris' take on youth unemployment.

Also goes over the forced work experience/jobs.

Predictably old school left take, but done quite well.

Jez mon

The article makes for quite depressing reading. FWIW as a member of the "forgotten generation" I don't really like the country I grew up in. Fortunately, I come from a comfortable background and am doing engineering at uni, so there should be some employment at the end of my 5 year degree, hopefully.

I do quite like some of what Cameron is trying to do, for years Labour pandered to the cool service industries, whereas Cameron does make a concerted effort to talk up British manufacturing and engineering, but I grew up under New Labour, and at the end of the day, it does rather stink of political spin!

brigez

To get back to the OT.....

I agree that to make people who are looking for employment through the benefit system take "roles" with local or multinational companies could actually reduce the opportuities for job vacancies for the people they are actually trying to help.

Any incentive (like that) that helps the big companies reduce real emplyoment opportunities is not right.

There are lots of local volountry groups that could do with that sort of help and I think that they will already be registered with the local authorities so that info will be already available to them.

Why don't the "job shops" point people in that direction?