Guest 687- Registered: 2 Jun 2009
- Posts: 513
A fellow driver on the ferry last night said his daughter was serving an apprenticeship with DDC. Unfortunately at the end she would not be offered employment as there were no vacancies, however she would be replaced by another apprentice.
I am torn in my reasoning as on the one hand she has been given skills in a work place environment but on the other: why train someone you won't be using and in the process damaging their belief in humanity.
Guest 1713, Jan Higgins, howard mcsweeney1 and
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Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 7,422
Absolutely. This was exactly the view I had when I was teaching mathematics in school. I was unable to employ even the best pupils as teachers at the end of their studies and when they left school replaced them with even more pupils whose belief in humanity I would damage.
Oh hang on. They left me more employable in the job market usually in a higher paid job with the skill set and qualifications they had picked up at school.
I really don't see what the problem is.
Bob Whysman likes this
'If no one went no faster than what I do there'd be a sight less trouble in this world'
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,636
I am glad she is learning a skill but this "apprenticeship" a seems a crafty way of getting unemployment figures down also a bit like cheap temporary labour.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Button- Location: Dover
- Registered: 22 Jul 2016
- Posts: 2,887
As I understand it, the Apprenticeship Levy is paid by employers with a wage bill of over £3m, at the rate of 0.5% of that bill.
Bob Whysman likes this
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Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 7,422
Jan Higgins wrote:I am glad she is learning a skill but this "apprenticeship" a seems a crafty way of getting unemployment figures down also a bit like cheap temporary labour.
The worst crafty way of getting unemployment figures down was convincing 50% of the population that they were capable of undertaking a university education, taking hundreds of thousands out of the job market for three years, and leaving many wondering why a BA in Media Studies from the University of Neverheardofit, leaves them totally unfit for gainful employment and £30,000+ in debt.
(In Germany by contrast, close to 60% of young people train as apprentices — in fields as diverse as advanced manufacturing, IT, banking, and hospitality.
This, combined with lack of investment in automation, is one of the reasons output per hour in the UK is now 36 percentage points behind that in Germany. In essence this means that the average German worker could take an extra day off every week and STILL be producing more than the average British worker.)
Ross Miller likes this
'If no one went no faster than what I do there'd be a sight less trouble in this world'
Paul M- Registered: 1 Feb 2016
- Posts: 393
In contrast 90% of those young Germans remain with the company where they performed their apprenticeships. That's the sort of figure we should be aiming at rather than giving them skills and confidence before throwing them out in the big wide world to work in a supermarket, behind a bar or driving a taxi.
howard mcsweeney1 likes this
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,636
Captain I think genuine apprenticeships are a far better idea than pointless further education such as university for the majority of our young people.
Apprenticeships always used to mean you went on to be a valued member of the company where you learnt your trade or skill, it would appear DDC choose not to follow this format.
Paul M likes this
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Now the U.S.A. is going back to coal just maybe we will to ,and one of the best apprenticeships was from coal mines.
Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,225
USA not going back to coal if not commercially viable. Bit like UK coal . Yes we have it but you can buy it cheaper from elsewhere. No deal then.
Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,225
Yes DDC have an apprenticeship scheme but it is difficult to offer full time employment if you are still shedding staff & the trainees don't have the same skill sets where shortages occur.
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
That is very true we need skilled welders etc sorry not offices workers.And the UK have the best coal in the world and lots of it.
Paul M- Registered: 1 Feb 2016
- Posts: 393
I think in the modern world there is more of a need for skilled ' office workers" rather than welders and I really hope we never have to send our children back down very dangerous and life limiting coal mines.
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Reginald Barrington- Location: Dover
- Registered: 17 Dec 2014
- Posts: 3,201
#8#9 usa is not going back to coal, correct, they have never left coal, they are the worlds second largest producer behind china.
Incidentally our coal whilst plentiful is just run of the mill bitumous smoky coal the best stuff is anthracite coal prized by the steel industry, which we never produced very much of..
Arte et Marte
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
kent coal is/was smokeless.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
The world always need Welders ,sorry but working in a office does not need the skills as a good welder,and welders work under ground but not many in mines ,myself I have worked underground and on ships, 100s of ft in the air and not seen one office worker up there,both jobs are needed but most young folk go for office work.but big money can be got if you are a good welder and steel fixer but many like myself had to work away from home and very long hrs over 7days aweek. Mining is safer today then it was 10years ago .But it is a real mans job.
Reginald Barrington- Location: Dover
- Registered: 17 Dec 2014
- Posts: 3,201
True we were one of the few areas that mined the higher quality anthracite coal as well as the bitumous type.
Arte et Marte
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
More and more work is now about pressing buttons on keyboards, some fairly mundane others highly specialised. Read recently that the new breed of super container ships have less and less crew members and eventually all manufacturing will be done by people on keyboards getting robots to do the work.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
I do not agree with any of that .
Reginald Barrington- Location: Dover
- Registered: 17 Dec 2014
- Posts: 3,201
Unfortunately the nature of progress means less and less requirement for the skilled tradesman.
By way of an example when my boat was built in the 1930's ship yards were 10 a penny, now I'm struggling to find someone skilled enough to replace a few teak planks on her hull!
Arte et Marte
Button- Location: Dover
- Registered: 22 Jul 2016
- Posts: 2,887
I liked it when cars were hand-built by Roberts.
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