Richard Hawley

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PostPosted: Fri Nov 05, 2010 9:27 am 
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Hawleytastic!
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Quote: Lady-Ruff-diamond: -
The situation for young people is dire...I work in post 16 work based education, we try and find work placements for Apprentices to get kids into work. The funding IS there for training etc. the problem is trying to get employers to take on young people. I recently had over 150 applicants for 7 jobs and had to fairly decide who to shortlist. How do you do that?[/quote]


I agree the work opportunities for young people are dire and yet, as you say, there is funding for training and apprenticeships and businesses should be embracing the chance to give school leavers a start with all this help available.
My previous employer is a medium-sized organisation who make millions in profits. Their policy was to recruit people who were "ready made" or a very limited number of Graduates but, only the best of course. For the lower skilled workers temporary contracts would be awarded to the best but more likely agency staff would be engaged. Young people did not get a look-in.
This type of policy is common unfortunately - employers want skilled people and people they can dispose of quickly and without cost. The drawback with this approach is eventually the skills and experience you want dry-up when workers retire or leave especially if you do not recruit and train staff. This happened in my former industry where the traditional engineering trades had not been trained/learned through apprenticeships for over 20 years.
It was a momentious occassion when I was able to set-up an apprentice scheme, recruit young people and have them developed via college-based eduacation in addition to work-placed training. At a time when I was making hard decisions about people and being sandwiched between a profit-driven business and greedy, inflexible unions, the recruiting of young people and giving them a chance for a proper career felt fantastic. It still does.

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PostPosted: Fri Nov 05, 2010 3:43 pm 
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Well LPD you've just made my day - this is an issue which I feel very strongly about. If more people did what you did, we'd be in a much better position to develop young people and keep vital skills and knowledge alive. So if you're reading this and you are a small employer or HR manager could you take on an Apprentice? You can get help through your local chamber of commerce. As LPD says, it's greatly rewarding to be able to make a difference in that way. One girl I've just found an apprentice position for was 19 and only had one job since leaving school. She's bright and willing but had no confidence. She's doing well now and is really coming out of her shell.

I've just had a conversation with my boss, we have 250 funded placements available through Routes to Work, where we get them work ready through basic training, find placements for experience and get interviews lined up. Due to frustrating burocracy we've had a low number of referrals because it takes forever to post the information on the Job Centre website. If we don't use the funding before March we will use it. We have funding, we have staff with the skills to train, we have work experience placements BUT....grrrrrrrr.
Makes me want to go and shake people.


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PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 2:36 am 
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I'm absolutely in favour of apprenticeships, particularly at the craft level of work. Maybe it's just my narrow view of things, but these days everything seems focussed at higher academic study, not at the practical, hands on end of the spectrum. It seems to me young people are being steered, often inappropriately, towards university, to get degrees in crap like 'Media Studies' & 'Sports Science' & suchlike, when actual skill based jobs need filling with interested & capable people. Tell me if I'm wide of the mark here, because I don't have kids, but this is the way it comes over to me, just from what I hear.

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PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 9:48 am 
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Yeah...I totally agree with you....there seems to be so much emphasis on uni...uni...uni...uni......christ..the other day my friend was on about when 'our' kids go to university in the future..(they are 5 years old !!!!!)....
If my boy wants to have his head in a book for years that's cool with me, but it will be just as cool if he wants to take up an apprenticeship in a local boat builders yard.....


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PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 11:53 am 
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My big bro' left school at 16 & caught the last of the BR (railways) apprenticeships. He's now a certified (?) engineer, qualified well past degree level, almost exclusively from learning on-the-job (and working bloody hard).

He's still daft as a brush though.


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PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 2:42 pm 
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loftyeric2 wrote:
I'm absolutely in favour of apprenticeships, particularly at the craft level of work. Maybe it's just my narrow view of things, but these days everything seems focussed at higher academic study, not at the practical, hands on end of the spectrum. It seems to me young people are being steered, often inappropriately, towards university, to get degrees in crap like 'Media Studies' & 'Sports Science' & suchlike, when actual skill based jobs need filling with interested & capable people. Tell me if I'm wide of the mark here, because I don't have kids, but this is the way it comes over to me, just from what I hear.

Yes, absolutely right Lofty. I do a lot of careers events so see this at first hand. Inclusiveness policies mean that some kids who wouldn't have previously considered uni are being steered that way. I'm all for people acheiving their potential, but uni/classroom based learning is not for everyone and Mickey Mouse degrees (golf course management, media studies et al) are about as much use as a chocolate teapot, hence the amount of graduates out of work. The craft based jobs need to be promoted as a rewarding and worthwhile career. It almost seems its getting to be a crime to be working class, with the old style jobs not being considered as an option. What happened to the old technical colleges? Both my father and brother acheived engineering qualifications this way. Many people learn skills best in a practical environment. It also means essential skills are being passed on at first hand. A skilled craftsman, whatever environment he or she works in is every bit as valuable as a first class university graduate. A lot of the tutors I work with don't have degrees, just vocational qualifications, experience and expertise, all are passionate about passing on their skills and inspiring young people.


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PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 9:29 pm 
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Richard Hawley wrote:
I hate Clegg and Cameron a little more with every passing day.....i believe what they are doing is totally unconstitutional and totally un-British........i mean its not cricket is it to do these awful things?where exactly will all our hard earned taxes go then if not for services to ease the lives of those far less fortunate than ourselves?Isn't that basic care something that is actually a RIGHT?A human right in our society?I actually feel physically sick after hearing this.......an utter and total lack of understanding of how our country should be.......a beacon in the dark........and a frightening lack of humanity..............C***s are indeed.............still running the world :evil:

HERE HERE. I so totally agree.

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PostPosted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 10:52 am 
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All my friends kids (and their mums) in state of excitement as Jarvis Cocker rumoured to be speaking at the student demo against tuition fees today. Good for him! x


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