The destruction of the secondary modern school was the beginning. These were schools which undertook to educate and train our future tradesmen and women. Suddenly it was decided it was divisive to have vocation and academic pupils in different buildings and before we knew it we had the 'one size fits all' school - the comprehensive.
What happened was pupils were persuaded to have a more academic education and this didn't suit every child. These children then left school with little or no qualifications, creating a new 'unqualified' layer in society.
Out technical colleges were next for 'modernisation' and many became universities. Generations of young people had been through the doors of Bell Street Tech and now it was no longer. It's excellent reputation for quality vocational training became a few pages in a history book.
The final part of the plan was the decision to change ability testing from high quality examination boards, such as the Royal Society of Arts and City & Guilds, to the new Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs). The introduction of SVQs finalised the new level of vocation training which would be available in Scotland. The system of paying colleges and the new universities changed and they became 'bums on seats' businesses, no longer addressing the needs of a student, just a desperation to ensure they achieved the magic intake figure required to bring them maximum funding.
So what have we now? We have a socially engineered population. Nobody is encouraged to work until they're at least 20, but they're encouraged to go to colleges or universities to study subjects that perhaps hold little interest for them. Back in the 80s college applicants were pushed towards IT courses if they didn't have any particular field of interest. It was never thought to introduce them to any form of engineering because these courses were expensive to run and only those with good Standard Grades were accepted. 'Sample' courses were refused. (I speak here about my own local college).
What can we do? We can re-introduce proper vocational education and training. Teach our young ones the satisfaction there is to be gained actually producing something.
We need more manual skills in this country. Our young people need to be encouraged to learn the variety of skills there are out there. We have to provide the facilities and we're not doing so at the moment. Germany, France and Norway are way ahead with their standards of vocational training. Scotland used to supply the rest of the world with skilled men of all trades. That no longer happens because Germany, Norway, Sweden and other countries are producing more highly trained young people. They have the facilities to do so.
If we encourage self development, we encourage self reliance and confidence. It's confidence that motivates someone to start their own business, that and belief in their product.
The help from public agencies isn't there. Scottish Enterprise is not interested in the small business person (I speak from experience). Schools need to teach the procedures of starting and running a small business, only a few are enterprising enough to do this.
Let's get industry started again. The construction industry are bleating about laying off staff. Why can't some of these staff work for themselves? Possibly there's no good reason except that it's far easier for some to claim benefits.
As one redundant construction worker told me recently, when I asked if he'd considered being self employed, "I can't do sums too well and I'm not smart enough." The man is smart, very smart and excellent at his job. Pity he wasn't taught at a young age that he was so capable.
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7 comments:
Subrosa
Train to do what? manufacturing was destroyed by thatcher and what was left went overseas.
And everything being equal(same technology, manufacturing processes etc) why pay a Scot £5,£10,£15,£20 etc an hour when you can get cheap labour for £1 a day in a foreign country.
Construction workers are being laid off because there is no Demand (good old Tory word) for them.If there is only enough work for 10 construction workers and 20 go self employed only 10 are going to get any work and the rest will still be unemployed.
You could if you like stop all social benefits get rid of the minimum wage and the 48 hour week. And drive the unemployed into a wage set by market forces and hours set their by their individual (60 hours a week min I suggest) employers.
Role back the state by reducing the civil service by 75% .put all health care back into the private sector.Then any costs would be born by the user and not the taxpayer.
Oh! anyway you remember Thatcherism
Train to be electricians, joiners, plumbers etc niko. These skills are very transferrable, they're not just wee men who pop round to your house when something goes wrong.
In my time I've seen quite a few youngsters who did get a sound training when young (although bad school reports) go onto good jobs in other areas. The oil industry world wide always need engineers ie electricians etc.
What's up with this country these days? Aren't people able to invent something and have the confidence to go out and sell it, or is it so much easier to sit on the settee, bank the giro and complain?
With your reference to the construction workers, then the rest who are still unemployed better do something to improve their lot. It's only be upping quality in our industries (those we have left) that we'll compete.
I'd do away with paying young pregnant girls benefits and let their families pay for them. Best contraceptive there is for women.
Yes I do remember Thatcher. She ruined Scotland but our industries were too highly subsidised in the first place. That was her predecessor's mistake.
"Nobody is encouraged to work until they're at least 20, but they're encouraged to go to colleges or universities to study subjects that perhaps hold little interest for them"
.....................
The only part i disagree with is the not working until at least 20, hmm most students do work even if its part time but the rest is spot on.
Loads of students i know are studying courses that they will never follow a career into. I hope to be an accountant (my fathers company is in this field) and or work in Sports management, hence me studying the 2.
The only thing i would say in some students favour is, a lot of companies want to see degrees and stuff, even if it is not ralated to the company or feild students are applying for. Take teco, they offer a graduates course but you dont need any buisness skills.
BTW why have you taken the spell check off ? Agrr!!!
Buy local or do without. Don't buy from multinationals. Withdraw all savings from failed banks - put your money in credit unions. Get out of the UK. Get out of the EU.
Refuse benefits to women who can't name the father of their children. Start a public register of men who fail to provide for their children. Men who refuse responsibility for their children should be socially shunned.
Make it illegal for non-doms to own property in Scotland. Tax the hell out of second homes. Nationalize all large estates. Abolish privately held fishing rights.
Abolish faith based schools. Stream children according to their potential and interest. Stress the basics in primary education. Encourage crafts, trades, and design; maths, science and engineering in secondary education. Discourage elitism.
All unemployed to be conscripted into a national labour force responsible for cleaning and fixing up ghettos, providing assistance to remote communities, and responding to emergencies,
Abolish the monarchy and all hereditary titles.
That'll do for a start.
Scunnert, right on my wavelength but then we'll be called right wing by niko.
I was worried for a minute that you'd said 'conscripted into the army' because the army don't want them. They're sick to death of having neds thrown at them and don't have the time to sort these lads out (most are male).
A form of community service would be fine. Most of Europe has some form of compulsory military or social service to be undertaken by a certain age. It works very well in Germany. No state handouts until it's completed once you're out of full-time education.
As for pregnant lassies being given hundreds of pounds a week in benefits don't get me started. The parents should be forced to take responsibility. If that was to happen it would be the best contraceptive around.
Hi Subrosa,
Excellent post. Its not often I find myself agreeing with Nico but on the issue of education courses I have no choice. Why should anybody study engineering when the whole economic management of the British economy seems to mitigate against the success of engineering and manufacturing companies? We see, within very short timescales, massive swings in exchange rates and credit availability which cripple them no matter how competent they might be in themselves.
These type of companies take years and years to establish - developing products, finding markets, acquiring and training specialist staff etc. The investments and timesacales are huge relative to setting up say an estate agency or financial services company. The service companies, because of their smaller "fixed" investments are more able to adapt to changing market conditions. Since the British government has not given a fig for financial consistency over the last forty years it is the service sector that has flourished over manufacturing and yet it is the manufacturing base that the service sector relies heavily on for its market.
Consider how we are going to get out the mess we are in. The banks have collapsed and along with them the estate agents, lawyers, builders, entertainment industry and almost everything else. What's left - food retailing and .... well that's about it.
There will be no long-term recovery 'till the government makes the conditions to allow manufacturing to prosper. Unfortunately the only manufacturing industry Britian has left seems to be in the production of armaments.
Oh God not that cycle again!
Regards,
Rab, great contribution thanks. You've given the very reason why all this concerns me. As you say, the destruction of our productive industry started 4 years ago.
These skilled workers are now retired or nearing retirement. Who's going to teach our young these skills? Someone who has learned from books?
It's like the 'hospitality' industry. So many go to colleges and get fancy degrees. They couldn't run my kitchen far less a hotel or restaurant. The drop out rate of these 'service' industry courses is very high and partly because the quality of them is poor.
But that's what the UK is now, a 'service' country. Anyone who produces anything has life made so difficult at times they just give up. Manufacturers have my most heartfelt sympathy at present - life must be hellish for many small businesses.
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