Could this possibly be seen as a hint of good news?

[Jim B]

Totally agree Hudswell.

Jim

[Jimgward]

The reason for so many going to University and being encouraged to do so, is because of a lack of apprenticeships, employment and meaningful college educations. Since they are made to pay (IN MOST COUNTRIES) for their education at that level and to borrow for their upkeep, it is a net saving for the country. That's why it's encouraged by the state.

Many do get third-class degrees that are better than useless as a relevant qualification, but it does serve to give some background to their general level of education and potential intelligence.

Today, very few students get employ in their chosen field or with a relevance to their degree. Many end up working in call-centres, lower-paid jobs and at professions not really what you would determine to be 'suitable' for graduates.

Exceptions are obvious, such as parts of IT, medicine and so on.

[Jim B]

Tyelawe
On the contrary; I believe I have a pragmatic view of the UK rather than jaundiced and speak from experience ( in this case)rather than something I read in a newspaper. I would be more concerned if I was grasping at any straw to try and show something positive in this total debacle called Brexit.
Jim

[Dominic]

I do think that there is too much of an emphasis on getting a university degree, but that is due to top-down pressure from the government, businesses and parents, rather than kids.

And in I.T part of the problem is the way it is taught in schools. I was appalled to see that our son's ICT GCSE involved no programming whatsoever. If you have a career in I.T without even a basic (excuse the pun) understanding as to how computers are programmed you will never be able to achieve your full potential. It would like being a car mechanic without knowing how to drive a car.

The government loves the university system at the moment. Kids pay not to be on the unemployment line. How cool is that?

[Jim B]

Dominic
Naughty, naughty; you're being jaundiced.

Jim

[WHL]

Britain led the World in apprenticeships back in the day, when they led the World in engineering etc, lads used to get a block of steel, and had to hand file it for days until they could get it square etc, as most of the engineering work has been taken over by machines, not much need now... back in the day a car mechanic apprentice was taught how to decoke an engine, strip a gearbox strip a carb etc etc, no need now, just plug the car into a computer, and replace anything faulty...It is what it is,

[Jimgward]

And yes, I appreciate that this editorial is from the Guardian, but many points made in the article relate to with what is actually happening out there: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/guardian-view ... 32190.html

The opening paragraph:

"The wild promises of those leading the Brexit charge were always based on a fantasy about Britain’s global standing. It harked back to the long-gone empire, portraying Britain as vastly more strong, powerful and important than any realistic assessment might judge; the only thing holding us back was the malign influence of the EU. In this way, Brexiters overstated both the ease of negotiating a satisfying departure from the EU for the UK – as if the EU would quickly deliver an outcome suiting the UK rather than the remaining 27 nations – and the ease of translating that into improved trade relations with the rest of the world. Reality shows otherwise; unfortunately, they are increasingly detached from it".

That says so much for me, on why I think we are in this mess. Rule Britannia diehards with imperialistic and supremacist attitudes from days gone by. Harking back to ‘the good old days’ that were never good for 99% of the population. Wars fought over family disputes with millions killed.

Peace in Euorope for so long is no coincidence and being a separatist nation will do nothing to mend those attitudes. The far right is building in Britain and should be seen as the danger it is.

[Jim B]

Hudswell
Sweden and France like Germany have always had their Facist thugs to contend with; many from both countries fought on the Nazi's side in the Second World War as did Romania, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria so nothing new.
If you read Brexit forums many want isolation from Europe, many still believe we still have an empire or want to return to the halcyon days of the fifties (according to them) and a sizeable number are just out and out racists. Yes, the EU has helped keep the peace by tying the finances of member countries together just like NATO has by tying the Military Forces together; its not rocket science.
It's by people coming together and mixing that inbred fears are dissipated, not by sitting on an offshore island off the coast of Europe like we have done for the past two thousand years believing we are superior to everyone else.
It's people like you who voted leave who have taken away the opportunity of British and European kids from learning and working together, of finding out that they all have similar aspirations and dreams of the future.
It's you who's living in the past.

Jim

[ApusApus]

Oh and you call the Cyprus haircut a prosperous event that all the EU participated in? I think not!


Shane

[Jim B]

Hudswell
How will they if they have no trade deals, even Mauritania has one trade deal which is one more than the UK will have after a train crash Brexit.

Jim

[Jimgward]

I see you have picked up on a new word HIC, "isolationism", The UK is, and will remain a global player on the world trade stage, and continue to contribute in many other areas, areas where many other of our EU partners continue to hold back and duck their responsibilities.

How are we a world player? We make most income from services on the back of the EU. Financial, insurance etc. We are no longer a manufacturing powerhouse. Your pinup Maggie sold every asset from under us and closed every producer she couldn’t stand. We are left bereft if products to sell.

We could easily end up the poor man of Europe again, but this time without the family jewels.

[JimX]

Good god dirty reds under the bed.....honestly

[Dominic]

Hudswell, you kept going on about how over-valued the pound was before the Brexit vote, when you were trying to explain away it's plummet. So you've got form on knocking Britain yourself, when it suits your argument.

[Jimgward]

Perhaps not a powerhouse, but still a player it would seem.

https://www.themanufacturer.com/uk-manu ... tatistics/

With ownership outside the UK and profits paid there, along with many taxes.
We no longer own car manufacture, never mind energy, water etc.

[Dominic]

You, on the other hand, are always very predictable...

[Jim B]

This is interesting.
Our special relationship and of course we can rely on the Commonwealth countries to help us out.

Jim

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... ion-market

[kingfisher]

London Stock Exchange signals post-brexit confidence with investment.
https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/londo ... 00044.html