[Archived] Rising Youth Unemployment

[JAL]

GMB regional secratary Paul Macarthy has slammed the rising youth unemployment as ''our greatest shame'' comparing the current levels out of work young people with those of Thatchers Britian.

Just as Thatchers Britain left one million young people on benefits of the 1980's (I was one of them) soaring youth unemployment today threatens to leave todays young people locked out of the job market.

Youth unemployment figures have risen on a scale not seen snce the early 1990's. By June this year 19.1% of 16-24 year olds were out of work compared to an adult rate of 7.8%.

In October of this year youth unemployment in the UK reached a staggering 946,000 poor young soles.

I know of two young people fresh out of their degree courses, both unemployed with one of them just completed his masters degree.

Were have we gone ? So much for shareholders

[JAL]

Seems like no one on this site gives a toss about the near 1 million young people out of work, I see it as, my kids are alright then fook the rest.

I propose a minutes silence on a given day, and time of day to recognise the young unemployed of this nation. Then we might see something positive being done.

Cheers

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

Did you seriously just propose a minutes silence for that?

LMAO

[JAL]

Did you seriously just propose a minutes silence for that?

LMAO

What does one have to do, to get them recognition and action taken. They are our future ffs this million will have to contribute to our pensions in the future or will our pensions be diminished to pay these people.

Selfish Britian, the place to be or not to be ?

[Dunnfc]

Not being funny but its not all down to the recession. Im 18 stayed on and did sixthform but always wanted to be a joiner/plasterer, every other kid round me had it slammed down there throat in order to be sucessfull you had to wear a suit for work or go to university, which quite franfully is utter ###### and it was the people telling us this that have caused this problem, because now most people my age arnt getting into university so they are taking gap years out living off parents, benefits or shop jobs and il guarentee most of them will stay that way. End of the day when you leave school half go to university to study some of the most pointless courses such as politics etc some go on and do well in medicine blah blah and some just falter away and become a nobody simply because its been drummed in there heads that to measure sucess is to wear a fancy suit for work and not enough is being done to help kids find jobs when they are about to leave school and too many people are being told what sucess is by pointless people in positiions where they want to do well and dont give a damn about kids or there futures just how they look.

I wrote to everyfirm in a 100 mile radius off my own back i had the commitment to get to where i wanted to be, i had the desire to achieve it and i knew what i wanted to do, I get looked down on now when im covered in ###### and drive a van and in hindsight thats my sucess because i pay my rent and bills and im happy.

[adopted scouser]

Seems like no one on this site gives a toss about the near 1 million young people out of work, I see it as, my kids are alright then fook the rest.

I propose a minutes silence on a given day, and time of day to recognise the young unemployed of this nation. Then we might see something positive being done.

Cheers

That is possibly the funniest post I've ever seen

[JAL]

That is possibly the funniest post I've ever seen

Maybe i'm not thinking along the same lines as you guys, how about, lets have a ''kick a kid when hes down day''.

[adopted scouser]

Maybe i'm not thinking along the same lines as you guys, how about, lets have a ''kick a kid when hes down day''.

No, it was that 'minute's silence' FFS, what you on JAL ?!

[JAL]

No, it was that 'minute's silence' FFS, what you on JAL ?!

Just trying to provoke a response AS, its coming across as if nobody gives a damm as if everyone sees it as not their problem.

[thenodrog]

Just trying to provoke a response AS, its coming across as if nobody gives a damm as if everyone sees it as not their problem.

Instead of aimlessly banging on from one side try a bit of research Jal. You need to speak to some actual employers to find the cause of the malaise.

You say 19% of young eligible people are unemployed. If thats the case then can you explain why hundreds of thousands of migrant workers have flooded in from eastern Europe these past few years?

Obviously the fall off in manufacturing which began under Margaret Thatcher and despite governmental change has continued to this day as a direct result of the left wing union dominated rot that had set in in the 70's and also to recognise the shift in manufacturing to the Tiger economies of the far east on the cheap labour in that region.

Obviously the rise in technology has not helped. Companies will pay vast sums for hi-tech equipment if it will do away with the need to employ even a couple of people.

Personally speaking I'd much rather employ a person who is 40+ than a school / uni leaver. Todays education system and society is producing a work force not only academically poorer but with an awful attitude to work, careers and employment. Contributing massively to the export of manufacturing and labour from this country are Eu interference, our 'emplyer unfriendly' Employment laws and the rise to almost absolute power of the H&S Executive.

It'll have to get really tough for the coming generations before it gets better. The salient point being that no one wants to employ people anymore

[Al]

The problem with newly qualified degree students is that they think they can have the MD's job and they know stuff all. I've tried to work with several of them in my working life and the best advice I can offer them is to go work on the shop floor for peanuts for a while, learn the industry and then, if you have any talent and work ethic you will rise to the top.

Ignore JAL he is spouting his usual 'The world owes me a living' rubbish.

[JAL]

Instead of aimlessly banging on from one side try a bit of research Jal. You need to speak to some actual employers to find the cause of the malaise.

You say 19% of young eligible people are unemployed. If thats the case then can you explain why hundreds of thousands of migrant workers have flooded in from eastern Europe these past few years?

Obviously the fall off in manufacturing which began under Margaret Thatcher and despite governmental change has continued to this day as a direct result of the left wing union dominated rot that had set in in the 70's and also to recognise the shift in manufacturing to the Tiger economies of the far east on the cheap labour in that region.

Obviously the rise in technology has not helped. Companies will pay vast sums for hi-tech equipment if it will do away with the need to employ even a couple of people.

Personally speaking I'd much rather employ a person who is 40+ than a school / uni leaver. Todays education system and society is producing a work force not only academically poorer but with an awful attitude to work, careers and employment. Contributing massively to the export of manufacturing and labour from this country are Eu interference, our 'emplyer unfriendly' Employment laws and the rise to almost absolute power of the H&S Executive.

It'll have to get really tough for the coming generations before it gets better. The salient point being that no one wants to employ people anymore

Cheers Theno, some very good points which prompts, were are we heading as a nation, and what does the future hold. I had a rant about professional pay in this country being far, far too high as it only seems to drive up costs and widens divisions in society.

[BiggusLaddus]

Instead of aimlessly banging on from one side try a bit of research Jal. You need to speak to some actual employers to find the cause of the malaise.

You say 19% of young eligible people are unemployed. If thats the case then can you explain why hundreds of thousands of migrant workers have flooded in from eastern Europe these past few years?

We're in a recession and there is massive competition for jobs at the moment. I know that if I was to lose my job I would be extremely fortunate to find another in my profession (struct engineer), as I keep looking just in case and there is nothing around at my level. Many of those eastern european migrants have started to go home in the last 12mnths as a lot of them were working in the construction industry, which was probably hit harder than any other.

Of course, in the background there is the feeling that education has been 'dumbed-down' over a very long time. Evidence for this (apart from the ridiculous annual record-breaking exam results) is the way that professional qualifications are requiring a higher educational base than before.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

Personally speaking I'd much rather employ a person who is 40+ than a school / uni leaver.

Where is the sense in that? Unless you are saying all school/uni leavers are lazy, workshy people it seems illogical. Surely spending money on training and spending years developing a persons skills in a job is more worthwhile with someone in their early twenties than somebody who would probably retire after a few years?

Oh and just for the record, I'm at university now. So I'm sure I've suddenly become a work-dodging, council tax evading, cider downing k**b.

[Hughesy]

Agree with Al to a point - Iv worked with several 'iv got a degree' people who think just because they have a degree, its thier right to be in a better job and that they are important etc. Several of those iv worked with are in an office job, yet they have a degree in sports science or Child care or something else.

Experience is what counts...not a qualification.

If I was recruiting id much rather take on someone with 3-4 years experience, than someone with 0 experience but a degree.

[JAL]

The problem with newly qualified degree students is that they think they can have the MD's job and they know stuff all. I've tried to work with several of them in my working life and the best advice I can offer them is to go work on the shop floor for peanuts for a while, learn the industry and then, if you have any talent and work ethic you will rise to the top.

Ignore JAL he is spouting his usual 'The world owes me a living' rubbish.

Cheers Al, maybe there are a few degree students after the MD's job who might feel that way but surely not the vast majority.

The post was put out to see what has gone wrong with our society to have so many young unemployed. Thenodrog touches on a few good points but at this stage I think I just wish I'd never have posted.

[Dreyski]

Agree with Al to a point - Iv worked with several 'iv got a degree' people who think just because they have a degree, its thier right to be in a better job and that they are important etc. Several of those iv worked with are in an office job, yet they have a degree in sports science or Child care or something else.

Experience is what counts...not a qualification.

If I was recruiting id much rather take on someone with 3-4 years experience, than someone with 0 experience but a degree.

I agree with you to a point, but how does someone starting out get the experience that the employers/jobs require? I remember looking for a job several years ago...in the job centre - "previous experience essential". My wife's in the same boat now, except she does have experience (in banking). People still don't want to know.

[sloth_frattelli]

Bring back National Service!

[Hughesy]

I agree with you to a point, but how does someone starting out get the experience that the employers/jobs require? I remember looking for a job several years ago...in the job centre - "previous experience essential". My wife's in the same boat now, except she does have experience (in banking). People still don't want to know.

Start at the bottom and work their way up....take anything and then keep applying for the type of jobs you actually want. You might need to lower expectations if your experience is minimal....Anyone can get employment if they really want it.

[Al]

Bring back National Service!

Many a true word spoken in jest. Although sending some poor sod to Afganistan on conscription would hardly be fair.

[Dreyski]

Start at the bottom and work their way up....take anything and then keep applying for the type of jobs you actually want. You might need to lower expectations if your experience is minimal....Anyone can get employment if they really want it.

True, but at what point would pride take over? You wouldn't want to be 30 years old and flipping burgers (unless you were also the manager).

[JC4LAB]

A lot of graduates will being leaving uni with massive loans to pay off..Gone are the days when you could just doss about after being at uni..

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

Probably rising to 7k per year for tuition fees next year. I make that over 20k without even considering what I'm using for rent/everything else in years 2 & 3.

But nahh, we're all a bunch of layabouts, remember.

[Bazzanotsogreat]

Prince Charles had it right when he said that some kids just weren’t cut out for uni and that we should point them in the direction of vocational study or entry level jobs. He was berated by many as a hypocrite for raising this point- but I actually think he was right!

This is instead of New labour’s manifesto of forcing kids to go to uni as ”you wont ever achieve anything without a degree”.

My experience of the most recent uni graduates is that they talk a good game- but have very little life experience and even less common sense. The best ones are usually those that have been on a work-based placement as part of their degree- which pretty much underlines the problem.

You can have all the academic credentials in the world- but without the pragmatic experience that employment brings you stand very little chance of finding a good job.

[jim mk2]

. Im 18 stayed on and did sixthform but always wanted to be a joiner/plasterer, every other kid round me had it slammed down there throat in order to be sucessfull you had to wear a suit for work or go to university, which quite franfully is utter ######

Probably the most pertinent sentence in this thread.

The continuing government drive to have more and more kids at university is one cause of youth unemployment because having a "degree" gives them false expectations. In a nutshell, there aren't enough good, well-paid jobs around to satisfy the thousands of graduates coming out of the colleges every year leading to many of them rejecting work that they consider beneath them.