GagainPEI

Sorry to take so long to respond but I've just allowed myself out of the dunce's corner!

No, just a retired tax inspector who decided she'd had enough excitement to last a lifetime, so moved to PEI & the drink's parties & pot luck suppers. Hooray, next one's tonight.

Jules Europe

The question was actually directed to Tr1boy.

GagainPEI

Sorry. Back in the corner.

Danny B

Because Brit mentality is either

a) Collect dole money rather than earn minimum wage
b) Let a Eastern European do it instead.

I have friends that would rather sit at home all day on the dole than work 40hrs a week as a dishwasher. Sad but true.

dunroving

For a close relative of mine (single mum, 3 kids), she'd be no better off working (because of the cost of childcare, etc.) than on Gov't handouts, so where's the motivation? The Government seems to reward raising babies for the sake of raising babies.

Tootsie Frickensprinkles

So lets tar the whole country with the brush of two well known sub cultures and another set of people stuck where they no doubt would rather not be then?? Raising babies on government level funding is no god dam joke.

It is not great, I'm in HR and in a difficult employment situation myself and prefer to judge whats going on in London in real terms rather than national statistics and I see the jobs to applicants ratio at scary highs in all sorts of sectors from entry level to middle management.

But that said, as always, the media is playing the doom and gloom game and a large section of newswatch this morning was dedicated to the fact that the loss of 850 contract jobs at the mini plant was a much bolder and much larger news article than the announcement of the creation of 10,000 jobs over a few years by KFC UK.

cricket1again

A lot of jobs that are advertised need skilled people and one problem seems to be that there is a shortage of skills.

cricket1again

I am confused by the media's suggestion of doom and gloom. I have to wonder what's behind it. I also have to wonder about the perception of doom and gloom.
We are looking at buying a business in the UK as a cash income. The owners, nice people who have run the business for 23 years, are despondant that in the last 12 months, the figures are slightly down but when I looked at the figures, yes they are down on last year but they are still right up there. I wouldn't be worried by them.

I think fear and paranoia are at the helm and because of this, people are miserable because they are expecting things to get worse because that's what they've told.
They need to lift their expectation because even if things are tricky, what's the point in being negative? Don't people need hope to pull themselves up?

Tr1boy

Sorry, I was asleep.



Yes and no. I'm a CELTA qualified teacher through Cambridge (taken in Oz) and taught English when I lived in Colombia (voluntarily), but it's not how I make my living. I thought that I would make my living through teaching at one point as my intention was to return to Colombia permanently, ( it's my favourite country apart from England) but I ended up getting married in Korea so I have not been back since.

I have done some paid teaching here, mostly in multi-nationals that employ large groups of Japanese and Koreans and I've had some private students. I can't say a career in ELTA really appeals nowadays as it's a young person's game really and not well paid but I have found having the certificate proves invaluable on my CV when demonstrating high level written and verbal communication skills, which are very important my job.

One thing I loved about the CELTA program above the myriad others out there is that it really focuses on how to be a good teacher as well as the actual language itself. I have to say it wasn't easy at all, even the entrance exam was pretty hard. Native speakers are rarely taught all the technical terms for different aspects of English, as we don't essentially need to know them. For example, I was surprised to learn there are 13 tenses, not 3.

I've always been very interested in language and cultures, especially non Anglo ones. I'm at my most 'comfortable' when in a country where I have to work hard to communicate. It makes one feel alive and more aware of the world IMO.

dunroving

I'm not sure why statistics and real terms are incompatible. Isn't the "jobs to applicants ratio" a statistic?

My relative's situation is real enough (and no joke - who was joking about it?). She is as p*ssed off about the situation as anyone is. In fact she's not just p*ssed off, she's clinically depressed. That's certainly no joke.

Danny B

Exactly the same thing happened to Poland in 2006 when all the skilled workers buggered off to Western Europe to earn more money working in a UK factory, rather than staying in Poland as a Doctor, dentist, engineer etc.

That's what happens when people migrate to other countries, the skills shortage you describe is probably happening right now ie- A qualified UK engineer has migrated to Canada/Australia and is either working in the same profession or if he came to Canada, a cab driver LOL

Cape Blue

Yes, I just read about that http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditor...ews_first.html

Still, the media are always fixated on negative news, its always "6 shot in London" rather than "60 Million have a generally pleasant weekend".

Shame really, the constant drip-feed of negativity appears to have a bad effect of the happiness (and probably health) of the UK populace.

jmh

Some of the comments on that blog were interesting. I feel disappointed that I have lost respect for the BBC as a news provider. I don't know if their standards have slipped or maybe I am just more aware of it, but it seems to offer sensationalised, emotive reporting, leaving out informative data. The only attempt they make to offer any balance is to get two people from opposing camps and shouting FIGHT!!! Come on down Jerry Springer!

Cape Blue

I agree, I have always liked the beeb and found the website excellent, but you can often click on the UK page and just see a mass of sensationalised negative stories. I guess that they are competing with the other UK media, plus reporters are only human and have been duped along with the rest of the public to relish bad news.

cricket1again

It has a bad effect on how the rest of the world perceive the UK. Most currently think it's about to fall into a black hole. I'm frequently asked if I think it's wise to be moving back to the UK at this time??? When I ask why not?
They ask me, have you not read the news?

There again the British media has it's right wing and left wing followers so I can see that most of what's reported is highly political. Nevertheless, they are pulling Britain downwards.