This country as gone into terminal decline

[Carmes]

I have 2 young children in school.

I am becoming more and more anxious about what sort of jobs / careers they will have open to them.

I work for very large company with 10,000s of employees.

20 years ago whe I started work here there would be 100s of entry level jobs at any given time. These are jobs that don't require experience or a degree, ideal for a school leaver, and I know dozens of people who started their career this way.

Now there are maybe 10 jobs that would fit the same criteria.so. All the jobs have been offshored.
Now are the vacancies are for very specific technical skill set or experience.

This doesn't bode well for someone who has left school at 18'or even university.

It’s not though. Not when you factor in everything else such as loss of personal allowance, etc. That’s why we are in such a state. It’s also why productivity is being damaged in those who we need working to full capacity.

Why are we operating on 80-year-olds to give them pacemakers? Anything that’s prolonging life over 60 needs to stop.
I’m not suggesting that we don’t treat people and make them comfortable.

But if we don’t all die of something, we’re all gonna be standing on each other’s heads shortly.

I responded to your post, which was based on my post about illegal migration specifically.

I have previously posted that legal migration should be controlled, but I do think certain skills should qualify, providing people end up net contributors. Although I also think we should be valuing vocations like caring more and paying a fair wage to those who choose to do it and training people here in the UK, for careers in caring, where there are possible routes into management, so it doesn’t feel like a bloody hard, dead end job etc.

Or indeed these creative industries which we are quick to scorn as "mickey mouse" but which used to and still do provide a lot of jobs, not to mention a heck of a lot of cultural capital. Some of the UK's greatest exports over the past 50 years have been arts or music. Of course not everyone can do it but we shouldn't make it so impossible for people to achieve this that it becomes the preserve of rich dilettantes whose parents can afford to support them indefinitely.
Agree. The creative industries contribute, I think something like 20bn to the UK economy and is the only industry bucking the trend in the UK. And it's not just actors and musicians, but designers, technicians, graphic designers, games designers etc. Yet people who have no idea of the current jobs market still go on about ' degrees in meeja studies' when anything creative arts is mentioned.

Yes as a previous NHS recruiter. We have a massive hole in recruitment none of the British educated Nurses and Drs want to do the "Boring" jobs I.e work on geriatric wards so we used to have recruitment drives in the Philippines, india and other 3rd world countries. All our recruits work bloody hard and stick at their jobs. Whereas recruits from the UK leave after 1 or 2 years. We noted a massive immigration to middle east for Tax free incomes Dubai, Saudi, Qatar etc.

They all want to specalise even though we have an aging population and a demand for geriatric care.
Postgrads from the UK are getting worse and they live in dream land. Not sure what rubbish they are fed at schools or open days.

All this is a pointless discussion anyway, because in April Labour will be further taxing our cars and holidays and we’ll all be back again to complain about how life keeps on getting shitter in the UK and how now we have even less disposable income and no holidays. We’ve got four years of taxes to look forward to, with absolutely no change expected.

Agree. But for this to happen, work needs to pay True, but again much of the public want cheap. Look at the disconnect between browsing the high street and then buying it cheaper online whilst complaining about the loss of the high street.

Anything that’s prolonging life over 60 needs to stop.

im not sure that’s a vote winner!

I worked in NHS recuritment. Sorry but not every one can be in management we need Band 5 and 6s to do caring for massively growing geriatric population. We have many units in hospital for geriatrics and so they need staffing with qualified staff. But recruits from the UK don't want to do it.

I had family who did care work and the carers did minimal to get paid it was awful.

This is the best comment. I am in total agreement with you. Don't want to be too outing, but my job brought me into contact with an immigrant family. They were Russian Ashkenazi. They first emigrated to Israel in the 1990s, claiming Russia's persecution of the Jews (fair enough from what I heard) and then when in Israel they gave birth to a boy and did not want to send him to the Israeli army (compulsory), they came on holiday to the UK and claimed asylum here, citing - WAIT - Israel's persecution of them as the Russian Jews... Seriously, you could not make it up, but the UK gave them asylum on the grounds that Israel persecuted them as Jews (!!!!) of Russian origin. Their boy was only 3 or 4 when they arrived, so English is his main language. This boy was given priority to study medicine because he is from an immigrant background (official box tick in UCAS) and he was shamelessly lying about English not being his native tongue to get himself extra time for written exams at school. They regularly received money from their parents in Israel and claimed every benefit under the sun, never working one day, despite being in their early 50s now (came here 27 years ago). They knew how to game the system.

We’ve got four years of taxes to look forward to, with absolutely no change expected.

We will have no taxes after 4 years? 🎉

This! I’m a millennial and we are constantly preached at to “make our dreams come true” instead of practical ways to earn a living and make a livelihood. There is alot of misplaced ambition and skill. Not enough training for the things that matter. I work within the property sector and the skill gaps are immense!!! Everyone wants to be an interior designer but nobody wants to do the plumbing, the fire safety, the carpentry, there are so many jobs out there but the UK university system does not seem to connect what the industry needs with the courses available: There are so many self taught people that can’t get in as they will need to retrain also.

I have a teen and I’m not super worried - as I’m making her aware that a huge part of getting a job is doing the stuff you don’t LOVE but keep probaoem solving and apply yourself and learn. Plus there are lots of schemes now for just 12 year olds (insane that you have to start thinking about career so young) - nepotism will be bigger than it ever has been despite everything we are learning about “evening our the playing field”

We’ve got to get away from “dreamy jobs” and “bitcoin” and “get rich quick” and “do what you love”(unless there is a clear career path for it) - and looking at what the world needs and being the solution in that field.

Objecting to prolonging life over 60.
My father was still running a business & employing people well into his 70s but according to you he should have been left to die had he needed a pacemaker at 60. As it is he died age 88 & for most of the time he kept well & was enjoying life. Your suggestion is ludicrous.

Wow!!!!!!

And here are my parents from Africa worked everyday of their life sickness and in death never taking time off. Slaving away in factories and being honest hard working citizens and taught us the same.

People as you mentioned should be made to pay back all of it and then kicked out the country back to where they are from. Simpliles!

Why are you implying that I suggested just taking Brits, sticking them in the NHS, with the expectation that they go up to management.

1. we need to pay carers fairly. I didn’t say top dollar, but fairly
2. we need to promote caring as a career and offer appropriate training, so people understand how to do the job and don’t enter as a lay person like my mother did, and get the shock of their lives when they have to give a bed bath
3. we need people to know there are options for continued training and pathways, so they can develop within the caring industry - not all will of course, but some might like to

Why do people want to keep caring for the elderly, a low paid, low skill job, where employing immigrants is necessary? How is that good for our elderly? Doesn’t that increase the risk of abuse or neglect? I’m promoting caring for our elderly and valuing the people who do it, to make it a more appealing career choice.

Who pays? I personally believe we should all have some sort of special pension, mandatory savings or insurance, and I mean everyone. Not even exempt if you’re on welfare. In fact, the welfare state needs dramatic change, and a lot of downsizing.

We absolutely do need working immigrants, both skilled and unskilled. My NHS team is made up of 4 people from India, 2 from Malaysia, 1 from Australia, 1 from Greece, 1 from Portugal, 1 from South Africa and 4 from Britain. We struggle to recruit due to the specialist skill set required, and we would be absolutely stuffed without immigrants.

Look at the outcry over means testing winter fuel though
We need to pay more. All of us. Not just the wealthy. this is the bit everyone has a problem with

Look also at what good it didn't do for Theresa May when she dared to suggest wealthier pensioners should fund more of their own care, @Strikeoutnow; for once it was a politician being honest and it was a major factor in her losing the election

And yes, keeping the elderly comfortable rather than aggressively treating every last thing probably wouldn't be a vote winner, but sooner or later it's what'll have to happen - and FWIW I'm one of those this would affect and I still agree with it

System leeches come in all shapes and forms. I know a very English girl born here who is 23, has 3 kids from different deadbeat dads, a nice council flat and enough money from the government to not have to work. She's never contributed a dime into the system.

Of course we will, but I’m hoping we’ll have a party who realises that to create growth, people need more money and so won’t rely on taxes to keep the country trundling along at such a low level.

What? I’m 63, you’re saying that if I get a cancer diagnosis I should only get palliative care?

Houses need maintenance? They don't just get built and exist thereafter in a like-new condition. And lots of people either don't have time or inclination or skills to do even minor repairs themselves.

I think this thread shows just how little older people are valued. People are literally shocked by my suggestion of proper pay and training for people working in care homes for example, ensuring our elderly have good quality care and not just leaving it along with fruit picking, for immigrants.

DP thinks we need some kind of Logan's run (Carousel) for pensioners.

Of course we will, but I’m hoping we’ll have a party who realises that to create growth, people need more money and so won’t rely on taxes to keep the country trundling along at such a low level.

Wishful thinking I’m afraid

Yes both my grandparents died at 67
They had good lives. They were dearly missed. It’s a shame they didn’t get to 70.
But it’s not sustainable for people to be retiring at 55 in my ex mother-in-law’s case and living to 85. Half the time she sat in the living room staring into space with no concept of it being night all day. And paying over a grand a week for the pleasure.