Bell On Mr Says We Will Saved £30Million With Wage Freeze

[The Border Terrier]

TBT, in your post #55 reminds me of the howls of laughter when our own Stu Peters had misheard the onchan result and when interviewing Earnshaw immediately after the count Stu said 'well that was a good result'. After a silent pause Earnshaw responded with 'not for me it wasn't'.

 

One of the best Manx Radio balls of all time,and I still find it hilarious all these years later.

 

I seem to remember it being John Moss' faux pas. But I'm prepared to concede to greater knowledge.

 

But well worthy of a laugh in anybodys book.

 

The devil inside me suggests that perhaps it wasn't the error that Stu/John claims it was...late in the day, bored and wanting to get off home, just couldn't resist a final haymaker at the dunce himself.

 

TBT.

[woolley]

I seem to remember it being John Moss' faux pas. But I'm prepared to concede to greater knowledge.

 

TBT.

Definitely Stu.

 

On a par with Bernie Quayle falling to the prankster who requested a tune for Minjeeta and Bernie did it and said what a lovely name it was.

[Lisenchuk]

Back on topic,sort of.

 

In a way you have to feel sorry for Bell being handed this financial crock of shit which he unfortunately inherited from the previous administration's Treasury Minister and his profligate tendencies.

[Shake me up Judy]

 

I seem to remember it being John Moss' faux pas. But I'm prepared to concede to greater knowledge.

 

TBT.

Definitely Stu.

 

On a par with Bernie Quayle falling to the prankster who requested a tune for Minjeeta and Bernie did it and said what a lovely name it was.

 

Yes it was definitely Stu, and it was a genuine mistake. Bloody funny though.

 

Bernie was a star. He used to crack me up sometimes but you sort of guessed that he wasn't well. I used to enjoy his late night show. Anybody know how he is ?

[woolley]

 

 

A monster has been created by sending (and rightly so) so many school leavers to university when there are not enough jobs worthy of their degrees. Now they are creating over inflated requirements for job applicants to justify the expenditure on their education.

Why rightly so? Everything else 100% spot on.

 

Rightly so? Because the world is now a global village in which we all need to compete. The menial, labouring, low cost/wage industries have already been transferred eastward. That business opportunity has long gone.

 

We must concentrate on the niche markets e.g. research, development, delivery of education, the 'intelligent' markets. Sure we still need to flip a burger and empty a bin, but to compete globally we need something extra.

 

And for those markets to be fully exploited (and protected to stay ahead of the competition), we need educated staff.

 

So the majority of school leavers should be educated to higher levels than they have previously.

 

TBT.

And are the majority of school leavers better educated than they were previously? No. The standards are lamentable.

 

Are we doing well at nurturing those "high value" jobs that were promised when manufacturing moved east? No. The high value jobs are going too. You talk of research, development, the intelligent markets. This is way out of date. That niche too is not our preserve any longer. China and India are turning out brilliant graduates by the million every year. Eminently employable at salaries of around £12k to £15k per year. You expect us to compete with that? Welcome to globalisation.

 

Are all of the people who are put through higher education coming out to better prospects than they would otherwise have done? No. Many cannot find work of the type they have been encouraged to aspire to.

 

Your post sounds like an advocacy for the higher education "industry" that was encouraged to grow throughout the nineties and noughties. 50% higher educated was the aim. It was a con. Young people who were totally unsuited to university were put through the mill to fuel the growth of this "industry" which spawned a plethora of substandard pseudo universities delivering worthless courses. Familes bought into it because they thought that it was good for their children. How often did you hear "He's the first in our family to go to university"? They went through the process and many finished up demoralised, cheated and latterly extremely financially indebted.

 

University should consist of the elite institutions catering for the most gifted 10% of the population, on superb intellectually challenging courses as it used to be. It should be totally state funded with bursaries and maintenance grants as it used to be. That way excellence can thrive unburdened by debt and those who are academically unsuited to higher education should be offered vocational training at 16 or 18. Anything bigger is all part of the mirage that has been the post industrial economy that has led us into the dire straits we have been discussing.

[woolley]

Back on topic,sort of.

 

In a way you have to feel sorry for Bell being handed this financial crock of shit which he unfortunately inherited from the previous administration's Treasury Minister and his profligate tendencies.

I do feel some sympathy for Mr Bell. It must be very difficult to change the culture of a public sector that has grown fat on the years of plenty. He really needs a realist from within the hierarchy on side who will turn on colleagues and facilitate the necessary. You don't see it happening though. And without that co-operation, what on earth can he do?

[Lisenchuk]

 

Back on topic,sort of.

 

In a way you have to feel sorry for Bell being handed this financial crock of shit which he unfortunately inherited from the previous administration's Treasury Minister and his profligate tendencies.

I do feel some sympathy for Mr Bell. It must be very difficult to change the culture of a public sector that has grown fat on the years of plenty. He really needs a realist from within the hierarchy on side who will turn on colleagues and facilitate the necessary. You don't see it happening though. And without that co-operation, what on earth can he do?

He could always go back to being Treasury Minister,I suppose.

[Albert Tatlock]

 

Back on topic,sort of.

 

In a way you have to feel sorry for Bell being handed this financial crock of shit which he unfortunately inherited from the previous administration's Treasury Minister and his profligate tendencies.

I do feel some sympathy for Mr Bell....what on earth can he do?

He'll arise to the challenge eventually. "Arise Sir Allan of Apathy, take your knighthood and fat pension and **** off to the sunset earning 20% interest".

[Donald Trumps]

 

Back on topic,sort of.

 

In a way you have to feel sorry for Bell being handed this financial crock of shit which he unfortunately inherited from the previous administration's Treasury Minister and his profligate tendencies.

I do feel some sympathy for Mr Bell. It must be very difficult to change the culture of a public sector that has grown fat on the years of plenty. He really needs a realist from within the hierarchy on side who will turn on colleagues and facilitate the necessary. You don't see it happening though. And without that co-operation, what on earth can he do?

resign

[Lxxx]

So at the moment we have an impotent Chief Minister who is apparently being foiled at each turn by the civil service, who would rather see the island go under before losing the perks and benefits they've engineered for themselves in the time of free money. So how do we move forward then? More toilet tax, parking tax etc.... to give the appearance they're doing something rather than addressing the real elephant in the room?

[Mr Shoe]

So at the moment we have an impotent Chief Minister who is apparently being foiled at each turn by the civil service...

Bell will retire an immensely wealthy man in...ooooo...2 years max?

 

Nothing impotent about him.

[The Border Terrier]

In a way you have to feel sorry for Bell being handed this financial crock of shit which he unfortunately inherited from the previous administration's Treasury Minister and his profligate tendencies.

 

Nah, I still remember the Mutiny of the Bounty, the fibreglass ship that cost a fortune and (allegedly) sank without trace at Jurby airfield.

 

Or the import of tyres from the UK for the Jurby racetrack....when there were tons of the things down at Balthane industrial estate. Once informed, he affirmed that those tyres weren't the 'right sort'.

 

Or the mount Murray fiasco where the 'holiday lets' all had double garages. And Al (along with others) told porkies to Tynwald over that.

 

And what was all that about the 'chase me Charlie' dashing about Andreas in his underpants? All very unseemly.

 

He's been around a long time and made too many mistakes.

 

No sympathy.

 

TBT.

[The Border Terrier]

 

And are the majority of school leavers better educated than they were previously? No. The standards are lamentable.

 

Are we doing well at nurturing those "high value" jobs that were promised when manufacturing moved east? No. The high value jobs are going too. You talk of research, development, the intelligent markets. This is way out of date. That niche too is not our preserve any longer. China and India are turning out brilliant graduates by the million every year. Eminently employable at salaries of around £12k to £15k per year. You expect us to compete with that? Welcome to globalisation.

 

Are all of the people who are put through higher education coming out to better prospects than they would otherwise have done? No. Many cannot find work of the type they have been encouraged to aspire to.

 

Your post sounds like an advocacy for the higher education "industry" that was encouraged to grow throughout the nineties and noughties. 50% higher educated was the aim. It was a con. Young people who were totally unsuited to university were put through the mill to fuel the growth of this "industry" which spawned a plethora of substandard pseudo universities delivering worthless courses. Familes bought into it because they thought that it was good for their children. How often did you hear "He's the first in our family to go to university"? They went through the process and many finished up demoralised, cheated and latterly extremely financially indebted.

 

University should consist of the elite institutions catering for the most gifted 10% of the population, on superb intellectually challenging courses as it used to be. It should be totally state funded with bursaries and maintenance grants as it used to be. That way excellence can thrive unburdened by debt and those who are academically unsuited to higher education should be offered vocational training at 16 or 18. Anything bigger is all part of the mirage that has been the post industrial economy that has led us into the dire straits we have been discussing.

 

>And are the majority of school leavers better educated than they were previously? No. The standards are lamentable.

 

The parents, grandparents and education boards (A level results ascend forever skyward) all insist that standards have risen.

But you’re right, overall, standards are mediocre at best. We need better education.

 

>Are we doing well at nurturing those "high value" jobs that were promised when manufacturing moved east? No. The high value jobs are going too.

 

Again, you’re right. Like I say, we need to target these areas.

 

>You talk of research, development, the intelligent markets. This is way out of date. That niche too is not our preserve any longer.

 

Anybody with brains (education?) and good business sense can muscle into this market at any time. It’s not exclusive to any nation. Just that in the past, the British have been very good at it.

 

 

>China and India are turning out brilliant graduates by the million every year.

 

Educated at British universities?

 

>Eminently employable at salaries of around £12k to £15k per year. You expect us to compete with that? Welcome to globalisation.

 

I see no reason why a basic graduate should expect to receive mega bucks as soon as they leave university. They haven’t the experience, responsibility, proven track record of work ethic within a team environment for starters.

 

>Are all of the people who are put through higher education coming out to better prospects than they would otherwise have done? No. Many cannot find work of the type they have been encouraged to aspire to.

 

And lots have completed unsound degrees that have no chance of employment. Ask any careers adviser, they could have told them before they started.

 

>Your post sounds like an advocacy for the higher education "industry" that was encouraged to grow throughout the nineties and noughties. 50% higher educated was the aim.

 

Of course you can read it as such. But the three examples given were only the tip of the iceberg. I believe we need to work smarter and develop products that the world needs. Why even Dyson has gone overseas for production but held onto British research facilities. And Formula 1 is almost exclusively British. There are many examples of Britain leading the world.

 

>It was a con.

 

For some, it was. “He's the first in our family to go to university"? How right you are. Pride comes before a fall.

 

>Familes bought into it because they thought that it was good for their children. They went through the process and many finished up demoralised, cheated and latterly extremely financially indebted.

 

From my experience of further/higher education the British student started a mile behind the pace. Too confident by half, believing all that their grandmothers told them that they were the best The foreign students were better by a very long way, discipline being at the very forefront of their methodology. Sober too!

 

>... and those who are academically unsuited to higher education should be offered vocational training at 16 or 18.

 

Vocational training aka education; which brings us back to where I started... QED.

 

TBT.

[woolley]

>China and India are turning out brilliant graduates by the million every year.

 

Educated at British universities? No, certainly not.

 

... and those who are academically unsuited to higher education should be offered vocational training at 16 or 18.

 

Vocational training aka education; which brings us back to where I started... QED. Apprenticeships, technical training, on the job training. Not the same as wasting years at a "university" which is really hardly worthy of the term. And while we are at it, reclassify lots of jobs so that they no longer need an irrelevant degree.

[Albert Tatlock]

What's the point of apprentices if they don't start building the (at least) 2000 new homes required on the island?

 

Where's the work?

 

It takes around 5 years for the construction industry here, IMO, to lose its skill base. If and when a boom does happen here ever again, the next batch of skilled construction workers will have to be imported.

 

Instead of 'investing' in Pinewood and the bloody Sefton, they should have put that £50M to good use on a construction program.