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[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Everything said above is very true but the truth is that for years now, education has been focussed on non vocational subjects and in pushing students into applying to go to university. rather than preparing for what might be more suitable vocational careers. Students have been encouraged to pay large sums to go on degree courses which have little hope of delivering employable outcomes in the real world. Film Studies may be very enjoyable but try getting a job on thet basis!

Universities, including what are essentially relabelled Polytechnics, have been happy to lower their standards by running degree courses of little practical use in order to maximise their income. The losers are the students who emerge from all this with qualifications that don't result in lucrative jobs, just massive debts and 'skills' that they have little hope of applying.

The reality is that a good grounding in practical skills such as plumbing, electrics and many others etc. can offer very satisfying careers which can pay very well indeed.

Over the last few years, we have employed craftsmen to do various works in our house and I have been really impressed with the standard of work from tradesmen who really know their business ( and are very hard to get hold of!). I doubt if any of them had a university education but theye are very, very useful people and often seem happy in their work (and not short of it either!).

Colin

[Dave Smith 17Participant @davesmith17]

Colin – regarding the 'film studies' degree, when I was working for a well known national broadcast television company I spent a few years working for a sadly missed Australian presenter. When we advertised for new members of staff, we literally had sacks of mail coming in, so we all had to muck in and sift through them. One guideline we were given was 'any application from someone with a degree in media studies goes straight in the bin'.

 

Edited By Dave Smith 17 on 12/02/2023 18:51:18

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Dave, I'm not at all surprised to hear that.. Just feel sorry for the applicant who was conned into believing it was the way to a good job after incurring huge personal expense.

Most of our politicians these days seem to have read PPE ( Philosophy, Politics and Economics ) which basically gives them no practical skills in running a Government or anything else. Explains a lot really.

Colin

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

Whatever the reasons – and I suspect that there are a few – none of it bodes well for the future of the hobby nor the longer term existence of a magazine dedicated to it.

Back to something more cheerful.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

I don't think the previous posts have any relvance to the magazine Chris.E.

Colin

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

As well as litigation the other problem that schools now have is a lack of staff with the practical skills to use the machinery and equipment. I know of one school that has lathes and a forge (electric now!) etc. but they aren't used.

How can youngsters get a taste for engineering which may be an ideal career for them if schools can't provide it? An opportunity being missed at what is probably a critical time.

Chris

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

Posted by Colin Bishop on 12/02/2023 20:36:16:

I don't think the previous posts have any relvance to the magazine Chris.E.

Colin

And there our opinions differ. We will see.

[lifeboat loverParticipant @lifeboatlover]

a good day

i think you are 99 % right. My oldest grandson who is 14 is interested in building mancraft with his computer but that 's more working with th brain than the hands. WE ( ROYAL MODELYACHTING CLUB ANTWERP) have contacted technical schools where a new generation of carpenters and plummers are formed and what is the result?

i think we need to face that our hobby is slowly dying. Just on story about the mentality of parents:

some time ago i went to the only modelshop in Antwerp and the owner told me this story. a father came in with his son and bought a 4X4 modelcar rc controlled. after a couple of weeks they returned and said the toy is rubbish it's not functionning any more. The owner of the shop said of cours you need to charge the batteries.

THE FATHER SAID CAN YOU DO THIS????? no he said you need to buy a charger. They ran out of the shop more than angry. That's how parents react this days.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

Posted by Chris Fellows on 12/02/2023 21:00:27:

As well as litigation the other problem that schools now have is a lack of staff with the practical skills to use the machinery and equipment. I know of one school that has lathes and a forge (electric now!) etc. but they aren't used.

How can youngsters get a taste for engineering which may be an ideal career for them if schools can't provide it? An opportunity being missed at what is probably a critical time.

Chris

as a qualified teacher who taught wood and metal work plus tech drawing in this country and Australia for nearly 20 years and lost the will to live almost when "craft, design and Technology " became the norm, i doubt these days that any of the teachers teaching the subject would know the difference between a laithe and a potters wheel, never mind a tennon and a rip saw,

As such a lot of the technical skills have been lost for kids to actually use in model making.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

THE FATHER SAID CAN YOU DO THIS????? no he said you need to buy a charger. They ran out of the shop more than angry. That's how parents react this days.

Presumably he is used to charging his mobile phone and laptop/ tablet computer? Today's yonger adults often seem to have little grasp of the basic principles of physics. Typically they don't appreciate the difference between volts and amps. They have become consumers of technology that they have not been educated to understand.

Colin

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

Colin

My guess is that the problem was the fact that you need to buy a charger separately as a extra. His phone came with a "free" charger. The idea of things not being ready for use & complete is now foreign to many people .

That doesn't stop him being dim however.

 

Edited By Chris E on 14/02/2023 12:21:34

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Quite possible Chris, although many phones are no longer supplied with a charger – just a USB lead. Likewise my iPad, no charger and the Apple one cost around £18. (I wasn't going to risk a generic Chinese one!)

Maybe the shop should have tried to sell him a charger at the time of purchase.

Colin

Edited By Colin Bishop on 14/02/2023 12:45:43

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

Posted by Colin Bishop on 14/02/2023 12:45:14:

Maybe the shop should have tried to sell him a charger at the time of purchase.

Colin

Agreed – neither party comes out smelling of roses.

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

And the parent obviously didn't bother reading the instructions?

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