Current Affairs EU In or Out

[Bruce Wayne]

Why? There were a lot of benefits to having a career in one field (or even with one company) - loyalty for a start, the quality of the training, increased expertise, stability (for the employees and management) etc.

Binning it off for in order to make most of the private sector face a succession of McJobs wasn’t in anyone’s interest, except the same short-termist cretins that have caused loads of damage elsewhere.

A number of reasons, but the three main ones are that there is an increasing pace of churn in terms of companies, so the idea that a company will be around for 40-50 years is naive in my opinion. Indeed, just 30 of the firms in the original FTSE 100 in 1984 are still operating. Maybe in the civil service, there is a certain inoculation from that, but for many people that is the reality.

Secondly, skill requirements are changing at a tremendous pace, such that many of the jobs that young people do today don't exist when they graduate. It's possible that this will mean minor adjustments to your skills but it's also quite possible that fundamental reskilling will be required.

Thirdly, we're all living longer (Covid aside), so the notion of studying, then working, then retiring is an outdated mental model.

 

[tsubaki]

A number of reasons, but the three main ones are that there is an increasing pace of churn in terms of companies, so the idea that a company will be around for 40-50 years is naive in my opinion. Indeed, just 30 of the firms in the original FTSE 100 in 1984 are still operating. Maybe in the civil service, there is a certain inoculation from that, but for many people that is the reality.

Secondly, skill requirements are changing at a tremendous pace, such that many of the jobs that young people do today don't exist when they graduate. It's possible that this will mean minor adjustments to your skills but it's also quite possible that fundamental reskilling will be required.

Thirdly, we're all living longer (Covid aside), so the notion of studying, then working, then retiring is an outdated mental model.

Well, the first point is something driven by short-termism in business. There’s very little reason why competently run firms shouldn’t last more than a decade or two, but we have them competed against unfairly by chains and the online giants, or done over by banks and/or the government

Regarding your second point, that is true in some sectors but not that many - the skills learned as a mechanic or a welder for instance don’t really expire, nor are they of no use going forward when technology changes. We already have problems with older, more highly trained people leaving the workforce taking skills with them that aren’t replaced.

Finally re the last part of the reason we are living longer is because many from those generations had stability from careers, not because they were doing the equivalent of changing jobs every so often in order to help out employers.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Well, the first point is something driven by short-termism in business. There’s very little reason why competently run firms shouldn’t last more than a decade or two, but we have them competed against unfairly by chains and the online giants, or done over by banks and/or the government

Regarding your second point, that is true in some sectors but not that many - the skills learned as a mechanic or a welder for instance don’t really expire, nor are they of no use going forward when technology changes. We already have problems with older, more highly trained people leaving the workforce taking skills with them that aren’t replaced.

Finally re the last part of the reason we are living longer is because many from those generations had stability from careers, not because they were doing the equivalent of changing jobs every so often in order to help out employers.

*shrug* I'm just giving my thoughts on the lay of the land. I don't doubt people will prefer it if change doesn't happen and many will be broadsided when it does. We sadly have a lot of evidence from the 70s and 80s of the poor ability of our society to help people whose livelihoods have been disrupted from doing new things.

You mentioned mechanics, for instance. When my dad trained as a mechanic there were no electronics in the car, much less any software. Now, vehicles such as the Tesla are as much software as they are hardware, and the updates are delivered in real time to the vehicle much as our operating system is updated. That may not eliminate mechanics per see, but it will certainly change their role. Similarly in other areas of industry, whether jet engines or farm equipment, changes to business models have meant that many bits of equipment are not bought now but rented, so the onus is not on the end user to repair them but the owner. It might not eliminate the role, but it changes it considerably.

 

[Chewbacca]

I already know I’m a dinosaur but I loved being a one company man for 39 years. Stated as a lab technician and did 12 different jobs over the years to end up as a European technical manager. A good pension scheme (that I enrolled in as soon as I could) meant I could retire at 56 having travelled the world working for an enlightened Californian employer.

Neoliberalism has a lot to answer for and using short job spans and almost self employed status as a way to keep costs down is high amongst them.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

UK ‘poorest’ nation in northwest Europe, research shows

SNP says figures show why Scotland better off breaking from ‘poor man of northwest Europe’

www.independent.co.uk

Not pensioners with their triple lock, of course...

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

At least we have some lorry driver to each other I suppose!

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

Some good news... Who would have mutual respect has positive outcomes...

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Post-Brexit trade agreements could lead to unhealthier diets - Oxford study | University of Oxford

Post-Brexit free trade deals could lead to unhealthier eating in the UK and more diet-related deaths. But harms could be offset with targeted farming subsidies, now possible because of Brexit, and by making concerns for healthy eating central to trade policy, according to an Oxford study...

www.ox.ac.uk

 

[orchard]

Post-Brexit trade agreements could lead to unhealthier diets - Oxford study | University of Oxford

Post-Brexit free trade deals could lead to unhealthier eating in the UK and more diet-related deaths. But harms could be offset with targeted farming subsidies, now possible because of Brexit, and by making concerns for healthy eating central to trade policy, according to an Oxford study...

www.ox.ac.uk

Yeah, but carbon footprint doesn't count if imported.

 

[Bishop Thumpety-Thump]

@Old Blue 2

'I voted to stop freedom of movement...no, not mine, I need freedom of movement for my work', 'koff Bruce, you massive millionaire helmet.

I met him after a solo gig in the late 90s (my mate's band opened for him) and he was a pretentious tool back then. At the time I put it down to hubris, after he quit Maiden and started playing smaller venues, but maybe he's just an absolute weapon.

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

Seems to be goods news day for Brexit. After initial ruling now there is grounds to challenge internal market act!

Welsh government CAN take Westminster to court on Internal Market Act

APPEAL judges have overturned a refusal over the Welsh Government's Internal Market Bill court challenge.

www.thenational.scot

 

[summerisle]

Little Englander alert.

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

So UK Government did turn down free visa offer for musicians etc.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Little Englander alert.

It's pretty grim the reaction to the young German fan crying at the game.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

So UK Government did turn down free visa offer for musicians etc.

Makes Frost's comments about Elton John doing fine outside of the EU particularly sleazy.