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Post by michael on Sept 28, 2021 11:59:01 GMT
I suspect truck drivers are the thin edge of a wedge. We’ve degraded many careers by the push to get so many students into universities and inflated that sector to such a ridiculous extent that we have key-worker shortages but a glut of unemployed media studies graduates.
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Post by michael on Sept 28, 2021 12:00:15 GMT
IFuel is bad enough, can you imagine what the flare ups would be like if power or water went off for a few days? Power is likely to be going off over winter so we can look forward to finding out. |
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Post by chipbutty on Sept 28, 2021 15:14:41 GMT
Why is the power likely to be going off ?
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Post by garry on Sept 28, 2021 15:18:37 GMT
I suspect truck drivers are the thin edge of a wedge. We’ve degraded many careers by the push to get so many students into universities and inflated that sector to such a ridiculous extent that we have key-worker shortages but a glut of unemployed media studies graduates. One of my neighbours kids has just graduated with a 2:2 in media studies from the local college. Unsurprisingly, businesses aren't rushing to employ him. His mum seems to think some high flying career is just around the corner. I suspect he'd be much better paid over his lifetime if he become a lorry driver or learnt a trade. |
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Post by Roadsterstu on Sept 28, 2021 15:25:30 GMT
I suspect truck drivers are the thin edge of a wedge. We’ve degraded many careers by the push to get so many students into universities and inflated that sector to such a ridiculous extent that we have key-worker shortages but a glut of unemployed media studies graduates. I would ask you to list what job roles are classed as key roles but I think it's probably easier to make a (short) list of who are not key workers. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2021 15:25:58 GMT
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Post by michael on Sept 28, 2021 16:02:40 GMT
I suspect truck drivers are the thin edge of a wedge. We’ve degraded many careers by the push to get so many students into universities and inflated that sector to such a ridiculous extent that we have key-worker shortages but a glut of unemployed media studies graduates. I would ask you to list what job roles are classed as key roles but I think it's probably easier to make a (short) list of who are not key workers. Those for whom their function is essential to the operation and maintenance of society and functional economy that cannot at this stage be automated. It’s a large body of people in this country largely due to the UK’s productivity gap. However, we have neglected vocational training to an alarming extent through a policy decision to encourage 50% of students to go on to universities. This idiotic objective has lumbered a generation with debt and worthless skills. |
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Post by michael on Sept 28, 2021 16:03:56 GMT
Why is the power likely to be going off ? Because we have a serious capacity shortfall due to an over reliance on renewables, a failure to invest in nuclear and a severed connection cable to continental supplies. |
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Post by ChrisM on Sept 28, 2021 16:32:19 GMT
Maybe the fuel shortage could be lessened by making the minimum purchase for cars and vans £40 or £50 instead of a maximum of £30, as round my way. It would hopefully stop all those "just topping up" and mean that people genuinely needing fuel should be able to buy some?
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Post by Martin on Sept 28, 2021 16:42:04 GMT
The two BP garages near home that were empty over the weekend and all open and no queues. Lindsay topped up this morning as she now has to go to meet a supplier tomorrow, the Waitrose Shell garage was out of diesel and unleaded but VPower was OK and no queue. Serious price increase though, £147.9 which is the most expensive fuel we've ever put in the Golf.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2021 18:13:07 GMT
Maybe the fuel shortage could be lessened by making the minimum purchase for cars and vans £40 or £50 instead of a maximum of £30, as round my way. It would hopefully stop all those "just topping up" and mean that people genuinely needing fuel should be able to buy some? Oi, watchit mate! A big fuel bill in Bess averages thirty quid although that will change with the next fill. That and having to use super, not going near that E10 stuff. |
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Post by Martin on Sept 28, 2021 18:34:24 GMT
Maybe the fuel shortage could be lessened by making the minimum purchase for cars and vans £40 or £50 instead of a maximum of £30, as round my way. It would hopefully stop all those "just topping up" and mean that people genuinely needing fuel should be able to buy some? I think I’ve read that some places have a minimum charge, so if you put 10 litres in you pay a massive premium. I think it should be at least £60….let’s say £60 for petrol and £80 for diesel….  |
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Post by Boxer6 on Sept 28, 2021 20:22:06 GMT
Maybe the fuel shortage could be lessened by making the minimum purchase for cars and vans £40 or £50 instead of a maximum of £30, as round my way. It would hopefully stop all those "just topping up" and mean that people genuinely needing fuel should be able to buy some? I think I’ve read that some places have a minimum charge, so if you put 10 litres in you pay a massive premium. I think it should be at least £60….let’s say £60 for petrol and £80 for diesel…. £80 wouldn't fill the Skoda from empty - I'd need a couple of jerry cans too!! |
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Post by Roadsterstu on Sept 28, 2021 20:27:33 GMT
I would ask you to list what job roles are classed as key roles but I think it's probably easier to make a (short) list of who are not key workers. Those for whom their function is essential to the operation and maintenance of society and functional economy that cannot at this stage be automated. It’s a large body of people in this country largely due to the UK’s productivity gap. However, we have neglected vocational training to an alarming extent through a policy decision to encourage 50% of students to go on to universities. This idiotic objective has lumbered a generation with debt and worthless skills. Which, after the last year, is what just about everyone claims to be, hence my comment about it being easier to make a list of non-key workers. Quite agree regarding university courses. I'll absolutely encourage Evan to consider vocational training and/or find a trade when he is older. |
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Post by LandieMark on Sept 28, 2021 20:38:42 GMT
^^^
This. I really wished I had looked at a trade, rather than finding myself pushed to do A-levels with a view of going to Uni. It was looked down on at my school as anything other than Uni was wasting your life.
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Post by Martin on Sept 28, 2021 20:49:31 GMT
I agree with Mark and Stu.
I fought against a huge push from teachers and what I thought was what my parents wanted (they actually just wanted me to do what I felt was right) to go to university, as I had the points for uni rather than polytechnic. But I didn’t know what I wanted to do and would only have gone if I did and needed a specific qualification to get there. I didn’t want to waste my time, so got a job and cracked on.
My eldest is stronger than I was academically but he’d had enough of education and didn’t know what he wanted to do, so decided to get a job. He really applied himself and done so well, he was promoted twice int the first 10 months and is responsible for the new unit and some expensive machinery. I’m very proud.
He would earn a lot more driving a lorry though!
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Post by Roadsterstu on Sept 28, 2021 21:02:41 GMT
I felt some pressure to go to uni as well. Maybe not as such, but it was just talked about as though that's what was going to happen so that's what did happen. Then I got a job that didn't require a degree, hasn't required it since and which I could have just started earlier. Looking back, I do sometimes wish I had gone into one of the trades.
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Post by LandieMark on Sept 28, 2021 21:32:29 GMT
I agree with Mark and Stu. I fought against a huge push from teachers and what I thought was what my parents wanted (they actually just wanted me to do what I felt was right) to go to university, as I had the points for uni rather than polytechnic. But I didn’t know what I wanted to do and would only have gone if I did and needed a specific qualification to get there. I didn’t want to waste my time, so got a job and cracked on. My eldest is stronger than I was academically but he’d had enough of education and didn’t know what he wanted to do, so decided to get a job. He really applied himself and done so well, he was promoted twice int the first 10 months and is responsible for the new unit and some expensive machinery. I’m very proud. He would earn a lot more driving a lorry though! There was absolute hell on from the school when I cancelled all my UCAS applications. I only very recently found out that my dad got called into the office and was asked to talk some sense into me. He told them I had clearly made my decision for better or worse. I ended up working a year at the family stables and going to arigcultural college to learn more about horses. Looking back, I should have done an agri engineering course. I don't have any serious regrets regrets. It's all part of life's experience and things haven't turned out badly. |
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Post by Alex on Sept 28, 2021 21:33:57 GMT
I went to uni in the early naughties because it was just what you did, especially when you attended a selective grammar school. I studied biology at Royal Holloway so it wasn't just some micky mouse degree. I spent most of the first two years getting hammered or working in the local spoons during my free time so it's hardly surprising I only left with a Desmond.
At least my fees were only £1300/Yr when I went. I wouldn't have gone if they were as high as they are now. The job I have now did ask for a scientific degree so it did get me into my line of work but in recent years we've started taking on apprentice consultants who have just finished college and they have mostly done very well and been much more loyal to the business.
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Post by michael on Sept 28, 2021 22:38:55 GMT
Those for whom their function is essential to the operation and maintenance of society and functional economy that cannot at this stage be automated. It’s a large body of people in this country largely due to the UK’s productivity gap. However, we have neglected vocational training to an alarming extent through a policy decision to encourage 50% of students to go on to universities. This idiotic objective has lumbered a generation with debt and worthless skills. Which, after the last year, is what just about everyone claims to be, hence my comment about it being easier to make a list of non-key workers. Quite agree regarding university courses. I'll absolutely encourage Evan to consider vocational training and/or find a trade when he is older. 11.6million workers claimed furlough, non of whom were essential so not just about everyone, is it? |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2021 22:43:46 GMT
I agree with Mark and Stu. I fought against a huge push from teachers and what I thought was what my parents wanted (they actually just wanted me to do what I felt was right) to go to university, as I had the points for uni rather than polytechnic. But I didn’t know what I wanted to do and would only have gone if I did and needed a specific qualification to get there. I didn’t want to waste my time, so got a job and cracked on. My eldest is stronger than I was academically but he’d had enough of education and didn’t know what he wanted to do, so decided to get a job. He really applied himself and done so well, he was promoted twice int the first 10 months and is responsible for the new unit and some expensive machinery. I’m very proud. He would earn a lot more driving a lorry though! Very well done that man. |
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Post by alf on Sept 29, 2021 6:47:37 GMT
The two BP garages near home that were empty over the weekend and all open and no queues. Lindsay topped up this morning as she now has to go to meet a supplier tomorrow, the Waitrose Shell garage was out of diesel and unleaded but VPower was OK and no queue. Serious price increase though, £147.9 which is the most expensive fuel we've ever put in the Golf. I drove for 5 hours yesterday, and saw only 2 or 3 garages with any fuel - and huge queues. The rest were totally shut - lots of them ! Weird that others are seeing something so different, the government said only 37percent were out of fuel yesterday I bet they are counting the ones with one pump open for key workers only, as “not out of fuel” … |
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Post by Blarno on Sept 29, 2021 7:45:15 GMT
I have been thinking for some time about training to be an HGV driver - I had the opportunity to do it in my early 20s and never took it.
I've just been past the Morrisons in Speke and it has fuel once again, with no massive queues. I'm about to dip below a quarter tank so my dive in on the way home to fill up if they have any left.
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Post by Martin on Sept 29, 2021 7:56:06 GMT
I have been thinking for some time about training to be an HGV driver - I had the opportunity to do it in my early 20s and never took it. Let me know if you're seriously interested / want to know more, as we're setting up a driver academy after Christmas. Fully funded training/CPC/Test (with a claw back if someone leaves after passing of course) and a guaranteed full time job at the end. We'll have a training centre in Warrington, which is one of my sites. |
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Post by Big Blue on Sept 29, 2021 7:56:29 GMT
I passed a Shell station with a 40 car queue that was closed 😐
I will say that on the way back for the gym there were fewer cars and those on the road were all at or below the speed limit (which is unusual)
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Post by Martin on Sept 29, 2021 8:01:29 GMT
I passed a Shell station with a 40 car queue that was closed 😐 I will say that on the way back for the gym there were fewer cars and those on the road were all at or below the speed limit (which is unusual) I left 10mins early to go to Silverstone yesterday, didn't go above 70mph and managed 34mpg despite getting stuck in traffic a couple of times. I've got to go to Warrington/Manchester at the end of the week, so wanted to try and get home with 400 miles range so I'm not messing around finding somewhere or having to drive economically on the way home on Friday. |
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Post by michael on Sept 29, 2021 9:34:25 GMT
The local 24hr station had a delivery at 1am this morning. I was the first to fill up when I drove past at 2am. I wish the BBC would stop referring to fuel shortages and instead bill it as panic buying.
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Post by garry on Sept 29, 2021 9:40:52 GMT
I think the government are preparing everyone for the electric car future - driving from service station to service station wondering if perhaps something will be working at the next one.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 29, 2021 10:04:53 GMT
I wonder what this driving around looking for fuel is doing to the governments eco plans. Perhaps they'll have to move the shift to electric to next month instead. Yes, TIC.
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Post by Blarno on Sept 29, 2021 10:26:57 GMT
I have been thinking for some time about training to be an HGV driver - I had the opportunity to do it in my early 20s and never took it. Let me know if you're seriously interested / want to know more, as we're setting up a driver academy after Christmas. Fully funded training/CPC/Test (with a claw back if someone leaves after passing of course) and a guaranteed full time job at the end. We'll have a training centre in Warrington, which is one of my sites. Good to know, I will likely give you a shout. |
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