University is not the answer for everyone

ON reading a recent article regarding businesses trying to find staff willing and able to do the jobs, I can’t help agreeing, as at 14 years of age we happily did anything to earn some extra money, whether it was paper rounds, cleaning in hotels or, if nearer the countryside, my friends used to cut swedes or pick spuds, or any other seasonal job available – no need for migrant workers.

Nowadays, youngsters appear less motivated, the thought of working a 40-hour week beneath them and they would sooner have no job than a low-paid one, and yet leave school at 18 and go to college or university, come out in their 20s with no life experience and expect a highly paid job!

University for all is not the answer, I think generally the old eleven plus system, for all its flaws, did work, the more academic got into grammar school, those like me who just failed (that should wind up 11-plus detractors) were in the A-stream in secondary school and tended towards skilled practical jobs – and there were plenty of jobs suited to semi-skilled workers.

There was also the opportunity for late developers to improve their skills at college.

I feel the selling off of council houses was a big mistake, as local low-paid workers could put their names down for one and raise a family with a secure tenancy for the rest of their lives if they chose, or if their finances improved buy a house.

Property prices are ridiculous and way out of most young people’s reach; everyone needs to live somewhere, so local councils should be allowed to build houses solely to rent for genuine local working people, preferably with a history as reliable employees, to guarantee tenancy.

I heard somewhere of a highly paid union leader in London selling the council house he paid peanuts for as a ‘Right to Buy’ subsequently for around a million pounds. That should never happen!

The article mentioned public sector workers who think 20 to 25 years is a life’s work, when most of us have probably worked 50 years or more since leaving school, only to be told that today’s youngsters will be paying our pensions so we should be grateful!

What on earth have successive governments done with the taxes we paid in for the last 50 years?

Mike Butterfield

Devon