We need more skilled workers for the future
KEVIN Lynch (Letters page 1-2-2020) was quite right when he said that Germany since WW2 has become a European industrial powerhouse.
A major factor for this is that there are over 600 family owned industrial companies that employ up to 400 staff each.
Many family members get involved as elected politicians and ensure that the training of young people in enough numbers to replace those retiring.
Also a trainee would be placed with those about to retire for at least two years so skills can be directly transferred. The younger person might help the baffled older worker to use the internet.
From the age of 12 young people can attend schools where mechanical related subjects are taught...then onto do training and apprenticeships in skilled jobs such as electricians, toolmakers, maintenance fitters, or to go to university to become future managers.
In 1986 the UK withdrew such subjects as metalwork, woodwork for the same age group which was a four years stepping stone to see if there was a natural mechanical ability. In a 15 person class five would be very able so encouraged to take skilled training, five would be of moderate ability so able to save a huge sum by doing DIY at home, five would be very slow but had learned they would not be doing skilled work in the future.
Also many parents discourage there off-spring from doing engineering as a lifelong job thinking that getting your hands dirty represents failure. Up to 45,000 training places last autumn were not taken up due to these factors.
The memorial park summer festival weekend is now to be fee paying. Should this make a surplus the council would be in a position to open one or more mechanical youth workshops that would enable young people to gain enough skills and confidence to go into mechanical engineering. Without these skilled essential workers international companies will not locate in the area, any council expansion plans will go up in smoke.
In the 1960s Coventry led the way with the introduction of Comprehensive education, our local politicians have the chance to do so again in a post Brexit environment.
Paul Hillock, Coventry Great adventure and experience
WHAT a lovely story about £10 Pom Ron.
What a great adventure it must have been for so many people who left Britain for the heat of Australia.
It must have been a once-in-alifetime chance to experience something completely different to what they knew.
Sylvia Barclay, Coventry