Student Protest

[david_carnell]

I'm with Jeremy and Loz on this. University could be affordable and subsidised if it was for the few.

Blair's goal of 50% was both arbitrary and daft. It devalued the system and made degrees worth much less than they once were. Many current "universities" would serve better reverting to polytechnics and teaching something useful rather than dishing out shoddy degrees in the arts (and I say this as someone who obtained a fairly unremarkable BA).

Much more training could be workplace based, apprenticeships etc. Working in tourism does not require a degree level qualification when a 6 month workplace training programme could do the role quicker and cheaper. Employers need to be on-board though. I would think tax-relief would be an encouragement.

[Otta]

When I see old school colleagues on facebook I often wish I'd found a trade at 18 after 6th form, as they seem to be the ones with the most money and nice houses.

[david_carnell]

Agreed.

An interesting book called "The Craftsman" outlines how those who 'make' for a living are invariably happier.

'Make' is quite a loose definition and I'd include most trades in that - builder, plumber, sparky, etc. Don't know what they would say if you asked them about whether they wished they'd done better at school and gone to uni though!

[Loz]

I think that's why going into IT was good for me - uni education leading to a decently paid job/career where I 'made' stuff, albeit writing software and setting up hardware/OSs.

Certainly, once I progressed away from that into more management type roles it became a lot less fun. And a lot less enjoyable.

[david_carnell]

Admittedly I hadn't considered those 'making' software in that category but you're probably right, Loz.

Perhaps 'create' is better. And it's certainly a modern craft. It requires genuine expertise to do well.