DIY skills

[Dave Liquorice]

On the face of it it does look like manufacturing has gone up but I spot weasel words "gross value added". ie the amont of "value added" to a product in this country.

Make dobries here for use in widgets made here.

1 dobrie costs =A31 the widget sells for =A32 "value added" =3D =A31.

Move production of dobries to Johnny Foriegner.

1 dobrie costs =A30.10 the widgets still sells for =A32 "value added" =3D=

=A31.90.

Instant "growth" but the UK factory that made dobries is now a housing estate and the workers on unemployment benefit. B-(

I'm not and economist but I rarely takes things at face value. Nothing is as simple as there are made out to be at times.

[The Natural Philosopher]

manning the gas chambers?

[ARWadsworth]

Let her have a go with the angle grinder and stop being mean!

[Bob Eager]

Same here.

[Robin]

If you are willing to accept a government document may contain some truth there is quite a good recent analysis of where we are and where we might be in

you want soemthing a bit more independent try which is introduced by "Manufacturing, however you define it in this global economy, is an enduring UK success story - the country with the twenty-second largest population is still the seventh biggest in terms of manufacturing output. As a resilient performance in the recession has demonstrated, reports of its demise (to coin a phrase) have been somewhat inaccurate."

[John Dunne]

true but we are still running a massive trade deficit.

"The swing towards a trade deficit in the UK partly reflects the fact that the British manufacturing sector is in terminal decline. Britain only really has a foothold in two manufacturing sectors: pharmaceuticals and arms. UK plc now specialises in financial services, advertising, public relations, design and management consultancy. Or, as Larry Elliott and Dan Atkinson put it in their book Fantasy Island, "we count the money and we do the bullshit". It also reflects the fact that UK consumers have been spending massively on imported goods - a boom fuelled largely by borrowing against soaring house prices."

[jgharston]

I've just got a reply from Morrisons saying: "The standard of application has been very high and it was only after much deliberation that we reached the decision that we will not be progressing with your application further."

So, if *I* can't get work stacking shelves in Morrisons, what sort of people *do* they want, people with PhDs?

JGH

[newshound]

And well worth watching, I thought. Feels like I havn't seen anything quite so positive about UK industry on TV for about forty years....

[newshound]

Yes, but wouldn't post and rail have been more useful?

[newshound]

I was designing and building electronics as a summer student at CERN in

1970, and the most useful phrase I learned, when taking yet another burned out chip, transformer, or transistor to the Stores (where they spoke only French) was

"Ce truc est foutue"

[Steve Walker]

I don't know of any car repair mags for modern cars, but there are some for classic cars - even the local supermarkets have them on the shelves.

SteveW

[SS]

Aye its a funny old world, it seems the best thing you can have in your favour is age!

I loved tech drawing/science/woodwork at school, and strangley for a male I can also knit and do basic sewing using a sowing machine. DIY around the house are not usually a problem, paint / woodwork etc, I can strip a motorbike and rebuild it. I have since progressed onto spreadsheets and done some small business plans for some retail shops. I have a lifetime of working in sales FMCG with management positions. I am a fantastic natural gardener (served an apprenticeship as a youngster)

Can I get a job! can I f...! I think I did the wrong 90% :-)

I am seriously thinking of doing something self employed and keeping below any tax threshold.

As for previous comments re manufacturing remember things like the production of whisky which is big maybe included in the figures.

[tony sayer]

Don't think about it or talk about it any more ... JUST DO IT!....

Did that 30 years ago and never looked back:))...

[Huge]

How old are you?

[tim....]

I've just got a reply from Morrisons saying: "The standard of application has been very high and it was only after much deliberation that we reached the decision that we will not be progressing with your application further."

So, if *I* can't get work stacking shelves in Morrisons, what sort of people *do* they want, people with PhDs?

--------------------------------------------------------------

People who are lucky

tim

[Nick Leverton]

I think it's one of those replies designed to be read two ways. They were probably looking for a lower standard of application.

Nick

[Bob Eager]

Bus pass - just.

[brass monkey]

Bloody kids ;)

[jgharston]

If nobody's prepared to pay me to work as an employee, how does being self-employed magically make people prepared to pay me to work?

JGH

[Owain]

With all the cutbacks in the civil service that is what many people will be asking.

Owain