Totally OT - Recruiting from Overseas (Engineering not crop picking)

As a 'design engineer' who can do draughting, why not simply advertise for people to work from home on a project basis?

I did that for model aircraft successfully - my output was CAM files for manufacturing.

Hi NP

We are already outsourcing certain aspects of the work, but there is general reluctance to letting go of sensitive designs/IP.

The other issue is that our projects are pretty complex involving project managers, process engineers, electrical engineers etc etc., so it is a lot easier to conduct this from a central office (particularly given the ridiculously short lead times).

Phil

Given that there's currently a flight of qualified people out of the UK, I suspect you might have some issues. The main one being that until we know what Brexit Britains immigration policy is, asking someone to relocate into the UK is a big ask. Would you pay relocation expenses ? Would you also cover them if it turned out Brexit Britain has decided not to allow immigrants from wherever you attract staff ?

Does make you wonder. Our schools and unis seem to be churning out people qualified for jobs which don't exist. Before satisfying the needs of our existing industry. Or perhaps it's just youngsters having no idea of what

Generally, in the UK, things are run to benefit the provider, not the customer. So education policy is really to benefit teachers, health policy is really to benefit doctors, and law and order is to benefit the lawyers.

A policy devised to best benefit the children (with a note that education should be lifelong) would be unrecognisable compared to what we have.

no - it's to show the Government in a good light. That's why we have ministers for these things.

My teacher son blames the operation of the apprentice scheme. There are apprenticeships, but largely leading nowhere. Employing an apprentice is hard work if done properly (I know this from experience) and small firms find it much easier and cheaper to find good, competent EU labour than commit to years of training.

Adam is a star.

That's a mere twiddle. A root'n'branch reform would see education treated as a lifelong amenity that people can dip in and out of as suits their abilities, circumstances, and most importantly, what the country needs. So you get a good basic grounding - ideally learning at least how to learn - and then there are many routes forward. A levels for the more academic, apprenticeships and more practical courses for those that are capable but not inherently "academic". But you leave the system open so that adult learning is just as important, and people who may not have been up to a degree aged 21 can easily get one (and more) aged 40. Possibly in a subject that wasn't so important previously.

Of course UK "education" - particularly higher - is simply about extracting vast sums of money from students to swell the coffers of the Universities. Thus inducing Universities to pass as many students as possible to attract more students and thus more money. It's someone elses problem (as is always the case under rampant capitalism) if those students aren't fit to count lorries in a queue in Kent.

I found it very rewarding to have apprentices - although they weren't called that. But pretty well all of ours had a real interest in their job as well as career. In other words, just not a way of making enough money to live on.

The big snag arises in a 'freelance' world. Why would you want to train someone to compete for your job?

This is true of all things where its state provided or there is another effectiuve cartel.

Hi Dave

One issue with attracting "apprentice" grade applicants as we all remember them is that I really need to attract a good academic level as well.

Oh and they would also need to be meticulous and highly organised.

Yes I too would be interested in taking on learners, but due to the pressure to recruit in a short time scale I'm not sure that is feasible.

Phil

Its odd you should ask this, as our council seems to have a French chap in charge of the cycle project civil engineering stuff, they also had an Aussie as well but he seems to have gone elsewhere. Up until recently a couple were Asians but seemed to have little grasp of disability legislation and were let go when their contract ended. That is another issue of course, nobody is going to uproot themselves if its a short term hiring on a rotating basis as we always seem to have these days. Brian

People will do anything if you pay them enough.

But you didn't, and now that you're short of skilled staff you're complaining that you haven't got them.

And if everyone takes the same attitude, it never will be.

I understand your position, I'm just not sure that I sympathise with it that much. I bet when you started out you were given years of on-the job training before you became genuinely productive.

Hard to substantiate that claim given the historic low unemployment rate.

Before satisfying the needs of our

Or deciding that engineering and drafting doesn?t interest them.

Not everyone will do that. I wouldn?t kiss Trumps arse no matter how much you paid me and I bet you wouldn?t either.

I'd do it for a million no probs

Perhaps the term "draughtsman" is the bit that is well out of date. You need a designer in the required field who is capable of using the computer (CAD/A.N Other) tools. You may find that advertising for a design draughtsman you are only appealing to old school talent rather than to the skilled modern talent.

And how would the employer keep them once in the UK if they decided that their skill level could get more money elsewhere and/or sack them if their stated skill level turned out to be rather bogus?