From Tuesday's newspaper
In the Text Talk section of the "Have Your Say" page:
Robert of Gawler says: "How is it we have a shortage of workers when we have so many people unemployed?"
Followed by this: We are told there's heaps of jobs available. Bust most teenagers are not equipped to take on civil engineering, construction managing, systems analysis etc. The ridiculous list of unattainable jobs goes on. What A Joke.
My thoughts: They both make excellent points. Many are unemployed and don't seem to be able to get a job, while young school leavers simply don't qualify for the higher executive positions on offer.
With the older unemployed, any qualifications they may have are often unsuitable for whatever job they may be applying for. They could apply for training to get the right qualifications, but may, as in my case, be told "you can do the course, but you won't get the job, they are looking for younger people" How's that for a smack in the face? They may live too far away from where the job actually is and have no way to get there if they don't drive and can't afford to move house. Who wants to move house just to get a particular job anyway? these older persons may have families with children in schools. Moving for them is out of the question, especially if it is likely the job will go to someone younger.
With teenagers having just left school, training courses are often too expensive and by the time you finish the training, which may take a year or three, someone else has already got that job and if you look for another in the field you have just trained for, there aren't likely to be any.
Is it any wonder University graduates, with certificates and diplomas, are behind the counters at fast food places?
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You're right. By the time an old person would graduate, that job may no longer even exist.
ReplyDeleteMike; that's right. Training takes longer than most people think when you have to work towards a certificate. On-the-job training is better, but not many places offer that. Apprenticeships are almost as dead as the dodo. We need to bring those back! The apprenticeships, not the dodos.
DeletePeople having a job working round the clock, getting stress and never having time for anything but job, and so many unemployed ... this has never stopped to amaze me. Throw in that young ones can only get a job as a pizza-go-getter because everywhere they want young people with 23 years' worth of experience. Crazy-mad!
ReplyDeleteCharlotte; exactly! working around the clock just to hold onto your job, when it could be shared, with a regular shift and a late shift done by someone else that also knows the job. A lot of young people don't even want fast food jobs because they don't pay enough. but it gives them a bit of experience at least.
DeleteFrom my experience, work is a very overrated activity. It's much better to lounge about being lazy. Work can also be pretty dangerous. Better to stay at home doing naff all.
ReplyDeleteYorkshire Pudding; when I was working I really enjoyed it, in the factories at least. When I worked as a checkout operator, it wasn't as much fun although I did get very good at it. At our age it is far better to laze around at home.
DeleteAnd some, very important jobs, we struggle to fill. I am thinking aged care workers, and nurses in particular. The pay (which is low for the responsibility) is part of that. And the incredible responsibility and workload with inadequate support another. Sadly the government solution is too often to import workers from overseas. And to pay them peanuts while continuing to overwork them.
ReplyDeleteElephant's Child; the aged care sector is crying out for people to work, but as well as the low pay, many people don't want to be changing adult nappies, or trying to care for those with dementia who may be abusive and throw things. The low pay, in part, I think is because those at the top are paying themselves far too much, leaving not enough to pay the workers and certainly not enough for the actual care needed. Of course overseas workers are happy with "peanut" pay because it is often more than they would get in their homeland.
DeleteGender pay disparities are hard on families, too. We need more people to go in trades. Of course both our countries import migrant workers on farms. My family friend to me to get an education that will lead to a job.
ReplyDeleteJenn Jilks; I agree the gender disparity is hard, particularly if both genders are doing exactly the same work. We most certainly do need more people in Trades, and on-the-job- apprenticeships as was done in the old days would help a lot with that, but even there young people need at least one training certificate, which is ridiculous in my opinion. Train on the job, then sit the test for a certificate is the way I think it should happen. Migrant workers are needed here too for farm work and fruit picking, because those are seasonal jobs and no one with a family wants to be away from home and children for months at a time.
DeleteIt is a complex business, certainly and requires a smarter people to solve it than I am. Low pay for aged and childcare workers get talked about year after year after and nothing is done.
ReplyDeleteAndrew; the "nothing gets done" part really melts my cheese! I believe the government needs to look into how the government assistance is used. They allocate $$XXXX each year for aged care for example, yet year after year, aged care homes are poorly run due to lack of funds, because the CEOs etc take too much in pay for themselves in my opinion. Ditto childcare places.
DeleteThe part about them wanting younger workers is what makes me angry. The fact is, older workers are often more reliable and work harder. The idea you have to pay them more to get them is ludicrous as many would just love to be working at all (like my Sweetie).
ReplyDeletemessymimi; true, most places want younger workers, who might be unreliable because they care more about a social life, while an older worker is prepared to put in all hours necessary to get rent paid and food on the table.
DeletePhew, makes me glad I am old and retired. It seems like there are so many choices for workers today, it is hard to imagine that there is a worker shortage. I hate to think it but I fear a lot of people during Covid lock downs just got use to not working and receiving compensation. We have a rash of workers just quitting their jobs here. The work ethic seems to be dying.
ReplyDeleteArkansas Patti; I'm glad to be retired now too. The problem with the worker shortage is, in many cases, young people simply not wanting to work, they have been raised in homes where the parents didn't work and got paid assistance from the government, so the children do the same, and it becomes a multigenerational cycle. I think the work ethic died with many people long ago. It's true there appears to be many choices for workers, but the employers only want those with experience and qualifications in most cases.
DeleteI'm so close to retirement. When I start my working life, Regan was President and union was on the way out. Not complaining my retirement will be some place between $800 and $1,000. I know people who get under $800.
ReplyDeleteAfter all the years of working I'm in the $16 an hour range. And this range should of happen 5 years ago. Not recently.
Both my son went into a trade. My oldest is aviation inspector and the other is a co-owner and manger of company who manufacture camping gear.
I think most worker want to be treat with respect most of all.
Dora; I'm glad you are close to retiring and I know you own your own home so don't have to worry about rent. I am surprised your wage is only $16 an hour, that is not enough. I don't know on earth people can manage on $800 or $1000 a month. If they need medications, doctor visits and then maybe they smoke and drink alcohol, that doesn't leave much money for food and rent. I'm glad all of my family are workers, except the young ones in school and they will work too later.
DeleteI see all the points. By now, here, though, it seems they are eager to hire us "old guys".
ReplyDeleteThey value the work experience, that you are more reliable.
The third time that at end-40/just 50 I started a new job I had no idea about, didn´t know the tools, but they happily gave me a chance.
That certainly does not help young people!
And frankly... by now I am afraid I am really too old for a new job!
But also over 20 years ago, when I came from uni with fresh diploma in a work crisis I was told off - "we have good people who know the job, we must let them go and you dare to stomp in here and apply?!" (I really just went in like that, I wanted a job).
I am glad, though, I am not young anymore.
Here I have no idea why young people don´t take the jobs - maybe the same. Too unqualified.
You learn but nonesense at school (still)! And kids these days (here) are lazy and spoiled... - not all of course, but many. And yes, who wants to or can move far away for maybe nothing, I had the same problem.
Iris; here, "they" are trying to coax age pensioners back into working a few hours a week, simply because they need workers. I don't think it is fair. Some might want to work a bit and that's okay for them. But others have worked hard and are now aching and tired and just want to be able to relax.
DeleteI also think the same as what happened to you 20 years ago, is happening here too. Businesses are cutting back on staff, so fresh young people still can't get work.
I remember many years ago, there was regular high school here and a high school where trades were taught and when the children knew enough, they were sent out to get apprenticeships with plumbers, electricians and woodworkers and so on. My son started in a shoe factory and after working a few weeks they offered him apprenticeship training, where he worked several days a week then spent a day or two at the training college, to get his certificate. He learned about different leathers and how to cut them and treat them. The he got a higher wage because he was qualified. That's how it should still be done I think.
Agree with you R. Also Nurses are needed, not everyone is cut out to be one. Back in the day men travelled some distances to find work and usually did leaving their families behind, sending money back home, no Dole money then
ReplyDeleteIf you didn't find work with pay, no food or roof over your head. Thank goodness those times are gone.
Margaret D; I remember days when men packed a swag and went out around the farms looking for work, planting, harvesting, shearing, although the shearers usually travelled in groups in trucks out the the sheep stations. But swagmen might go out that far too, picking up a lift where they could and signing on as a cook for the shearers, or just to sweep the shearing floors and help load the bales of wool. Nursing is a hard job and I admire those who stick with it.
Deleteglad I'm not in the workforce now..
ReplyDelete