The Lucky Country

[Barry_White]

I wont talk about my 35 occupations I've had in my lifetime that I do not have any papers for but carried out successfully without ever getting the sack.

My grandson was doing a two year Tafe course in computers both in software and hardware and also learning how to write webpages. He became so frustrated with the course because he knew more than his teachers and wasn't learning anything and was showing the teachers how to do things and spent more time helping the other students to do the work.

He ended up leaving before getting his certificate and went and got a job working and running the service dept for a guy building computers, repairing them and fixing up their software problems and setting up networks. He writes professional website on the side.

The biggest problem he has now that he doesn't have his papers.

[E. maculata]

Well, I come from a generation that was born never knowing what it was to be gruntled.

Ahem, speak for yourself o Silent one, I've been gruntled heaps of times, and plan on gruntling for many years to come.

[barnsey]

I got a trade in aircraft instrument making

Pretty limited field huh?

Spent 30 years in warehousing and distribution, spoke at syposia, was well regarded as knowing my apples. The best thing I do now is turn all sorts of timber, some for a profit but I love the love jobs as well.

My father was a boilermaker by trade so I have that background as well - built a sabot sail boat at 16 and have rebuilt a number of cars including my 1st car - a Morris Minor.

Qualifications - Trade Certificate - Associate Diploma in Business Administration

The qualifications mean very little - Life skills are something that is totally undervalued - I can read and troubleshoot Cobol and Basic, Heat treat steel and numerous other engineering jobs but not certified, plumbing, electrical, pneumatic. Mind you no-one wants to know these days - coz they want a piece of paper that really just says we've taught them a heap of useless #### and theres no assessment of ability at all.

Okay I'm off the soapbox now and a pox on all those who insist on their little pieces of paper

[silentC]

Ahem, speak for yourself o Silent one, I've been gruntled heaps of times, and plan on gruntling for many years to come.

C'mon Bruce, we don't know we're alive. Haven't you been told?

[silentC]

Just listening to the news on the radio. Govt wants to change apprenticeship visa rules to allow employers to take on apprentices from overseas. Unions say it will deprive local young people of jobs because it will give employers access to cheap labour from Asia and elsewhere. Vanstone says it will help employers who are having trouble finding skilled staff locally. Hello? Skilled staff? Isn't that the point of an apprenticeship - to become skilled?

Hell in a handbasket....

[E. maculata]

C'mon Bruce, we don't know we're alive. Haven't you been told?

I was alive once when I was a youngun but on the way to the snow trudging through 20 miles of freezing schools, my horse died & I had to drop it, then when I finally got there I got six of the best for losing my horse.
I have noticed lately that all my mates are looking like old geezers though...........hmm wonder what's goin on there? :eek:

[silentC]

I have noticed lately that all my mates are looking like old geezers though

Yeah, I've noticed that too. I've got to stop drinking at the Golf Club....

[Ashore]

The Sun Herald ran an article yesterday quoting a mob who do background checks for employers said 1 in 20 had criminal records 60% lied about their criminal record and up to 50% of resumes were falsified in some way including not having a degree etc

This company started off 3 years ago with two workers and now has 55 employees doing checks
I wonder what qualifacations you need to do that



The trouble with life is there's no background music.


Ashore

[shrek]

I have noticed lately that all my mates are looking like old geezers though...........hmm wonder what's goin on there? :eek:

Same thing, and every morning when I look in the mirror, this funny looking old bloke who looks a bit lik my dad keeps looking back.

[Bodgy]

I think we're still, marginally, the lucky country, but not as lucky as we were.

HI works in nursing. She says that the new University trained Sisters are completely useless, as compared to the old apprenticeship scheme who became productive from about 2nd year on job. She also says that these degree nurses have enormous and totally un-realistic expectations of the job. They quickly become frustrated, then dis-illusioned, then leave.

Consequently we have nowhere near enough nurses and those that are there have a mean age of over 50! This makes it's contribution to the gigantic cluster frcc that is today's healthcare.

Nobody can stuff up a working system like government, well meaning do-gooders and status seeking administrators and Union officials. These latter two were desperate to move from 'trade' status to 'professional' and killed the old system stone dead.

[namtrak]

Email me the plans, and Ill email you the finished reno.

Al

No worries and I'll email you a photo of the cheque

[rick_rine]

I was alive once when I was a youngun but on the way to the snow trudging through 20 miles of freezing schools, my horse died & I had to drop it, then when I finally got there I got six of the best for losing my horse.
I have noticed lately that all my mates are looking like old geezers though...........hmm wonder what's goin on there? :eek:

Oh how I envy your easy childhood . We lived 20 miles from school and the day my horse died I'd only just left home . Had to drag it to school and back home again .
Rick

[womble]

Oh how I envy your easy childhood . We lived 20 miles from school and the day my horse died I'd only just left home . Had to drag it to school and back home again .
Rick

What bliss to have a horse! We had to make do with a unicycle. For seven of us. And it didnt have a wheel! Tell kids today that and they don't believe you...

[jow104]

Well I am an experienced flight simulator and I am just waiting for the day when the air hostess says the Captain has dropped dead can anyone please take over.

Englishmen can still do anything

[rick_rine]

Now the federal Government is talking about visas for "skilled worker " Plasterers , smash repair workers . Well golly-gee surely we should be able to train Australians for these occupations in the lucky country .