Recent posts

#11

Off the Record / Re: The Shooting Gallery: Poli...

Last post by viper37 - Today at 08:39:47 AM

I don't know if the link will be visible outside of Quebec...

A bunch of teens gathered in Quebec city, there was underage drinking (not much of a problem), bu then there started being fights and general disorderly conduct so the police intervened and proceeded to some arrest.

This is what pass as police brutality in Quebec:




One of the kid's mother is complaining in medias that her son was "violently" arrested by 4 officers after blocking a car with his scooter and hitting the car window to challenge the cop.

The entire text is here, with the videos:
https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2024/05/11/mineur-arrete-a-charlesbourg--les-policiers-sont-alles-trop-loin-selon-la-mere

#12

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Eddie Teach - Today at 07:25:36 AM

I saw another thread about that post. The consensus was that it's a Seattle thing. 

#13

Off the Record / Re: TV/Movies Megathread

Last post by Syt - Today at 07:10:13 AM

I wanna know what the boy and his dog did to that poor woman.

#14

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Josquius - Today at 06:54:50 AM

We need to increase the numbers of apprenticeships for sure. Although, again, the lines are blurrier now - for example when I was in a lawfirm I was a mentor for a solicitor apprentice, they will get a law degree but came straight out of school on an apprenticeship route. There's similar schemes in IT, accountancy, education etc.

I think we are at about 10-20% of the government's target for number of apprentices.

Oh yeah. They definitely exist but in pretty pathetic numbers.
It is a common populist chant from old folk out of touch with the real world - "you shouldn't just hire foreigners. You should train up local kids instead! "
Which... Aye. Naiive in the extreme. I completely understand why companies tend not to do this. Do it and your less socially conscious competitors can just use the money saved not training to poach any good people you've trained or hire in people ready to go without having to wait years for them to skill up.
I do think this is where it works well with trades and less academic stuff, as very often a lot of the work is just about having an extra body to help with the heavy stuff. Apprentices aren't just a drain as they can be in professional jobs.

But with trades I also slightly wonder about perhaps sector specific issues. I've said before but the UK has an incredibly fragmented construction and trades sector with well over 50% being micro-enterprises (low turnover and 10 or fewer employees). I feel like consolidation would possibly increase the number of apprenticeships - I also feel like there could be a role for something like a UCAS for apprenticeships with a single space advertising them all.

That would definitely help. I've regularly heard of people looking for apprenticeships and having no clue where to start, basically just asking if anyone knows anyone.

I also have read that they have a real problem attracting women and minority applicants and again I wonder if there's possibly something for that industry/sector to look at. I think there's been good work on increasing diversity in, say, IT or engineering - and I feel like something similar might be worth looking at (but again really difficult with lots of very small businesses).

The women thing is a problem.
My joiner-dad had a female apprentice a decade or so back.
I've heard tell she has had big trouble getting work since with a lot of management saying amongst themselves "so if we have a woman on site then we would need an extra toilet and a special bin for pads and all that. It's just extra trouble"
Considering exactly following the rules is rare in that industry... They're keen to avoid being stuck to them.
Illegal and discriminatory and shit but I do get their reasoning within their own thought process. I suspect the solution can't just lie in threats for discrimination.

But again you've immediately slipped into Sir Gavin Williamson territory

My point was that 75% of university students are studying degrees that I think are vocational in a service based economy: law, medical professions, accountancy, business (this doesn't include creative arts courses either). And you've straight away read that as "not really vocational" and basically humanities.

Our biggest export sector is unidentified professional services which the FT did some digging in and worked out was largely consultancy. Those business degrees aren't loads of "humanities" students - they're our equivalent of highly skilled workers in the Mittelstand.

And you've slipped into just looking at the higher end.
There's tonnes of graduates out there in call centres and other low paid white collar work.
Yes, in terms of overall export value to the economy it's services that really do it. But how many people actually work in this top end consulting place?
There's a whole economy of less immediately rewarding not particularly exportable work providing a foundation behind this, which is suffering.

And I don't know about not doing any education again. I know loads of people who are older and going back to study - and it's something I want to do at some point although it's time and money depending so probably never

In the UK I don't know anyone (well. Garbon? Ish?) unless it's someone making a big conscious career switch.
The cost is a huge part of it absolutely.
But then just signing on to do a course at a local uni is a pita. Admissions are very focussed on this yearly cycle for whole degrees.
Pre brexit I did quite a few courses over the years with Swedish unis. The only thing hindering me being the low number of remote courses that were relevant and I was qualified for (Swedish being a key thing missing) . If it was local and in my language....

#15

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Josquius - Today at 06:36:16 AM

Is there a connection or a joke I'm not getting between furries and non brain nuclear engineers?

#16

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Tamas - Today at 06:18:02 AM

I talked to a lot of recruiters for a few years and apart from maybe two exceptions they were utterly useless  at what they were supposed to be doing, even if they were nice people (most of them weren't).


BTW as hilarious as the planning permit angle is, I think it was a serious own goal letting this woman switch to Labour. She will smear Tory all over Labour news for who knows how long.

#17

Off the Record / Re: TV/Movies Megathread

Last post by Josephus - Today at 06:11:08 AM

I wanna know what the boy and his dog did to that poor woman.

#18

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Sheilbh - Today at 05:57:20 AM

Estate agents of souls They don't require a degree.

And yeah my experience is very mixed (there's a large specialist legal recruitment sector). I have been recruited by a recruitment consultant and there has been use in them bringing roles I wouldn't necessarily have known about to me and seemed to tailor what they phoned about to what I said I might be interested in. Others were basically just scatter gun.

As you say though it's all based on success fees all the way down, just like estate agents. I suspect the headhunters who are actually paid to find x specific person are a bit more skilled/targeted in their approach.

#19

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Syt - Today at 05:02:38 AM

A common problem for The Brain, I'm sure.

#20

Gaming HQ / Re: The Miscellaneous PC & vid...

Last post by Solmyr - Today at 04:53:02 AM

Sony pulled the same thing with the upcoming Ghost of Tsushima for PC. People in regions where PSN is not available got their Steam purchases suddenly refunded, even though only the (very small) multiplayer part of the game requires PSN.

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ghost-of-tsushima-directors-cut-no-longer-available-on-steam-in-almost-180-countries-due-to-psn-requirement