Back to topic -ish and lasercow's comment about industry. If our lot were not so lazy they could do the jobs immigrants do....or are we saying they are brighter than us? Or that only foreigners can learn? The only reason we need immigrant workers is that our potential workers think working is beneath them. There was a programme that gave a dozen long term unemployed the chance to work in areas dominated by immigrants. Some could not be bothered to even turn up on the first day, some gave up by the second day and those that did turn up were often late and unwilling to do the work properly, thus costing the employer money instead of earning it. Only 2 were considered almost good enough to keep on and the employers said Brits were not worth offering the jobs to. That is a sorry indictment on our work ethic. THAT needs to change.

I saw that programme, it was scary! Clearly not an attitude everyone has, there are people desperate to work that can't find it.

Scotland has very different issues from the south of England. There was a Tory MSP from the north of Scotland on the radio yesterday, with a completely different point of view from his southern colleagues. Many industries, eg tourism, could not function without overseas workers. Scotland needs immigrant workers to grow.

I fully concur with LGM's post. We now have 3rd generation unemployed. Why? Because their career is bluntly, living off the welfare state.
I recently saw a statement from an SME (a bakery) forced to shut down after 145 years because they could not get bakery staff.
They ran a proper apprenticeship scheme but the 16-18 year olds could not arrive at 8am timeously. The owner explained, in order to stock their shops with fresh goods for opening time the bakery started at 2am. These kids wouldn't work out with 9am-5pm and even struggled with that.
I believe we need to fundamentally review the hours of secondary schools from 3rd year on to prepare them for the workplace, review the minimum and working wages which I believe are an impediment to employing more staff, force able bodied on benefits should be made to do at least 40 hours of community benefit work in return and re-introduce traditional 4 year apprenticeships. We are losing our skill base. Only yesterday a plumber admitted he'd need to find a '70 year old plumber' as only such a person would know how to replace a stopcock on a lead main.
The current arrangements encourage the work shy,make a full working week a culture shock to school leavers, and demonstrate there is no need to work. Level the playing field with, no work, no dosh, prepare to deal severely with petty crime and restrict immigrants access to the NHS and welfare until they had made 4 years of payments through the tax system and become UK citizens.
That would be a realistic and sensible start. One thing the Polish workers I've met all have is a strong work ethic backed by a 'do it right first time' mentality.

Two programmes I gained a lot from last year were following poor slum dwellers in India and Laos (Nigeria). They received no support from the state, but all worked at enterprises they came up with themselves - mainly recycling waste in innovative ways - like using a fishing rod with a magnet on the end to retrieve money chucked into the Ganges.

Last time I was unemployed, after a few months of endless banging out letters and CVs, I joined a local entrepreneurs forum, and after contributing for a few weeks, just asked if anyone had a job - I was willing to do absolutely anything at all. I had 4 interviews lined up in an hour. Pay was poor, but the skills I learned enabled me to set up in business when they went bust

I don't think FE colleges are helping much. I have a friend doing a Social Work course at the moment. She wants to take this through to degree level. For most of the other folk on the course though, it sounds like they have to be treated like school children - naughty ones at that. They don't want to be there, aren't learning anything useful, barely have the skills to do what they have to do - it seems like they are just there to bring down the unemployment figures and keep lecturers in a job.

School hours seem to be shorter- I'm sure we finished high school at 3.45pm - got home just in time for the more grown up childrens programmes on TV, 45 minute walk. Now I seem to walk pass the high school exodus on my way to pick up at 3pm.

I've only had to sack 2 people for not being willing/able to do the work required - both St Ninians

could not agree with you more dj i hired a local young man to work as a junior storeman after being unemployed for three years he managed one whole hour before deciding that loading two 5 litre bottles into a box was far too hard he then left to go back no doubt to his life paid for by us .when i vist a site if its a tip it will be run by scots if its tidy its polish run sad but true

Lasercow, My point exactly. When I went to school it was 8.50am-4pm. Some schools are now 8.45-3pm with 2 days to 3.30pm. That doesn't help parents who want to work nor kids to prepare for work.
I'm told the teachers are never more than 6 weeks from their next holiday any time throughout the year.
Contrast that with when I started my apprenticeship. 8.30am-5.30pm with 30 mins for lunch and a 10 minute teabreak in the morning.
Holidays were 2 weeks at Glasgow fair, off 1 & 2nd Jan. We worked xmas day. Only other hols were a couple of bank holidays.
Last night BN47 went out to everyone we have contact with at ERC.
The number of 'out of office' auto responses with some on leave till the 10th Jan was enlightening.
Unfortunately, for many, they only work to live with no thought as to satisfaction or enjoyment from working. What a tragedy. Maybe I'm lucky but I love everything I do so I suppose I live to work rather than vice versa.