The rental market

Graham_Devon

IveSeenTheLight wrote: »

You can say that, but surely there is sufficient demand to support those prices, else they would lower.

It's called a benefit system.

The system you know all recent BTL landlords would be up the creek without a paddle if it ceased.

Cleaver

PasturesNew wrote: »

So you only employ young people too ... isn't that ageist?

Older people have had less chance of getting a degree.

No, we stick 'please have a degree' on the person spec. I then don't care if the person is 55 or 25, as long as they have a degree.

It's like putting 'web development skills required' on an advert. I'd guess that more youngsters have this skill, so is putting this on the advert also ageist?

Cleaver

Damaged wrote: »

perhaps, but there are still people out their earning that kind of money

There are indeed. I don't really get what point this makes other than: "There are very low paid jobs out there and there are people employed in them".

ukcarper

I suppose that depends on if your looking someone to do web development

PasturesNew

Cleaver wrote: »

No, we stick 'please have a degree' on the person spec. I then don't care if the person is 55 or 25, as long as they have a degree.

It's like putting 'web development skills required' on an advert. I'd guess that more youngsters have this skill, so is putting this on the advert also ageist?

It's a different thing entirely.... does the job actually NEED a degree (e.g. Doctor), or have you simply moved the goalposts so everybody has to have one now to get a job?

I went to Next Step to find out if I should do a degree... they told me there was no point, I have experience. I went to a College for an interview with the question "should I come here and do a degree?" they said no, there was no point, I knew far more than any degree could teach me ... then offered me a place on their guest speaker list for the courses I had just been enquiring about. But there's no way for people without a degree to get jobs where somebody's written "degree" on the spec.

University of Manchester have done some research that says if candidates are tested for the jobs they are applying for (e.g. a sit down literacy, numeracy, IT test maybe... perhaps some logic tests), then an employer is more likely to get somebody who can do the job; it seems a lot of employers are using the wrong measuring sticks these days to recruit with.

I don't have a degree. I think only 10% of people went to Uni in my day - in fact, at school, we weren't even told about them. I was about 35 before I found out what going to Uni was for. I'd simply not known, or mixed with, anybody who went to Uni. I still don't ... it's only here/MSE that I find people with degrees, not in my real life much.

LydiaJ

Cleaver wrote: »

I recruit lots of people each year and I do tend to favour those with a degree. Couldn't give a sh*t about the age or looks of someone, I just like people who can do their job well.

Why do you assume that a degree is well correlated with the ability to do a job well (assuming it's not actually relevant, like doctors etc)?

Candidate A
Age 22
Academically slightly above median, so went to uni because these days, as you say, about 50% of young people do go to uni.
Little relevant experience

Candidate B
Age 52
Academically in the top 20%, but not in the top 10% who went to uni back "in the old days" so no degree.
Many years relevant admin experience

Sure, candidate A has the degree, but are you sure they'll do the job better than candidate B? Can you see why candidate B might have a case for age discrimination if you give the job to candidate A on the grounds that they've got a degree?

LydiaJ

PasturesNew wrote: »

I went to Next Step to find out if I should do a degree... they told me there was no point, I have experience. I went to a College for an interview with the question "should I come here and do a degree?" they said no, there was no point, I knew far more than any degree could teach me ... then offered me a place on their guest speaker list for the courses I had just been enquiring about. But there's no way for people without a degree to get jobs where somebody's written "degree" on the spec.

Is there any way you could take them up on their invitation, PN, and give a few talks on their degree course? If your CV said you were a speaker on a degree course, it might make recruiters realise it was silly to penalise you for not having a degree.

PasturesNew

LydiaJ wrote: »

Is there any way you could take them up on their invitation, PN, and give a few talks on their degree course? If your CV said you were a speaker on a degree course, it might make recruiters realise it was silly to penalise you for not having a degree.

I did. I'm on the list.... but it's unlikely to ever happen. They have others on their list, the lecturer picks a relevant guest speaker... but the courses don't really run/run that often.

So, if I even get a call ever, it'll be a one-off.

I do add being on the list to my CV

It's for some Uni level short courses, based around computing/IT/web marketing. But, unlikely to get a call simply because the courses rarely run as the area is so widespread/rural that people simply don't sign up for them. They're also "awkward" timings, they're targetting people with kids really, because that's where the funding is - so people who are working won't get to do them as they wouldn't get time off work.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

PasturesNew, have you looked into the Open University? I would have thought that would have suited you very well and I think those on low incomes can get courses vastly reduced or free. You can pick and choose modules and are not under obligation to go to tutorials (I could never be bothered).

IveSeenTheLight

Graham_Devon wrote: »

It's called a benefit system.

The system you know all recent BTL landlords would be up the creek without a paddle if it ceased.

Graham, please do not make general assumptions which on reflection generally fall flat on their face.

I bought a BTL in 2007, so presumably would fall into your category, however the property I have rented out has never been rented to anyone on benefits.

Indeed, my other rented property is similar.

I wonder if there is a statsitc to show how many private rentals are rented to those on benefits.