Public-sector workers 'lack skills for private sector'

bendix

Sir_Humphrey wrote: »

I am sure the substantial pay rise would make up for it.

BTW, my brother works for a market research company which has several household name clients. They do not even use Microsoft Access. I am sure my IT skills are more than enough for 99% of the private sector (Excel including programming VBA Macros, intermediate to advanced Access and a little SQA). It seems to me that about 90% of people cannot even change the default formatting on charts!

That you are focusing on IT skills illustrates - to me - the fact that you just don't get it.

tomterm8

I think that is rather harsh. People have different skill sets, and employers need different things. There are a lot of small businesses out there that need technical support on technology that is not the current 'big thing'. You only need one employer after all.

Charlton_King

Yes.

Right.

This works both ways, actually.

In my time I have met more than one private sector oik who thought that his/her brilliant ability in maths, physics, geography etc. would allow them to stroll into a teaching job.

Talk about blood on the carpet...

bendix

tomterm8 wrote: »

I think that is rather harsh. People have different skill sets, and employers need different things. There are a lot of small businesses out there that need technical support on technology that is not the current 'big thing'. You only need one employer after all.

My point is that technical skills - be they IT, legal, engineering, marketing, whatever - is the least of the issues about the transferability of public sector employees to the private sector. It's all about attitudes, commerciality, the withdrawal of things the public sector takes for granted, such as the right to wear egg-stained cardigans at work, and white socks with brown suits.

Old_Slaphead

lostinrates wrote: »

My father was headhunted on retirement from public sector, as were many, many of his peers. My guess is that these are generalisations, and within the massive public sector there are as many people with transferable skills as there are in the private sector.

Agreed but yer average bog-standard CS will find that the skills acquired during the 25 years served in the tax office, MOD or wherever will not translate easily to the private sector and employers can now afford to be VERY choosy. I know several job-threatened LA administrators who are very concerned about a move out of their cosy environment into the perceived cut & thrust of commercial reality.

bigheadxx

The big question that no public sector worker can ever answer is "how much money did you make for your employer last year?"

That is the culture shock awaiting many public sector workers who have spent years building paper trails which generate and not anything that actually generates wealth.

Skills are not always an issue, private sector innovation can render skilled jobs as obsolete practically overnight.

Charlton_King

bigheadxx wrote: »

The big question that no public sector worker can ever answer is "how much money did you make for your employer last year?"

That is the culture shock awaiting many public sector workers who have spent years building paper trails which generate and not anything that actually generates wealth.

Skills are not always an issue, private sector innovation can render skilled jobs as obsolete practically overnight.

Which is a big part of the reason why the question raised by the OP is virtually meaningless.

Oh and by the way, just how much 'wealth generation' goes on in banking and finance - by far the most 'profitable' part of this country's private sector? What goods are actually being produced and by what yardstick do you measure 'success'?

Is it perhaps that you get your million pound bonus after your successful gambling through talentless, blind chance (with the money produced by other people who really do produce tangible goods and services) actually boosts your own particular City firm at the expense of the one across the road which then has to sack its staff?

Sir_Humphrey

Well, my team saved a key UK industry over £10 million/year on only one project of dozens.

The IT skills issue is an important thing, because a lot of people do not realise the productivity gains of using macros and the suchlike.

tomterm8

bendix wrote: »

My point is that technical skills - be they IT, legal, engineering, marketing, whatever - is the least of the issues about the transferability of public sector employees to the private sector. It's all about attitudes, commerciality, the withdrawal of things the public sector takes for granted, such as the right to wear egg-stained cardigans at work, and white socks with brown suits.

I think a lot of that is basically just prejudice. It may have been true in the 1970's, but that was before a lot of the thatcherite reforms took place. In the main, large segments of the public sector are privatised*, and most of the public sector is actually run according to the same principals as the private sector.


* The irony here is that those sections of the public sector that are not privatised, like the NHS and education, are going to be those that are least effected by the cuts.

ILW

Sir_Humphrey wrote: »

Well, my team saved a key UK industry over £10 million/year on only one project of dozens.

The IT skills issue is an important thing, because a lot of people do not realise the productivity gains of using macros and the suchlike.

How much did you charge that industry for this service?