Preparedness for when

moneyistooshorttomention

Ultimately, I am convinced that the reason some parts of the public sector (very belatedly) gave any level of computer training at all to those staff who hadn't got any (ie because of being older and not having done it at school) boiled down purely and simply to a calculation on their part that they had two alternatives:

- make those staff redundant (which would have cost them £££), so they could take on younger staff

OR

- spend out the smallest amount of money possible for the lowest level of training possible to enable the older staff to "just about" manage to have enough knowledge to do the basics on a computer.

It took a while for management to be convinced that there would remain a substantial portion of staff that would never have learnt any level of computer skills otherwise (ie because they had no need for them personally - because of not having a home computer and therefore weren't going to use their own time/money to get the training for the sake of management iyswim).:cool:

I honestly think it was a "Who will blink first?" scenario and management were the ones who blinked in the end.

jk0

They had a good idea at Reading College where I worked in the nineties. They provided interest free loans for anyone to buy a particular computer and printer at a discount they arranged with a local supplier.

(Also a couple of days Microsoft Office training, which I found very useful.)

The printer is still going strong, and is now on it's third computer. Picture here:

Frugalsod

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I honestly think it was a "Who will blink first?" scenario and management were the ones who blinked in the end.

I think that unions being present made a huge difference. Without unions companies can ride roughshod over workers rights.

GreyQueen

jk0, at least once a week I have to talk a resident through that process. It isn't common knowledge.

We also get calls whenever there are powercuts. I think we know as quickly as UK PowerNetworks. Of course, as we have power to our offices (or we wouldn't be able to use our computerised telephony system) we can look up UKP's site and get an estimated time of restoration for the callers.

nuatha

GreyQueen wrote: »

I'm of the generation which didn't have computers in their schooling either; I got myself to adult ed classes and clawed my way up through the RSA qualifications, ECDL etc etc. Not easy to motivate yourself, when you have ME and are struggling to manage, to climb on a pushbike on rainy dark winter evenings and pedal off to far-flung high schools to get those classes done.

I'm largely self taught, the onset of ME meant I no longer had the strength/endurance to manage my old manual typewriter. Paying a typing service meant most of my writing income went to the typing service at a time when my main income had evaporated. I bought a second hand PC and taught my self word processing. I bought a more modern second hand PC and taught myself DTP. Eventually I was earning a decent living for fewer hours and a lot less physical effort.

This whole wretched mess in a by-product of the petroleum age. I blame the commercial castes who leveraged cheap transportation in order to export British jobs to the far ends of the globe, where they could exploit the poorest and most wretched workers. And us for buying the stuff thus produced, and the politicians for aiding and abetting it.

Unfortunately its not the petroleum age that's to blame. Though no doubt exaggerated, there are records of laundry being sent by sailing ship from California to Hawaii, Canton and Guam.

Seems to me that treason would be a reasonable charge to bring against those who've sent our work abroad. Oh, silly me, treason is only when plotting against a country's PTB, not plotting against its people.:mad:

Was that not the charge brought against Charles I?

It seems to me that the policy of successive governments since the 80s has been to gentrify the country as a recreational amenity for the City of London, removing the unsightly blotches on the landscape caused by Industry, replacing them with quaint tourist appealing manicured and sanitised countryside.

moneyistooshorttomention

Frugalsod wrote: »

I think that unions being present made a huge difference. Without unions companies can ride roughshod over workers rights.

You are right. It did.

These days you barely hear about unions managing to "hold back" the worst excesses of employers. I guess so many employees are now "living in fear of their own shadows". Looking back in hindsight - I guess that boils down to Thatcher (though her work got carried on subsequently by governments of all descriptions).

It almost feels quite odd now to remember the steady rollcall of achievements I saw at the beginning of my working life - eg equal pay for women/Saturday morning working for office workers abolished/employers prevented from stopping women from wearing trousers to work/etc/etc and it just felt that "rollcall" would continue for a while.

Only during the week I saw that Next has now told those remaining members of staff that had worked for them long enough to be getting extra money for working on a non-work day (ie Sunday) that they would be "made redundant" rather than continuing to be paid that premium (ie if they didn't accept losing it). I guess it was obvious really in hindsight that shopworkers were only going to be paid that Sunday premium until such time as there were very few of the original staff left and then those staff would be threatened into submission to make them give it up.

Doveling

Very interesting conversation.
Education has nearly come full circle I think.
I went to the grammar school, my sister went to the secondary modern, Children were made to feel if they didn't pass the "eleven plus" that they were failures in some way. So technical schools, apprenticeships etc. were phased out and everyone went to the same type of school. But children are all different so that couldn't work could it? So now everything is going into reverse.
A happy middle ground should be found where everyone is appreciated for their particular talent.

Of course, keeping them all in further education or training until they are nearly nineteen doesn't do the employment figures any harm either, does it?;)

Anyway, I am a woman in love and Mr. Doveling is not jealous!
I think the home visit went well and I am now enamoured of 25kilos of silver beauty.:D

But we have to be sensible so.....
CONS
Dog hair, muddy paw prints, feed costs, kennel fees, vet bills, vaccination costs, need a car that can take large crate.:(

PROS
I want him:j
He's good with children, partially trained, very handsome, good companion, good guard dog.
Iwant him. :jWhoops! I think I mentioned that.

So now I've discussed the pros and cons with you all the decision has to be made.
Yes, I agree..... so he's arriving tomorrow for a two day trial:rotfl:

GreyQueen

Oooooh Doveling, what kind of fur-baby is he? Will there be pix? Any particular breed or a delightful heinz?

I've been rotating tinned spuds out of the underbed larder and into the kitchen for use, am in process of restocking with new spuds. Was ridiculously pleased to see that between Sat and Sun my Liddly has moved this product up a batch date from Dec 2018 until Dec 2019.

Washer had just finished and I have bread rolls a-proving (getting sorted for the work-week ahead).

Doveling

MrsLurcherwalker_You're_most_likely_calorie_counted,_low_fat,_free_radical_(well_radical_anyway),_anti_carcinogenic,_new_age,_free_spirits_in_a_non_deity_way__QUOTE wrote:

MRS LW - Have we met? This is me!:rotfl:

Because of my love of wood, Mr. Doveling says there is something of the Dryad about me.:D
I just live in fear of woodworm :rotfl:

Doveling

Greyqueen- he's a Weimaraner and very handsome. Not too big, owner says he was the runt of the litter. 5years old
Being re-homed due to relationship breakdown, no fault of his.
He's much loved so quite sad for the owner. This is why she is letting us have a trial to ensure a good "fit" and to make sure he is not too strong for me with my rubbish foot.

Other people want him but we are owner's first choice.
Sorry, I don't do furbaby. He is a dog and will be treated as one.
But loved and well cared for... just not upstairs or on the sofas!:D

Wish us luck!