When I left school in the early 1960's, we were told that about 5% of school leavers left with 3 or more A levels, and about half that number (2.5%) went on to university. A degree will "put you in the top 2.5% entering the job market", we were told. Whilst the range of intelligence has not varied across society, now 50% attend university. Entry is therefore now much easier, and most courses run at much lower academic levels. In 1960 our teachers made jokes about the USA having degrees in golf green maintenance... hmmm.
Post war, we, the workforce, were mainly badly managed, mainly by people who got their job by virue of family connections, not expertise. In post war Germany, managers had to have both relevant academic and business qualifications. The difference has been increasingly obvious. A symptom has also been the lack of investment in staff (cheaper to poach from elsewhere) which led to the creation of Training Boards in the 70's which were supposed to push reluctant employers into people developers. This was not entirely successful, employers wanted the tech colleges to do the training for them. Now the technical colleges are all "universities", and all "white collar".
Bozoboris says he wants a high wage high skill economy - so, no jobs for the lower skilled? Bozo says "we'll have to get used to paying more"...
If no EU make up, the long term consequence will be considerable industrial restructuring. Cornish low cost eateries etc. will go, and be replaced by fewer michelin restaurants for those who can still afford to live there. Any remaining low skill workers will have to commute in, either individually or through contract service companies.
Large machines have replaced most landworkers, on the larger farms (25% biggest produce 75% of our food). Smaller farms will go, or be farmed part time. If no low cost labour for fruit and vegetable harvesting, vegetable growing will decline, home grown price will go up, and so we'll begin to import more through our new "world class trade deals". Same applies to meat as large part of supply chain dependent on EU labour. Driverless tractors are already here, but harvesting requires operator discrimination in many cases, much harder to automate. You can bet that it will be those in the lower part of the wage ladder who will feel the effect of more expensive essentials the most.
This of course, has been exacerbated by covid, and grounded container vessels in the Suez canal, but would have happened anyway. I hope the Brexit Bus is stuck in a fuel queue somewhere, whilst we celebrate the wonderful life Brexit is beginning to reveal to us...
my point is that we need to reduce the cost of living ( especially for low earners ) rather than increase low wages. Unfortunately we have got to a point where it cost SO much to run the country that the general tax situation is very high and it doesn't help the low incomes.... maybe there could be taxes aimed at luxury purchases ( the kind that only rich people would buy ) ? Or tax on second homes etc...
