[BITList] BBC - Andrew Neil's blog: Work experience matters morethan ever

[HUGH]

Mike,

Where does actual work come into it all?  Internships for a few weeks, 
mickey mouse "apprenticeships", finance, media, politics?  Manufacturing 
(anything) is airbrushed out of the picture.  I suppose it's the only kind 
of world Andrew Neil knows.  To get to where I was at the age of 30, ie, a 
moderately experienced marine engineer draughtsman, I'd been required to 
serve 5 years at the tools, go to sea (the first job I got as a draughtsman 
after leaving the MN specified sea experience as essential), move around a 
bit from firm to firm to ger varied experience, and do a great deal of 
studying.  At 30 I got what was called "the full rate" - a draughtsman in 
earlier times would, at 30, have achieved senior status.  Nowadays some 
ponce can achieve stardom in a few weeks or months - no wonder the UK is 3rd 
world place.

Hugh.