I was a school teacher down in London in the 1990s, and a colleague always used to say that we were doin 4th kids a dis-service by pushing the idea that to be a success you had to go to university.

"Britain needs ditch diggers" he used to say, and he was right. We need people working at every level of society, and being paid a decent living wage to do so along with getting the respect that is due for making a positive contribution to the community.