Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'

Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'
[ Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum' ]

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Benefits, jobs etc.

Posted by Allan Campbell on 23/3/2025, 8:46 am

Reading in the newspapers yesterday the places like Bradford which have a lot of people on benefits, there are a lack of jobs available so some stuck on benefits.

The Government is putting up the cost of NI on Employer's who I assume will try to minimise the increased cost by not taking on staff or cutting staff.

The increase in. NI will possibly deter employers from taking on staff or someone thinking of starting a business.

The 20% VAT of private schools fees has resulted in in some closures and probably more to come.

That throws pupils onto the state system which is under pressure anyway but also cuts the income tax that would come from those schools staff. That’s all staff not teachers but support staff etc. and therefore all the support firms that do works for those schools and even the shops or stores around the schools.

It would not surprise me that the money gathered from the VAT is more than cancelled out by the loss of income that would have come from the staff and companies linked to private schools.

In today’s papers an article about the amount of money being thrown away on student loans for students that are supposed to attend private colleges/schools. A lot of these colleges or schools are let’s say Fake. Students from abroad using it as cover to be in the U.K.

The above is my interpretation of what I’ve read, you may differ.

Allan C.

Re: Benefits, jobs etc.

Posted by Norman on 23/3/2025, 11:26 am, in reply to "Benefits, jobs etc."

This country needs to get back to producing everything we need like it used to, instead of buying inferior cheaper stuff from China.
Where will all our school leavers find jobs?
Where can they learn to be a Electrician, Plumber,Engineer, etc etc?
'Little old Hebburn' along with our neighbouring towns did there part years ago.
Places like Reyrolle's employed over 12000 (which is more than Nissan employs today).
Local Companies that are too many to list, employed people from all over the NE but they are all gone now & Housing Estates built on them.

Re: Benefits, jobs etc.

Posted by John Shearer on 23/3/2025, 12:00 pm, in reply to "Re: Benefits, jobs etc."

Yes lads, it has never thought out of how we were going to replace these older industries and where people were going to work or be educated. Allan they have dug a hole they can't get out of and loose more than they will ever gain. We have had some bad politicians and their advisors over the years.

Re: Benefits, jobs etc.

Posted by Liz Dance on 23/3/2025, 1:44 pm, in reply to "Re: Benefits, jobs etc."

The Country is in a total mess what with one thing and another, the last Government had an 80 seat majority following the last Election that they won, they completely squandered that majority, they could have done so much, I know hindsight is a grand thing but so much could have been done.

At present what remains of the Tory Party keep popping out of the woodwork saying they should have done this, that and the other - they didn’t so they must live with the consequences, it will take quite a lot of time for the electorate to believe what the Tories are saying or promising to do if elected back into power.

Reform are saying the right thing, unfortunately they don’t have the right people in place to carry out their proposed plans, I guess at the Local Elections they will win quite a number of seats which will put the cat amongst the pidgins as the old Brexit Party did years ago. Reform are spending so much time fighting the Tories and each other, maybe they should consider fighting the real opposition - Labour.

The current Government are totally useless, their front bench are, in my opinion, an embarrassment to the Country, if people like Rachel Reeves, Ed Miliband and the like are left to carry on with their ridiculous policies things will be so out of control I fear that there could be no turnaround. Starmer can’t be trusted with what he says, thing is who could be the alternative, the mind boggles?

I just wish we had an elected group of MPs who put Britain first and not every Tom, Dick or Harry, maybe I should rephrase that every Mohamed, Ali, and the like , and get on with rectifying our problems before it is too late, it might already be, but I hope not.

Re: Benefits, jobs etc.( Norman)

Posted by Stan Wears on 23/3/2025, 8:50 pm, in reply to "Re: Benefits, jobs etc."

Couldn't agree more! I've been retired 14yrs and even then the last 5 yrs or so was was taking over construction sites where they had been run by what I call dangerous half trained site managers. This country needs experienced people but we're getting older and heaven knows what will happen next. I've been a self employed construction manager for around 40 odd yrs and made my money from lack of trained young site managers. To me today's world is lacking...We need industry proper training not half trained that come cheaply...

Re: Benefits, jobs etc.( Norman)

Posted by Sheila on 23/3/2025, 9:59 pm, in reply to "Re: Benefits, jobs etc.( Norman)"

Hinckley Point A and B Nuclear Power in Somerset was built with all British engineers. Lots of jobs were also available to the locals in Bridgwater. A friend who lives near Bridgwater says, they are very few jobs at the new site for local people. EDF are employing German or Eastern European men . They have built a large accommodation block for them. EDF and the Chinese are building it, but it’s going to cost us a lot of money to use the electricity.

Re: Benefits, jobs etc.

Posted by Stan Wears on 23/3/2025, 11:07 pm, in reply to "Re: Benefits, jobs etc.( Norman)"

Sheila, I've seen it loads of times. Internal politics! Construction sites where kids got top jobs then hired me in to sort out the mess. Why do we not try and regain the skills.? As for lack of skills, you only have to look at the buildings nowadays. Up one year and gone in a decade or so....lack of skills...and too much computerised design. I say that because a computer can't see flaws.....think about it!

Re: Benefits, jobs etc. Stan

Posted by Allan Campbell on 24/3/2025, 3:27 am, in reply to "Re: Benefits, jobs etc."

You are dead right about computer use.

It’s thought in some quarters that the computer never lies, that’s probably correct but the information that’s fed into it can be flawed.

This AI stuff is dangerous as the information it uses could be cobblers.

Lots of us that have worked in industry would often get the feeling that something NOT RIGHT or will not work. Call it experience, instinct or lateral thinking. It must be the same in other fields of work etc.

Allan C.

Re: Benefits, jobs etc.

Posted by Liz Dance on 24/3/2025, 8:12 am, in reply to "Re: Benefits, jobs etc."

Don’t you find it amazing that most of the kids going to Universities these days expect to walk straight into the best paid job ever, they may have studied for 3 or more years but they only have text book experience no practical experience, you have to start at 5ge bottom and work up the ladder.

Re: Benefits, jobs etc.

Posted by Sheila on 24/3/2025, 8:43 am, in reply to "Re: Benefits, jobs etc."

Stan, EDF are employing their experts from Germany, but also none experience jobs are brought in from EU countries I think. My friend said they are so many men from Europe living in Bridgwater now. I done think many kids were kids were given top jobs at the Nuclear Power Stations A and B, but I don’t know anything about the Civil Engineering.

Re: Benefits, jobs etc.

Posted by Stan Wears on 24/3/2025, 10:23 am, in reply to "Re: Benefits, jobs etc."

Well Sheila you are right in a way. I have nothing against graduates but putting them in construction managers jobs is risky and dangerous. A lot of people think that the role is all about cracking a whip. Take for instance one contract where I travelled to Berwick everyday to sort out a young site manager's mess. He hadn't a clue what a risk assessment or toolbox talk was. Literally no records. Dangerous if the HSE walked in. Why these firms hire these people is down to cheap labour and a way to carry the can when it all goes wrong. At design stage, I've yet to see one without flaws. Like I say, computer aided design is not capable of working out loads and stresses but will we ever realise it?...

Re: Benefits, jobs etc.

Posted by Sheila on 24/3/2025, 11:42 am, in reply to "Re: Benefits, jobs etc."

Stan, obviously I don’t know anything about work practices , but when the C Nuclear Power Station as given the go ahead, the government said it will be good for the local community. Well A and B was, but this one is being managed differently. Sad but this is globalisation.

FYI Stan Wears

Posted by Ray Forster on 24/3/2025, 10:42 pm, in reply to "Re: Benefits, jobs etc."

CAD not capable???

Not harking back to the slide rule days are we?

Software with Built-in Stress Analysis:
SolidWorks:
Known for its robust mechanical design capabilities, SolidWorks includes a simulation module for performing stress analysis on parts and assemblies.

Fusion 360:
Autodesk's cloud-based CAD software, Fusion 360, offers simulation tools for stress analysis, allowing users to model and analyze designs under different loads.

Autodesk Inventor:
Another Autodesk product, Inventor, provides stress analysis capabilities for mechanical designs, enabling users to evaluate the performance of their designs under various conditions.

Re: FYI Stan Wears

Posted by Stan Wears on 25/3/2025, 11:43 am, in reply to "FYI Stan Wears"

When I retired 14 yrs ago Ray autocad was the thing in the oil industry and pipework was a nightmare. As you quite rightly say it has improved but there will be many packages now so I stand partially corrected.

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