Oor Nicola Sturgeon thread.

[vikingTON]

9 hours ago, renton said:

Still the Only Show in Town?

You get two votes in the Holyrood elections and the onus is now on one of the countless list parties to provide a reasonable alternative between now and May. So far I've looked sideways at talk of a major party civil war or full schism with the Cherry/Salmond wing wanting to take over the reins; I'm still not convinced that's a great idea but the clowns in charge of the political strategy right now most certainly need cleared out and a fresh look on policy taken. 

I've no idea how Swinney has earned so many get out of jail free cards either, given the absolute disastrous spell he had as party leader and having achieved very little of note in any supporting role. Just being speccy and boring really isn't enough to earn a genuine reputation for competence. 

[Detournement]

10 hours ago, virginton said:

 Why would an employer take a chance on shortlisting someone with a Higher C in English as the bare minimum standard of communication skills from this dubious set when they'll be spoilt for choice with more reputable candidates? They won't and so lack of credibility will soon bring about a lack of experience and long-term inactivity which is the real killer.

Employers either look for specific HE or FE qualifications, set their own tests or look for particular personality traits at interviews.

No one gives a f**k about highers. Employers don't check them. You can say you got anything. 

[vikingTON]

5 minutes ago, Detournement said:

Employers either look for specific HE or FE qualifications, set their own tests or look for particular personality traits at interviews.

If you're applying for a so-called 'graduate job', then sure. For plenty of roles that are not in that category school qualifications are critical to demonstrating a basic level of competence and/or diligence for otherwise inexperienced candidates. You don't get to the interview or in-house testing stage if your CV gets immediately chucked in the bin alongside 200 dung candidates. And by spring that will be 400 getting launched for even the most entry-level position. 

Edited August 12, 2020 by vikingTON

[AUFC90]

Employers either look for specific HE or FE qualifications, set their own tests or look for particular personality traits at interviews.
No one gives a f**k about highers. Employers don't check them. You can say you got anything. 

^^^^This

[renton]

1 hour ago, virginton said:

You get two votes in the Holyrood elections and the onus is now on one of the countless list parties to provide a reasonable alternative between now and May. So far I've looked sideways at talk of a major party civil war or full schism with the Cherry/Salmond wing wanting to take over the reins; I'm still not convinced that's a great idea but the clowns in charge of the political strategy right now most certainly need cleared out and a fresh look on policy taken. 

I've no idea how Swinney has earned so many get out of jail free cards either, given the absolute disastrous spell he had as party leader and having achieved very little of note in any supporting role. Just being speccy and boring really isn't enough to earn a genuine reputation for competence. 

I definitely agree in terms of policy review. There needs to be a holistic view taken of where the SNP want to be in terms of domestic policy, rather than a laundry list of policies put forward by departments. Some kind of over arching strategy is needed to stop drift and to try and scale up some ambition in terms of policy goals.

I think they've done OK on income taxation (having basically half inched the Greens policy on this) and the National Investment Bank, but more innovative public infrastructure is needed and a replacement for Council tax is well overdue.

I've voted Greens on the list the last two times and probably will again tbh.

Swinney is absolutely not the right guy for education either.

[John Lambies Doos]

If you're applying for a so-called 'graduate job', then sure. For plenty of roles that are not in that category school qualifications are critical to demonstrating a basic level of competence and/or diligence for otherwise inexperienced candidates. You don't get to the interview or in-house testing stage if your CV gets immediately chucked in the bin alongside 200 dung candidates. And by spring that will be 400 getting launched for even the most entry-level position. 

Agree with this, very relevant to part time jobs too. As many candidates may not yet have an FE qualification a decent set of higher results show a level of competence and in the main a level of commitment.
Post University degree, Highers mean shite

[John Lambies Doos]

I definitely agree in terms of policy review. There needs to be a holistic view taken of where the SNP want to be in terms of domestic policy, rather than a laundry list of policies put forward by departments. Some kind of over arching strategy is needed to stop drift and to try and scale up some ambition in terms of policy goals.
I think they've done OK on income taxation (having basically half inched the Greens policy on this) and the National Investment Bank, but more innovative public infrastructure is needed and a replacement for Council tax is well overdue.
I've voted Greens on the list the last two times and probably will again tbh.
Swinney is absolutely not the right guy for education either.

Not sure Swinney is the guy full stop. Too dull

[Billy Jean King]

Fatty Davidson getting it tight

[mizfit]

Fatty Davidson getting it tight

She thrown anyone under the bus yet?

[BawWatchin]

That was some storm last night and wee jimmy krankie and the student hater didn't do a damn thing about it. It'll be interesting to see how this impacts the polls.

 

[Billy Jean King]

She thrown anyone under the bus yet?

Only herself, exactly that angle taken by NS in riposte as it will be anytime she opens her overactive mouth

[falkirkzombie]

Absolute erse skepking handed oot by NS there to Ruth @ FMQs, nae wonder she's calling it a day.

[BawWatchin]

Ruth Davidson playing the "i'm just serving in a different parliament" line. Nicola Sturgeon quick to point out that she hasn't been elected there.

[SandyCromarty]

5 hours ago, virginton said:

If you're applying for a so-called 'graduate job', then sure. For plenty of roles that are not in that category school qualifications are critical to demonstrating a basic level of competence and/or diligence for otherwise inexperienced candidates. You don't get to the interview or in-house testing stage if your CV gets immediately chucked in the bin alongside 200 dung candidates. And by spring that will be 400 getting launched for even the most entry-level position. 

Many young people are turning their backs on a Uni education and are looking for placements in apprenticeships.

Apprenticeships were once the domain of hands on industries but now there are a broader spectrum to choose from.

But just looking at a hands on apprenticeship some are preferable to 3/4 years at Uni for a degree that may provide a base salary in retail and then years of paying off a sixeable student loan etc, whereas an apprenticeship provides a salary from day one plus a government sponsored day release education at no cost.

From what I can see if a graduate wants to enter into a financially and  rewarding career then a Phd  is necessary. 

Too many young people leave Uni and end up in the hospitality industry. 

[SandyCromarty]

7 minutes ago, BawWatchin said:

Ruth Davidson playing the "i'm just serving in a different parliament" line. Nicola Sturgeon quick to point out that she hasn't been elected there.

Nicola showed the Blurt up for the fool she is today, like a lamb to the slaughter orchestrated by the linesman.

[AUFC90]

Ruth Davidson playing the "i'm just serving in a different parliament" line. Nicola Sturgeon quick to point out that she hasn't been elected there.

Usual then. Sturgeons been doing this every week for years against Davidson, Carlaw and Dugdale, shes took the weekly skelping baton from Salmond who also liked to show multiple non entities the door.

How anyone can vote for anyone other than the SNP is beyond me [emoji23]

[vikingTON]

10 minutes ago, SandyCromarty said:

Many young people are turning their backs on a Uni education and are looking for placements in apprenticeships.

Apprenticeships were once the domain of hands on industries but now there are a broader spectrum to choose from.

But just looking at a hands on apprenticeship some are preferable to 3/4 years at Uni for a degree that may provide a base salary in retail and then years of paying off a sixeable student loan etc, whereas an apprenticeship provides a salary from day one plus a government sponsored day release education at no cost.

From what I can see if a graduate wants to enter into a financially and  rewarding career then a Phd  is necessary. 

Too many young people leave Uni and end up in the hospitality industry. 

This post was brought to you by the 1970s.

[O'Kelly Isley III]

This. And in general there has been an incredible amount of can't and hypocrisy surrounding this issue. At long last something appeared which allowed the opposition parties at Hollywood to finally lay a glove on the Scottish Government, and boy how they took it whilst privately being grateful it wasn't their stinking mess. The SG and Swinney do not come out of this well, but perhaps some consideration should be given to the current system, one which has palpably buckled under this pandemic. Given that every year we have some sort of bunfight on exam results perhaps this is the opportunity to have a serious look at it. Finally, despite that young lass from Motherwell having been on the telly every night for the last week, the SG will ride this out, if only because Brexit is about to hit UK politics like a wrecking ball.

[SandyCromarty]

1 hour ago, virginton said:

This post was brought to you by the 1970s.

Not so, from what I can gather gaining a degree, of any standard, in the decade you mention was a distinction and a guarantee of a worthwhile career .

The value nowadays of a degree has lost a lot of credibility to where it was considered back then.

Fact is a plumber can easily earn more over his working life nowadays than an ordinary graduate will over his.

To be honest, intelligence back in the day you mention was rewarded, now it is commonplace and with the burden of student loans and parental cost over the three years not worthwhile.

Before you reply sarcastically as you already did, I have two of my children who have graduated and various grandchildren at Strathclyde, Glasgow and RGU, the one at Strathclyde is working on his Physics Phd. 

[vikingTON]

You claimed that 'many young people are turning their backs on a Uni education' in favour of good old-fashioned, spit and sawdust, 'proper' alternatives like apprenticeships: this is utter bollocks though. The number of Scottish students entering higher education reached yet another record high in 2019 - and if the predicted impact of the wider economic recession is the same here as in England and Wales then demand for university places will surge much higher this year and in the years to come.

What's actually happening is that more school-leavers are opting for the expanded number of modern apprenticeship schemes rather than taking their chances on the open job market, which is smart and to be encouraged. Plenty of them are also going to college to make good on their school performance and enter higher education through that route as well. What is not happening here or indeed anywhere else in the Western world is an about-face of academically gifted young people who now want to be plumbers, despite what the University of Life contingent would like to believe.