Ok funkguppy. I think we are saying the same thing but not in the same language. For personal reasons you are not living in another country, I take my hat off to you.
I had a good friend that spent 5 years in the states and all he could say at any opportunity was things like, in the US this was better, that is cheaper, wages are higher, schools are better etc etc etc. Thought you were going down the same road. Gave him the same reply as I did to you.
We do have problems here in the UK but I still think its a great place to live on our little planet of ours. Depends in what you want from your working life and where you would be happier to do it.
Unfortunately Paul, so do i think it's a great country. I only spent a short time in Canada, had plans to emigrate to Nova Scotia, was ready to go, but personal reasons stopped me from taking the leap. I now live in a nice place, see my son regularly, surrounded by friends and family and am pretty content. Where i live now has been home for most of my life, so doubt if i'd move away now. Home really is where the heart is.I work for a company, and do a bit of work outside to top up the wages. I'm seriously considering becoming self employed, but realise after reading this thread and others that we don't live in the best of times, so may build up the business while still employed.
My employed rate is about £15 per hour, but no overtime, etc... just a salary. For that i have to look after 14 buildings, PAT testing, intranet and data switches, phone network, teach electronics, fire alarms, organise outside contractors, fire risk assessments, unblock toilets, etc... Feel like i'm being used a bit. I feel like i could do this for myself and earn a lot more, though i know it's going to be hard work, and it does frighten me a bit. I've always been used to a salary.
On an optimistic level, i can see (and have seen it before a few times) that when there's a recession, things don't get done, but still need doing, and when we come out of this there will be a lot of work for us. Take Kent schools for instance. A report has found that 520 state schools in our county are in need of urgent repairs and a lot of these need rebuilds. This work has been put on hold, but will have to be done at some point in the future. Same applies to housing and new business startups that will all need our skills when they open up.
I can see, and it always happens just before an election, good times ahead on the jobs front. We should all grit out teeth, get through the next two years as best we can, and be ready for the gold rush. The one thing that does need sorting out though, is the confusion that PART P has bought into our industry. I personally would like to see the government take control and issue some kind of professional card which would only be issued to fully qualified tradesmen, either through qualifications and experience combined, or training and exams. My appprenticeship back in the early eighties was in electronics servicing, and i have C&G and EITB qual's, but have been doing commercial electrics for 20 years now, 10 with the MOD. Have 2391, 2377, 16th and 17th edition. I like to think i'm fully qualified, but others may beg to differ as i'm not JIB and didn't serve an electricians apprenticeship. Don't know what you think?
Sorry, going on a bit here, but i love the forum. I love the debates, the opinions, disagreements, sarcasm, etc... I find it as useful a tool as any i have in my toolbox. Great bunch of lads.
Tony.
