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David Wilson
Wilson’s world
David Wilson is editor of Engineeringtalk and Electronicstalk and associate editor of The Engineer
The lost souls
Just the other day, I found an old photograph of my late father. The black-and-white picture was taken in the early 1920s when he was just a little lad, and shows a typical family pose with him sitting with his father, mother and older brother.
Despite the fact that all the family members look rather serious, the photograph itself reveals little about their family life at the time. It looks like any other old picture from the period.
But the history behind the snapshot is much more interesting — it was taken at a time when all the family members were in the Bedford workhouse — an institution where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment.
Notwithstanding this rather poor start in life, my dad tried extraordinarily hard to break free from the shackles of his underprivileged childhood. Joining a local firm of machine-tool builders, he worked his way up from sweeping the shop floor to become the chief engineer of the place, educating himself through part-time attendance at a local higher-education facility.
Today’s children are a lot luckier. They are fortunate enough to attend schools in which they are provided with the opportunity to gain the necessary academic qualifications to attend university where they can study any subject that their hearts’ desire.
But for many students, the rigour of the current education system has brought its own set of problems. For those unfortunates, the years spent following a regimen of attending classes and passing exams leaves them academically qualified but without a true sense of purpose or meaning.
Clearly, my dad educated himself to break free from the poverty of his past and to gain a job that would enable him to enjoy a comfortable life. But today’s students, with their schooling handed to them on a plate, have no need to struggle as hard. Worse still, their education may also leave them rather clueless about what career to pursue once they leave university.
In many instances, they take up work in our cities, where they become one of numerous other dissatisfied people working as ‘executives’ in rather vacuous ‘professions’ simply to pay exorbitant amounts of rent, eat and entertain themselves, with no true challenges and without any real demands to achieve something better in their lives.
But perhaps things will change once prospective university entrants are forced to consider shelling out £9,000 each year to pay for their tuition. Maybe then, the army of prospective potential lost souls will realise that, before opting for any course that takes their fancy, they should think more seriously about the implications that their choices will have on their future.
The hike in fees may also lead to a greater number of students who might recognise the advantages of becoming engineers like my dad, rather than engage in self-satisfying, but impracticable subjects that inevitably lead to employment in roles that are unchallenging and dreary.
David Wilson
The Wilson’s world blog also forms part of the Engineeringtalk, Electronicstalk and Manufacturingtalk newsletters. To subscribe, go here for Engineeringtalk, here for Electronicstalk and here for Manufacturingtalk
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Readers' comments (11)
Tony Manser | 31 Mar 2011 11:58 am
Couldn't agree more with your comments. There is no purpose in wanting everyone and his uncle to earn a university degree, particularly in nebulous courses that seem to have little relevance to the needs of employers. What would be of much more value would be a significant expansion of vocational training and apprenticeships. Let's aim for a skilled workforce, not just an educated one.
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paul lambert | 31 Mar 2011 12:22 pm
When air travel was the preserve of the wealthy we never dreamed of cheap affordable flights for all.
Along cam EasyJet and Ryanair et al.
Now presented with the chance to make serious money offering cut price no frills university education, how long will it be before we see EZ-Uni spring up ?
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Bob Lees | 31 Mar 2011 2:53 pm
This should be required reading for every school teacher and careers advisor
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ron campbell | 31 Mar 2011 7:44 pm
Some of these views sound like the typical British science / engineering attitude towards the Arts.
I was once so incensed by an anti "maths at school" tirade, in a quality newspaper, by a journo who was obviously from an arts background, that I gave up my favourite crossword in protest.
However, this sort of bigotry in the engineering community should not be encouraged. There is a place for choreography, sculpture, music, comedy, and other "arty farty" stuff in our society. And, I am sure every engineer recognises that in reality. However the practitioners of these arts are excellent self publicists unlike most of the scientific / engineering community.
Possibly, as engineers, we should adopt their attitudes and their professional excitement, rather than being quietly smug over our "elegant solutions" in our "Ivory Towers"?
Saying that you are an engineer is not cool at a party.....they expect to see a screwdriver in your back pocket..... but an advertising executive is very cool!
We, as engineers, need to drop the Monty Python-esque "My Dad lived in a shoe box" attitude and try to promote the excitement of our profession rather than bitching about "Top Gear" being presented by a non-graduate, an arts graduate and a music graduate.
Maybe that way we will get more kids interested in an exciting and worthwhile career.
Who wants to be a geek anyway?
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Anonymous | 31 Mar 2011 8:41 pm
I agree with you completely.
I am in the USA and see that the expansion in Degrees for subjects that are almost useless in society are a direct result of us wanting our children to get a college degree, regardless of its use.
There is a statement on some of the persons with a PhD in some useless field. It goes: "Hi, my name is Bob. I have a PhD in ******. Do you want French Fries with your Big Mac ?"
Getting a degree is not a difficult thing to do. Getting a degree with a potential future is a bigger challenge. As a degreed engineer (BS - Aeronautical Eng Tech - 1983), I can tell you it was a lot of work, especially having to work full time to pay my bills. I can also tell you I have never worked in my field of study.
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Zafar Mimli | 1 Apr 2011 4:07 am
The most important thing is to excel at what ever you want to do and you will succeed in life.There is no place for second grade skills/qualifications.
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S.S.Ahluwalia | 1 Apr 2011 4:15 am
Real education is possible only through practical experience
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H Collier | 1 Apr 2011 1:11 pm
The problem is we have politicians running the country (the "vicar of Brae" type). China is run by Engineering graduates (of many disciplines). Who would you bet on in the world of trade and business?
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Bharrat Holmes | 4 Apr 2011 1:21 pm
As an engineering graduate who has worked in manufacturing for 20 years , seen myself oputstripped in pay terms by a long way and been made redundant by companies who no longer exist I can fully understand why today's youth has shied away from a career(???) in manufacturing.
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J Burr | 4 Apr 2011 1:22 pm
Perhaps the government should consider telling the universities which courses and the number of participants their (our) money will fund. Anything else offered would than have to be paid for in full by the student.
To ensure the funding is correctly placed where it is needed, industry sould be asked each year how many graduates of each discipline do they predict they will need in three years time. And on this basis funding is provided. As industry will encompas all aspects: engineering, science, arts, health, administration, etc etc a fair distribution based on actual need will evolve.
Perhaps I'm seeing a grass greener over there senario......
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