Is it any wonder shops are closing down...

CheleA wrote in post #17288919
. It seems that ignorance and indifference are a quality, not a flaw in today's market place. Even the employees are not interested in learning anything about the products they sell, and not just in photography--almost everything else as well. Unfortunately, I have come to the conclusion "Don't ask the question if you don't know the answer". I agree that businesses want/need to pay as little as possible, but the employees also seem to take pride in their ignorance I like to keep my business domestic, ideally local, but it truly is getting harder.

It doesn't help that These people are hired at a wage with less buying power than the $3.35 minimum wage of 1981. As a company they really aren't out to get the people with the knowledge that we're talking about. I'm sure I would make an excellent salesperson in the camera department but they certainly aren't going to pay me what I earn now.

I was talking to a friend today, who happens to own a specialist mostly "boys toys" retail business. His daughter started an apperntichip at a local law firm back in July. This can lead to her becoming a fully qualified Soloicitor or even a Barrister. The trainig is thorough and is costing her sponsoring firm £9000 pounds in training costs in the first year alone. She is paid £100 pounds per week training allowance. This will require her to work for this firm for three years after qualifing. Today she was representing a client at mediation (which is not actually meant to need representation) her firm bill the client £3.50 per minuet. She will be there today for a minimum eight hours. Her boss gets around £60/min so its a significant saving for the client, who dosen't really need representation anyway. A friend of his has a daughter who has recently graduated with a good law degree from Cambridge University, so as good as any degree you will get at ANY US University. She is unable to find a trainee position at any law firm. So instead of being on the way to becomming a Barrister, she is a Barista at Costa Coffee. She also has about £50000 in student loans. Her problem is a lack of experiance apparently. As most of the top people in both the Goverment and Civil Service, not to mention the Judiciary would have gone to Oxford or Cambridge this is a real surprise to me. It just goes to show how difficult things are even with the best university education, in a very sensible subject field.

My daughter is also hoping to study law. She would also like to take the apperntiship route. Her teachers though would like to push her to go to University.

Oh my degree is in electronic engineering.

Alan

Our friends' daughter went to a local community college, very reasonable rates. After two years, she transferred to a relatively inexpensive local university. She just graduated last year and passed her CPA exam shortly thereafter. At 23, she was making the salary in the mid-60K (that's over $100K in SF), and that's before her CPA certification. Her dad is a store manager and her mom is a nurse; they must be in that proverbial 1%.

Amamba wrote in post #17294829
Our friends' daughter went to a local community college, very reasonable rates. After two years, she transferred to a relatively inexpensive local university. She just graduated last year and passed her CPA exam shortly thereafter. At 23, she was making the salary in the mid-$60K, and that's before her CPA certification. Her dad is a store manager and her mom is a nurse; they must be in that proverbial 1%.

...but how did you friends daughter treat their janitor?

Overread wrote in post #17288871
To be fair a lot of the time that schools implement these "everyone wins" rules or outright bans competitive games/teams its not because of the students. Most students are mature enough to learn how to take a win and a loss - its more to do with parents - specifically the pushy ones who are determined to have their kid WIN. Not just the eager parents keen to promote their childs skill/interest but the ones who really won't tolerate loss

Sorry it took me three days to get back.

I agree with you. My wife taught HS for 8 years. My brother coached little league while his boys were playing. You are certainly right about 'parents'.

OhLook wrote in post #17294419
No, and I don't think a parent CAN be forced to. I also don't think all parents necessarily know what will be best for their children later on. There's no cut-and-dried formula that applies in all families and in all economies. Many people make a living at work that others deem artsy-fartsy. I could mention a highly relevant example here if someone's privacy weren't a concern.

Parents don't have to pay for college if they don't like a child's choices, but they should know that they may be causing a lifetime of regret and bitterness because "the teachers encouraged me to become a professional musician, but I'm wasting my best skills in this mind-deadening job with the IRS because the old man disagreed." They might also think about the consequences for family relationships if they support one child through college but not that child's sibling. When a parent and child approach an impasse about what the child is to do after high school, I'd say a meeting with a school counselor is in order.

I think parents should, at a minimum, cooperate with institutions that award scholarships. I couldn't get one because my mother wouldn't fill out the form.

Perhaps that is true for married parents. The situation is quite the opposite for non-custodial divorced parents. It is almost as bad for the divorced parent with custody. Been there, done that.

banquetbear wrote in post #17294880
...but how did you friends daughter treat their janitor?

Oh, I am sure with friendly respect.. but I doubt she'd offer him any help in cleaning the toilets.