I havent viewed this topic for a while. But its good to see its generated many views. Basically we still havent moved on. After several meetings with local education service providers and various training bodies we couldnt find a way of setting up a suitable, affordable and operational(from the view of kids getting to training establishments easily on low wages) scheme.
Im still disheartened by the way the future of this "profession" to use a word is viewed in terms of general supply of suitable future staff to train. I know many will have different views to my own, but we dont need people with degrees etc to come in and be trained as apprentices only to leave when a post with more wonger comes along. I had hoped there where still young people out there that wanted to be engineers, technicians etc but Im told not. The opinion of one training body was that of a survey they carried out less than 2% of school leavers would consider an engineering trade of any sort. They all want to do nothing, be IT&M bods, be a nurse? midwife?? or go to uni and get more quals???. Anyway we'll keep on trying, hopefully we will get there in the end.
Either that or in 10 years time Medical Engineering Departments will be staffed by people who are all due to retire and are training junior techs with masters degrees in computer aided biotronics and need 2 days off a week to lecture in their chosen docturate.
