Young People-Where are they? - Page 5

Mike Bell · 2 May 2013, 05:35 (Ref:3241594)

Quote:

Originally Posted by terence bower

I think that ultimately there is so much difference between kids of the early 60s/70s.All of my mates from those days just loved bikes,were alway stripping them down/altering/general fiddling with them.

Bikes and old bangers in those days were the computers and associated devices of today. Although you don't so see many youngsters stripping down and tinkering with their game machines and phones! Same with cars, most use them the same as they use white goods.....

bauble · 2 May 2013, 07:01 (Ref:3241608)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Bikes and old bangers in those days were the computers and associated devices of today. Although you don't so see many youngsters stripping down and tinkering with their game machines and phones! Same with cars, most use them the same as they use white goods.....

Mike! I think it best if you don't mention the ladies here!!!

GORDON STREETER · 2 May 2013, 07:05 (Ref:3241609)

Quote:

Originally Posted by terence bower

I think that ultimately there is so much difference between kids of the early 60s/70s.All of my mates from those days just loved bikes,were alway stripping them down/altering/general fiddling with them

As I was an apprentice mechanic with a few tools (on the knock) I was always repairing mates bikes n cars including taking engines to bits in the kitchen, I remember getting a bol***king from my mum (rip) when I put a tin of Linklife on the stove !!!!
I had no money and had to borrow £5 off my mum to buy my first motorbike paying it back at ten bob a week, but we didn't live in a hole in the road and eat gravel

Mike Bell · 2 May 2013, 07:07 (Ref:3241610)

Quote:

Originally Posted by bauble

Mike! I think it best if you don't mention the ladies here!!!

It's all in the (or in this case your) mind......

zefarelly · 2 May 2013, 07:56 (Ref:3241623)

I didn't start racing until I was in my early 30's, by which time I had a proper job and a half sensible salary ( last time I did actually!) and thought I could afford it!!!

But this all reminds me of music . . . in our teens we where desperate to get out gigging . . . . we would beg and borrow (stopped short of stealing) equipment, cars and lifts to get places, we're still doing it now, except 25 years later I've got the gear, and a wagon to get there. we rehearsed last night and I'm gigging on Saturday as it happens!

midgetman · 2 May 2013, 10:04 (Ref:3241668)

Big difference Joe - you get paid to gig or gig for free. There's a pretty big cost to go racing...

zefarelly · 2 May 2013, 10:39 (Ref:3241688)

we still needed expensive equipment, which then ( unlike now) was scarce. guitars and amps are cheaper now than they where then.

granted I've never pasid to play . . . . but you old gits got paid to race once upon a time!

Middle_BBG · 2 May 2013, 12:01 (Ref:3241712)

As a previous poster mentioned, it isn't only only on the other side of the armco that youngsters are a rarity.

The average age of marshals is going up but the retention levels stay the same; it isn't unusual to see 50+ new faces at a club training day yet very few of those trainees will last more than a few years. At a recent hillclimb at Gurston Down, 4 of us had combined experience of 160 years, the other 3 had 5 years between them........ I'm fortunate that 2 of my great nephews marshal with me, and both have since they were 16. They lower the average age considerably and can do all the running !

From a marshaling point of view, motorsport can take up an awful lot of time. Myself, the 3 great nephews and my brother will each do between 40 and 50 days each a year. I'm fortunate that my wife enjoys watching racing and is happy (possibly too happy......) to let me go off alone to a Goodwood sprint or a Brooklands meeting, yet my brother's wife dislikes motorsport intensely.

I'm not too sure what my point is (I blame my age). Maybe it's the time contraints, the dedication required or even low boredom thresholds on the yoof of today, but it seems that if near instant gratification isn't forthcoming, then people will find something else. A wet, cold day on the back doesn't compare well against 10 laps on an XP360 nintendo wossname.

HornetV8 · 2 May 2013, 12:50 (Ref:3241733)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Bikes and old bangers in those days were the computers and associated devices of today. Although you don't so see many youngsters stripping down and tinkering with their game machines and phones! Same with cars, most use them the same as they use white goods.....

I dunno, id much rather spend all day fettling a classic bike to life than on my computer, much more rewarding at the end of it (in fact I've found a website that sells classic bikes at "affordable" prices, oh dear!)
I agree about the whole modern tech, keeping your hands clean thing though, I've seen this with a lot of people my age, don't want hassle don't want a car they have to work on blah blah, bloody can't see why though, there's nothing more rewarding than taking an old knacker and getting it up and running again (abeit with added bruised knuckles and several cuts) maybe the young need to be shown the rewards of their hard work, its certainly what gets me up for work in the morning!

GORDON STREETER · 2 May 2013, 13:31 (Ref:3241746)

There are very few people going into the repair side of the motor trade mainly because (A) although you can repair a lot of things it's not cost effective. (B) as has been said they don't want to get their hands dirty and would only want to fit ECUs etc.
The writing is on the wall for guys like myself that could repair just about anything as vehicles are too diverse, to make any decent money now I think you have to specialise in one type of vehicle and find the easiest way to work on them.
Most of the big chains like "Halfrauds n Mr Zorst etc" are just leaches in the motor trade full up with overpaid bonus chasing people that don't know one end of a car from the other !!!!!
Just climbing down from my soap box on Hyde Park corner

HornetV8 · 2 May 2013, 13:43 (Ref:3241756)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

There are very few people going into the repair side of the motor trade mainly because (A) although you can repair a lot of things it's not cost effective. (B) as has been said they don't want to get their hands dirty and would only want to fit ECUs etc.
The writing is on the wall for guys like myself that could repair just about anything as vehicles are too diverse, to make any decent money now I think you have to specialise in one type of vehicle and find the easiest way to work on them.
Most of the big chains like "Halfrauds n Mr Zorst etc" are just leaches in the motor trade full up with overpaid bonus chasing people that don't know one end of a car from the other !!!!!
Just climbing down from my soap box on Hyde Park corner

I can only speak from a 50 year old diesel loco side of things but it seems that there isn't too many differences, I k ow we are straying onto a mechanical side of things here but these days companies (and I understand this to be the same for motorsport) don't want someone who can use a spanner and work hard, they want some college grad "technician" with all the grades in the world to fit a few electical parts for a daft wage, so for people my age it seems a case of you can spend all week grafting away going out of your mind, fixing some old heap, or you can be paid loads of money for staying in school and learning about computers

Maybe that's why there's no young in Historic motorsport, they're all in university wanting to get that £50k+++ a year job rather than spending their time putting in a hard days work doing club motorsport, bladdy shame!

terence · 2 May 2013, 17:03 (Ref:3241813)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Bikes and old bangers in those days were the computers and associated devices of today. Although you don't so see many youngsters stripping down and tinkering with their game machines and phones! Same with cars, most use them the same as they use white goods.....

Yes,your right Mike,its because the parents just go out and buy a new one.

Heightswitch · 4 May 2013, 10:15 (Ref:3242547)

Sadly it will all come back around...Britain is starting to wake up and smell the coffee and realise that you still need the spanner wielding monkeys to actually do the work the i-pod generation aspire to!!

The saddest thing is that we now have a 20 year skill gap and will need to re-train a lot of people in the dying arts that are still around , just mainly in China, Germany and places that still value engineers..

Remember..

There are engineers and others who's lives they make possible!!

Greem · 4 May 2013, 10:35 (Ref:3242554)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Middle_BBG

As a previous poster mentioned, it isn't only only on the other side of the armco that youngsters are a rarity.

The average age of marshals is going up but the retention levels stay the same; it isn't unusual to see 50+ new faces at a club training day yet very few of those trainees will last more than a few years.

I've seen this first hand. There were 22 keen eager things (some were young but at 38 I don't think I was!) on the taster day that hooked me 4 years ago and about the same for the days either side. 7 of the combined total are still at it, including me. Mine was a VSCC meeting, and I fell in love with being on the bank after about 15 minutes :-)

My lad, 9, wants to start doing it now too.

Anyway, I think the problem is largely cultural. Historic motorsport is in no way a mainstream activity and gets almost no news coverage unless something goes wrong. The fact that we, with a combined age similar to the Pyramids, are talking about it is quite instructive. Has anyone actually asked a "young" person who tried racing but quit, or are we all postulating?

Dave Brand · 4 May 2013, 13:06 (Ref:3242601)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heightswitch

Remember..

There are engineers and others who's lives they make possible!!

terence · 4 May 2013, 13:18 (Ref:3242610)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heightswitch

Sadly it will all come back around...Britain is starting to wake up and smell the coffee and realise that you still need the spanner wielding monkeys to actually do the work the i-pod generation aspire to!!

The saddest thing is that we now have a 20 year skill gap and will need to re-train a lot of people in the dying arts that are still around , just mainly in China, Germany and places that still value engineers..

Yes,quite,one of the reasons I got out! As for training,Belgium is so far ahead of the "institutes" that have sprung up in the UK. The equivalent at Spa is up to its eyeballs with youngsters who want to learn the skills required on older cars.So,IF I ever get bored with what I do [very unlikely] I can always drive there every day.

chunder · 6 May 2013, 14:48 (Ref:3243571)

It is staggering that in a growth formula most of the jobs require ezperience!

How on earth do you get then?

Typical inward looking motorsport industry I am afraid

terence · 6 May 2013, 15:50 (Ref:3243588)

Agreed,but not in the case of the Spa set up fortunately.

grantp · 7 May 2013, 09:14 (Ref:3243860)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chunder

It is staggering that in a growth formula most of the jobs require ezperience!

How on earth do you get then?

Typical inward looking motorsport industry I am afraid

It's not just engineering.

I was chatting to a long time acquaintance last week. His lad has a degree in the modern world high occupancy field of Graphic Design. Has worked a while post degree but had a deal with his girlfriend (different field of work) that whoever got the first permanent job they wouold move wherever that took them. Happened to be London.

Should be easy to get a Graphic Design job in London right?

It would seem not if you have "no experience". Even less so if you mention you have been keeping yourself up to date by freelancing whilst not fully employed.

I was told (cannot verify of course) that he had got to a short list of 2 on at least 5 occasions but always rejected due to 'lack of experience'. Often these jobs depend on showing your skills and ability so you spend time in the office of the company recruiting. Free labour to cover sickie days? Who knows but his dad mentioned one story of a day at a firm where he was aasked to finish off a job that someone else had started but gone sick.

He finished it in half an hour. The chap in charge was not impressed enough to give him a job despite saying that the task was expected to take the rest of the week - 4 days - rather than half an hour.

Now this could all be total BS of course - whilst I have no doubt about the honesty of the teller or his son the tale could have gained some embellishment in the telling somewhere along the line. However I've seen enough over the years to appreciate that it has the ring of truth. You can be too good for the people who will surround you should you be recruited to a job.Might upset the "team". Best avoided. Lack of experience was once a relatively polite excuse but in these days, and especially without "feedback" which is such a cornerstone of the HR industry allegedly, it's a rather crude and devalued brush off that helps no one.