From the Argus - One to cheer Looney up

[TONY]

Brighton and Hove has a young, dynamic and well-educated resident population. One third of all local residents are aged 25-44 years – the most economically dynamic section of the population. The city retains a high proportion of its graduates once they have left university. This, and the tendency for highly qualified people to come to Brighton and Hove to live, means that the city has a highly skilled labour pool. 29% of the adult population in the city hold a degree or equivalent level qualification – much higher than the national or regional average.

Employment in Brighton and Hove is disproportionately in management, professional and associate professional occupations, which generally require people to have higher levels skill. 47.8% of people work in these occupations, compared to 40.1% in England and Wales.

The city has a non-white minority ethnic population of 5.8% and also attracts a high number of speakers of other European languages to study and work throughout the year. There are an estimated 35,000 language students who come to the city each year and more than 30 language schools in the city. Many of these students look for employment locally, during and after their courses.



this came from Wired Sussex, so not sure how accurate the figures are but if there is only 5.8% of ethnic workers in Brighton is an 8% requirement in workforce achievable?

Issues in race at work is a very sticky subject and because of our past record as a nation i don't think it can be dismissed as 'PC Gone MAD' when an employer is trying to change the status quo. This should never be at the expense of not employing the better qualified candidates though.

 

[TONY]

oops, not 8% but 4.5, still is this achievable?

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Which could lead to further issues. What happens if they employ someone from a minority to fill this quota despite him/her being less qualified. This person doen't perform and is then sacked. This perosn then sues for being scaked due to his/her colour rather than inability to do work. In the end, the best person for the job should get it - end of. This sort of policy only makes the race issue more obvious

Yeah and what if that person turned out to be an illegal immigrant terrorist from the moon?

 

[El Presidente]

Yeah and what if that person turned out to be an illegal immigrant terrorist from the moon?

Or even worse........Woodingdean

 

[Commander]

According to whom? Who in "the world" has described this country as that to you, or even implied it?

A lot of people I met when travelling. And according to me.

 

[Captain Pugwash]

 

[Commander]

Shit trains, shit food, shit weather, a (rather groundless) superiority complex esp. when travelling abroad, petty crime/yobs

Exactly.

 

[Shizuoka Dolphin]

To be fair, Australia is just as bad for yobs. It seemed that every second person wants to start a fight down under.

 

[Trufflehound]

A lot of Dutch people like to point their fingers at Britain (and Germany) and scoff whenever possible. On the news they latch onto anything bad or embarrassing that happens over there and ignore anything good. But there's no real harm intended - it's just a typical "small country mentality" - insecurity derived from being overshadowed by larger neighbours. A bit like a Jack Russell barking at alsatians to make itself feel bigger.

However, having said that...

One thing you certainly notice when you move away from your home country and see it from the outside, is that by and large the rest of the world doesn't actually give a shit what happens there. We aren't nearly as visible on the world radar as we like to believe we are.

People aren't laughing at us, they're not even noticing us most of the time - they have their own countries to worry about...

 

[Easy 10]

Have you ever been to South Africa!?

No, but I bet their organsisations arn't playing "count the number of blacks" in an effort to meet pre-arranged targets to ensure they've employed enough negroes to be seen as being PC.

 

[Shizuoka Dolphin]

One thing you certainly notice when you move away from your home country and see it from the outside, is that by and large the rest of the world doesn't ractually give a shit what happens there. We aren't nearly as visible on the world radar as we like to believe we are.

People aren't laughing at us, they're not even noticing us most of the time - they have their own countries to worry about...

Nail on the head. The UK has a lot of problems, but to suggest the world is laughing at us or we're a global laughing stock is nothing like the truth. The majority of people I ever meet know three things about the UK in the ast fiver years: Harry Potter, the terrorism last year and the football team. Noone gives a crap about us eitherway in the larger scheme of things.

 

[Man of Harveys]

"negroes"

Interesting choice of word, haven't heard that for a very long time. The last time they televised "Roots", I think it was...

 

[Easy 10]

Interesting choice of word, haven't heard that for a very long time. The last time they televised "Roots", I think it was...

Its in the dictionary, and was part of the point I was making. I wasn't using the word 'negro' in a derogatory way.

 

[Trufflehound]

The majority of people I ever meet know three things about the UK in the ast fiver years: Harry Potter, the terrorism last year and the football team.

My experience of Japan was in the early 90s. Back then, the only three Brits the average Japanese could name were Princess Diana, Gary "Rineker", and Johnny Walker...

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

One thing you certainly notice when you move away from your home country and see it from the outside, is that by and large the rest of the world doesn't actually give a shit what happens there. We aren't nearly as visible on the world radar as we like to believe we are.

People aren't laughing at us, they're not even noticing us most of the time - they have their own countries to worry about...

True.

Although David Beckham appears to be very important to Jonny Foreigner.

I've lost count of the amount of times I've had an introductory conversation that goes something like the following:

Jonny F: Hello
Me: Hello
J.F: Are you American?
Me:No.
J.F Oh. Where are you from then?
Me:Guess.
J.F: Australia?
Me: No.
J.F: Canada?
Me:No
J.F: Russia?
Me: No.
J.F Where?
Me: England.
J.F: Oh. BECKHAM!
Me: Sorry?
J.F: Beckham. England...
Me: That's right.

 

[Citrus]

That is absolutely outragous. Doubt much will be done about it though.
Although I would never even DREAM of voting BNP, this is the kind of case where it is good that they exist and make their point.

 

[See-Goals]

"The council set a target that 4.5 per cent of its 8,000 workers would be from ethnic minorities by the end of March 2006 but only achieved 3.6 per cent."

So out of 8,000 workers, the council want 360 to be of an ethnic minority. WHY ? Pointless tokenism at its finest. Instead of pandering to a bunch of hand-wringing do-gooding liberals obsessed with appearing oh so "right on" about employing ethnic minorities, how about having a simple policy of employing the best people for the job, regardless of race, creed or colour ? Or is that just too simple and obvious ?

Only in this country

Targets are set by central government. Local councils cannot and do not set their own agendas, they are just pressured to meet them.

 

[Easy 10]

Targets are set by central government. Local councils cannot and do not set their own agendas, they are just pressured to meet them.

Just quoting the article as it appeared, hombre.
Anyway, whoever sets these targets, its f***ed up.

 

[bhaexpress]

A lot of Dutch people like to point their fingers at Britain (and Germany) and scoff whenever possible. On the news they latch onto anything bad or embarrassing that happens over there and ignore anything good. But there's no real harm intended - it's just a typical "small country mentality" - insecurity derived from being overshadowed by larger neighbours. A bit like a Jack Russell barking at alsatians to make itself feel bigger.

However, having said that...

One thing you certainly notice when you move away from your home country and see it from the outside, is that by and large the rest of the world doesn't actually give a shit what happens there. We aren't nearly as visible on the world radar as we like to believe we are.

People aren't laughing at us, they're not even noticing us most of the time - they have their own countries to worry about...

Good for the Dutch, must be wonderful to live the country that's the European Centre for drug distribution and child porn.

Having travelled in America they too have some strange ideas about us but I can't say I've encountered anybody loking down on us.

 

[sully]

I still think the best response to this came from a former colleague of mine when he worked for Lambeth Council.

He had applied for several jobs internally but never got an interview. One time he decided to tick the "disabled" box and put his ethnic group as "African". He got an interview.

At the interview, he was asked about his ethnicity. "Well, according to all the books I've read on the matter, it would appear that we are all descended from Africans" was his relpy.

He was then asked about his disability. "When I take my glasses off, I can't find my way out of the room. How disabled would you like me to be?" was his response.

He didn't get that job, either!