Published on 12, July, 2020
I see this old chestnut has come to the fore again. I can see problems with it.
Does the military want all these people for a year or so and what will they do with them?
If people are made to volunteer for things like life boats, special constables and library assistants, will it mean that the training for such things will outlast the service time?
Will real jobs be at risk because people are volunteering?
If theres no sanctions how will they make people do it?
Will it mean that those currently on benefits will be sanctioned for not "doing their bit"?
Will this idea have mission creep? If not enough people volunteer, will some kind of sanction be imposed?
It all sounds desperate to me, like a political party flailing about to find vote winning policies that are ill thought out.
It won't come in until 2029 anyway, just in time for another election, hmmm?
It should at least offer the option of "work experience" for the current generation who regularly complain that jobs all require this now.
I'm sure there will be lots of politicians making money off this on the side through kickbacks from suppliers, but that has been the way for decades now regardless of who is in power, so I don't see it changing under Labour.
There will be winners and losers and it will get a lot of lazy people into being economically active rather than a drain on benefits and/or their parents. There will be those who suffer (neurodivergents for one group) but with such a broad reaching project this is inevitable.
Most of it will depend on the implementation so it is too soon to fret about it.
More importantly, if we do end up going to war with Russia then it will generate a load of cannon fodder easily diverted into the armed forces - the youngest generation are the most dispensible and are best suited to such things so it is a logical choice compared to trying to tempt people to sign up.
I suspect it would make a lot more sense to make this a requirement for refugees to be able to stay in the country, at least those able to work. It could also serve as a deterrent to those looking for a free ride.
I agree about the cost and there being so many things to spend a limited pot of money on, I agree that I'd rather see it go to the NHS.
I do wonder if the military could train a generation thats so used to gaming to pilot drones?
I think it would make more sense for refuges to be allowed to work whilst they wait for their claims to be processed, many of them have valuable skills, but it would be even better if the claims were processed faster and more efficiently.
Personally I don't think its to soon to fret about it, although I wouldn't say I fretting about it, just raising it as an issue. I don't see it as being about skills, because would people be actually getting any skills? As we've seen with other schemes, people will be doing grunt work, sweeping floors etc? Will people have to have CRB or enhanced CRB checks depending on what work they volunteer for or are volunteered for? I don't see as this is supposedly voluntary how it will stop laziness or economic inactivity.
I agree that if we end up in a land war with Russia or whoever that it will be young people who become cannon fodder.
I do agree that people will be making a lot of money off the backs of the already poor and disenfranchised. I don't see how this will be any different, it will be PPE all over again.