VENTING MY SPLEEN (AGAIN)

Up until the '90's there used to be a government sponsored apprenticeship scheme running in new Zealand. In many trades and industries a good system ran where young people were given training and employment under supervision.

There was a set period of time and task accomplishment criteria to be met before the apprentice was unleashed upon society and clients and customers. The scheme was good and made a lot of sense. Free market thinking kiboshed this as it did with lots of good things that operated well in this country. Young people now are either left unemployed after leaving school or thrown in the deep end in employment. How often have you been frustrated in retail or service industries by some nincompoop who neither knows nor cares what they are doing?

I was waiting for Police Ten to come on to TV2 last night and caught the tail end of Shortland Street. This is a very long-running local hospital drama that I have never chosen to watch. I was appalled at the standard of acting. It was not only bad in relation to expected standards of acting in prime time TV drama but would be bad when compared to local repertory or school concert performances. Why the hell is this the case? The producers don't give a fuck as they believe that they have a captive audience and are using this show as a training ground for new talent. Fine, as long as this 'talent' is kept behind the scenes until they are ready but no, the poor old viewer is subject to this, sitting squirming with no other choice. Bastards!
Other examples of the public being subjected as captive market to poor service and performance is in the utility industries. Just get on the phone or web and try and get some sense out of the first-line operatives in a telephone or electricity supplier. No wonder they out-place their call centres. Sheesh!