How Do You Solve a Problem like Benefits/Unemployment/Youth Employment?

Not by taking away money Mr Cameron.

Today, David Cameron promised that if re-elected at the next general election, he will strive for a "land of opportunity," where those under 25 will no longer be entitled to housing or jobseeking benefits. Instead, they will have to be earning or learning. Cue a barrage of swear words from me, and a backlash instantly erupting on Twitter.

Here's why Davy C's new big idea is naive (Apologies in advance if this isn't my usual vaguely humourous/less drivel. This might actually be somewhat comprehensive and informative. WHO KNEW?!)

I am in total agreement that something needs to be done, that something needs to change to help our economy and that we need to stop people just scrounging off benefits and never getting a job. What I don't understand, is how taking away help for young people is going to somehow create a bunch of jobs and get rid of youth employment. It just doesn't work like that. To me, this just seems like another example of blaming and punishing the young (and, more often that not, ambitious AND hard-working) for going to university like Mr C encourages but sadly, coming out to find no jobs. Surely, the bigger problem is those who have been on benefits for 10 years and have made little or no effort in finding employment.

Trust me, out of all those I know who are or have been on jobseekers' allowance, not one of them (including myself) have wanted to be there. I personally find it somewhat soul-destroying rocking up to the job centre with my degree just to confirm that yes- I have been looking for jobs, yes- I have had rejections and no - there really aren't jobs. Promise. For every job there is, there's a couple of hundred or more applicants standing in the way. It's all becoming a bit of a lose-lose situation. We're grateful for the help of course, but choosing jobseekers' is not the easy option. When I signed up, I felt like I was admitting defeat. It's mentally and emotionally tiring, even more so when you then get penalised for unpaid work experience that will help you get a job, but will stop your monetary help in the mean time (but that's a whole other debate).

What annoyed me EVEN FURTHER was this comment :

"Think about it: with your children, would you dream of just leaving them to their own devices, not getting a job, not training, nothing? No – you'd nag and push and guide and do anything to get them on their way … and so must we. So this is what we want to see: everyone under 25 earning or learning."

Here's the thing David. Of COURSE my parents would rather see me working than on benefits, and of course they're helping me the best they can. But they cannot just give me a job on a plate. What you're suggesting is that my parents have just left me to my own devices and I've strayed over to benefits. Bit offended by that. Unfortunately, we're not all born in huge amounts of wealth, where Mummy and Daddy can fund every part of our lives. I feel that's what you're seeing through your rose tinted glasses. My parents know I hate being on benefits, but they can't afford to keep paying for me, and would rather I was getting help until someone finally decides to employ me. 

Mr Cameron seems to lack any understanding of the graduate climate right now, seemingly thinking that because we don't have jobs, we are not hard-working. Bollocks to that. Bollocks even more to the idea that taking away our money will suddenly magic jobs into our worlds. Again, that just isn't the solution. Even telling us to get training isn't a great help, as training can cost MONEY that we only get through JOBSEEKERS which you want to GET RID OF. Good one. I'm all for tackling those who are too lazy to work, but let's not target those who are genuinely working their butts off to get some form of work. The internship issue will only get worse, and some of the poor will end up poorer. As per usual. 

I always knew my career would be a difficult one to get into (whole other kettle of fish right here), and jobseekers, until I get some work, is the only thing pulling me through. Monetary-wise anyway.

So Mr Cameron, I end my rant here. Stop generalising us and tarring us all with the same brush and realise that WE DO WANT TO WORK, there's just no jobs. Or the jobs are over-subscribed. Please tackle those on benefits who need to be tackled. Back to the drawing board and back to your bread-maker.

Anything to add to the debate? Comment below :)

Normal service resumed next post...

Ciao! x

The Pros and Cons of Becoming an Adult... of sorts.

Sincere apologies for my complete lack of blogging lately. Since last time, I've completed two brilliant weeks of work experience, firstly at GoThinkBig (I'll put a list of the articles I've written under a new page) and then at Top of the Pops Magazine, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed. I've also had my adenoids removed, celebrated my 21st birthday and officially become one of those adult things.

Credit for photos to the lovely Jack and Sophie. Please enjoy the beautiful hospital gown, and know that I did actually have a sophisticated birthday with family... the photos just won't load on my laptop. First world problems

 Unfortunately this means I have to become somewhat of a sophisticated, mature, independent, financially stable young lady... something of a difficult task when you're still living in the delightful town of Tonbridge with your Dad, paying £7.30 for a drink in Tunbridge Wells because there's nowhere remotely good in Tonbridge. End of rant. This is why I've decided to write a really quick and short post debating the pros and cons of effectively becoming old, although I am genuinely struggling to find some pros thanks to the above difficulties... hold tight everyone.

The Pros?

• The only pro I'm going to highlight here is INDEPENDENCE: You've got actual real money from an actual real job to spend on actual real things that you actually really want (I'm not including myself in this one... hello unemployment). You can go out to a pub with friends whenever you want. You can vote! You can act all sophisticated drinking cocktails! The list really is endless. 

And the easier part: CONS

• Money: You have to pay for everything. You may still be in a student overdraft. You may have no money (this is where I take inspiration from my dear self). Now adult life gets tricky...
• Hangovers get significantly worse: Perhaps even lasting two days, perhaps made worse by texts and photos (no I will not 'send you a pic') reminding you of the night before. Highly unfair. 
• Unemployment: This one might just be me, but I'm feeling like somewhat of a disaster still being unemployed almost three months since leaving uni. This is a whole other debate, but being an adult no longer means I can simply reply to any 'why don't you have a job?' comments with 'I'M STILL A STUDENT GOD'
• Being ID'd for a drink when you're 21: Not sure whether to take this as an insult of a compliment. Hashtag youthful face
• Shopping: You are now expected to spend money on important things and 'work clothes' rather than all the fun 'student night out' clothes you find on Missguided. Sadface.
• And finally- Judging acceptability: Just how acceptable is it to still be watching Toddlers and Tiaras? And how acceptable is it to want to go on this Helter Skelter?

Sorry if this was a little dull, but I thought I'd keep you all up-to-date on how life is going. Here's a promise that next time will be tonnes more exciting.

If you can think of any more pros and cons that you've experienced since becoming an adult, comment below...

Ciao!

x

Day Four - A Shop Sizing Experiment

There are plenty of articles and blogs about sizes, which sizes are healthy, why size doesn't matter and so on, but there's one thing that really bugs me and I feel it's time for a rant.

Maybe it's down to my body shape (any sign of fat seemed to skip the very top half of my body and roll straight down to my stomach, sizeable butt and thighs. Seems unfair to me), but I couldn't tell you the exact sizing of clothes I need, because I could almost guarantee that it would be wrong in at least one shop. It's most problematic on the bottom half, where I can vary from a 10 up to a 14. In fact, in one instance, the first size that actually fit and did up in New Look was a size 16, at which point I promptly had a tantrum and quickly exited the shop. 

Take these clothes for example...

Top to Bottom: Size 12 - Primark; New Look; New Look (high-waisted); New Look
Size 10 - American Eagle Outfitters; Topshop

Top to Bottom: Both Size 10 - Rare London; Primark

Top to Bottom: Size 12 - New Look
Size 10 - Republic

 I think it's most obvious in the shorts how different shop sizes can be, although granted some shorts are in differing styles. It seems the biggest offenders are New Look, whose size 12 are pretty much the same size as a size 10 elsewhere (such as Republic, seen in the trouser photo), and actually seems to differ between their own clothing! I'm even more startled by the tiny sizing of a Topshop 10! 

Although, as is the case with many girls, I have my body hang-ups, I don't feel I should be ashamed in any way with the clothes size I buy. However, particularly in New Look's case, their unpredictable and small sizing feels like it's designed to make you feel bigger than you actually are, and has made me feel fat on more than one occasion. What I can't understand is why there's not a standardised sizing that all shops need to stick by, as it seems ridiculously that you can vary so much from shop-to-shop. There's already enough magazines and photo-shopping making us feel like we need to be much slimmer/fitter/this that and the other than we are, so it's about time shops did something to counter this. And don't even get me started on bra sizes...

By no means I am saying that being obese (or anorexic, or any other eating disorder) is OK, but by potentially making us feel bigger than we actually are, shops are doing nothing for women's self-esteem. I for one am sick of being embarassed of sizes, and would love to see women (and men!) stop being defined by whether they are a size 8 or a 16. 

Any thoughts? Feel free to drop a comment below :)