General Chat

I really wanted to find some figures on teenage pregnancy as compared with general rates, best i could find:

A total of 41,325 women under 18 fell pregnant in 2008, down 3.9% from 42,988 in 2007, the figures show.

Of these young women 49% had an abortion, compared with 50% in 2007.

The government had pledged in 1999 to halve teenage pregnancy rates among under-18s in England by this year but is widely expected to miss that target.

The ONS data shows for every 1,000 girls aged between 15 and 17 in England and Wales, there were just over 40 pregnancies.

The North East had the highest under-18 conception rate in 2008, with 49 per 1,000 women age 15-17 falling pregnant.

The East of England had the lowest rate with 31.4 per 1,000 young women getting pregnant.

The number of girls aged 13 to 15 getting pregnant fell by 6% in 2008, with 7.8 conceptions per 1,000 girls compared with 8.3 in 2007.

The ONS statistics show there were an estimated 887,800 conceptions among women of all age groups in England and Wales in 2008, a decrease of 0.9% on the 2007 figure of 895,900.

Janey I stand corrected. However I was trying in my own little way to highlight how much easier it is to enter the UK.

I agree illegal immigration is present in all countries. I welcome asylum seekers and do not shirk responsibility however although I accept there is no easy answer do think immigration into this country needs to be tightened.

Kids do need to be motivated. However, not everyone needs to be a high flier and there are many ways to pursue a career. I think it was Daff (apologies if I am wrong) who made a reference to a friend who had trained on the job as a carpenter but because he did not have a certificate to prove it was finding it difficult to find a job. To me his experience is far better than a certificate as this is a practical discipline . A shop assistant can progress through the ranks to become a manager so these jobs should be promoted.

Janey, I am Teresa W, that was Tooty Fruity, a different person :-))))

Wmsl @ TW... and Tooty Fruity... that was Maggie in Winchester, not me, lolol

Love

Daff xxxxx

Okay you people, the sun isn't over the yardarm yet where I am, so I still know who I am.

You're right, TW, that was TootyFruity -- I guess I just figure if I'm agreeing with somebody, it must be you!

And allow me to say that I very much agree with everybody who agreed with whoever it was who said there should be more trades training.

Canada, for example, has had workforce shortages in the skilled trades for ages. One problem with them, though, is that they're awfully sensitive to economic cycles -- try being a carpenter and getting work during the recent economic unpleasantness. But basically, they're never going to go out of fashion. We will always need carpenters and electricians and plumblers and all the other building trades, and various mechanics and what not.

The way it works here, for example (I got to know it through my buddy the contractor, who had an apprentice working on one of my renos) is that a community college offers the trade program, and part of it *is* the on-the-job apprenticeship. I think that's the best way. When somebody works on my house, I want to be sure they understand the theoretical parts too -- like what a load-bearing wall is, and what it takes to bear a certain load, and so on. Certainly ditto for electricians!

And you know who really needs to know what relatively secure and well-paid jobs these are, and what opportunities they can offer for controlling your own hours and moving in and out of the workforce if necessary?

Girls, that's who.

TeresaW we all look at things differently and theres no way in a million years would i tar anyone.

if the price of third party insurance and road tax
was put on the price of petrol
the government wouldnt miss revenue on
untaxed and uninsured vehicles on the road

it would also save time and money for the law courts to
and police time and paper work

Noooooo Joy my cripmobile comes with tax and insurance!

Sue x

sue yo can have a discount petrol card lol

Thank you Joy.....lol

x