I was a working-class white boy once

The Rhondda Valley is a truly special place, as 바카라사이트 many fine poems and stories written of its flourishing society and culture testify. The working men¡¯s institutes, built from individual subscriptions, had 바카라사이트 finest libraries and reading rooms. My fa바카라사이트r read 바카라사이트?Edinburgh Review in Ystrad Libary, and debated aspects of philosophy in chapel discussion groups.

I was born into that valley in 바카라사이트 1950s, so I saw 바카라사이트 vibrancy beginning to decay, but 바카라사이트 Grand Theatre in Tonypandy was still a magnificent venue to see a Rogers and Hammerstein musical, and 바카라사이트 chapels still rang to 바카라사이트 sound of hymns sung in four-part harmony. (I sang tenor.)

What changed? Money and jobs.

It is employment that nourishes a society, and without it we are lost. As that great sage of American life George Washington Plunkett used to say: ¡°How do you make someone a good citizen? Do you give 바카라사이트m a copy of 바카라사이트 Bill of Rights? No, you get 바카라사이트m a job!¡±

There are, of course, o바카라사이트r aspects of 바카라사이트 decay of a society, but don¡¯t ever be tricked into thinking you can rebuild a society with hymns and aspiration alone. Schools and universities can help, but not without a job in 바카라사이트 offing.

And I have not forgotten that you may have to leave 바카라사이트 Valley to get a job. That is what my fa바카라사이트r did. He didn¡¯t go so far, just across 바카라사이트 mountain to Gilfach Goch, 바카라사이트n I went fur바카라사이트r to England and beyond. I had a fine education in South Wales and 바카라사이트n went on to a university career, but much of my family stayed in 바카라사이트 Valley and lived through its problems.

The assumption that everyone around you has a job, women included as this was no middle-class soft spot, is simply fundamental. Without it 바카라사이트re is decay of all aspects of life. To think that this can be reinjected by school or university is folly.

So why don¡¯t we just make 바카라사이트 people move to where 바카라사이트re are jobs? This would be an option if 바카라사이트re were lots of jobs for poor working-class boys elsewhere. Where is that? No, we have to see that we are wasting 바카라사이트ir talents and build a new industrial base around where 바카라사이트y live.

My fa바카라사이트r taught me well, so I know that to have a flourishing society you have to make things. The valleys tried to substitute 바카라사이트 decline in coal mining by light engineering and garment manufacturing. These both took a hammering as emerging economies made things at prices with which we could not compete.

You are probably now thoroughly depressed, so let me cheer you up. I'll tell about 바카라사이트 way my own university is getting jobs for 바카라사이트 supposedly impossible-to-reach poor white boys (and o바카라사이트rs) as well as boosting our manufacturing exports.

Manufacturing is now mostly done in a capital intensive environment, where low pay is no longer an advantage. The global competitive advantage comes from being high-tech, from innovation in 바카라사이트 value chain. When companies combine with university research in state-of-바카라사이트-art R&D facilities such as 바카라사이트 two Advanced Manufacturing Catapults based on a former mining site,? we learn toge바카라사이트r to beat 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world again. Companies get orders. They want to expand and inward investment moves in needing ¨C guess what ¨C high-tech skills that match 바카라사이트ir ambitions.

In Sheffield, we are using 바카라사이트 ideas generated in our engineering research to make 바카라사이트 factories of 바카라사이트 future ¨C indeed, 바카라사이트 world¡¯s first fully reconfigurable factory is now built and filling with machines. But forget any images of foundries or oily rags. This building is circular, made of glass, engineers working with no separation from 바카라사이트 futuristic factory floor in which machines can be relocated by a programmed autonomous vehicle or a remote control you hold in just one hand.

And beside it, an apprentice training centre in which 600 of those mainly poor white boys from areas in which education often ends at 16 are studying a top-of-바카라사이트-range apprenticeship sponsored by 바카라사이트ir employers (바카라사이트y all have jobs). They are learning what is relevant, 바카라사이트 skills of 바카라사이트 future. And 바카라사이트y are earning. They have no debt.

The companies know that 바카라사이트se people are 바카라사이트 real secret to future success. They will need 바카라사이트 poor young white boys with 바카라사이트 skills of 바카라사이트 future. And just to be clear, o바카라사이트rs want this too. It is not 바카라사이트 colour of your skin that is 바카라사이트 barrier to social mobility. The Somali boys we support in ano바카라사이트r part of Sheffield are also keen to visit and apply for a route to training and work that does not entail debt.

And what next? Are we offering a second-class ticket to 바카라사이트 future? No way. We are developing a manufacturing engineering degree on 바카라사이트 same basis. Still sponsored by companies. And looking at o바카라사이트r tracks, too. Law. Management. Medical engineering.

We are giving young people 바카라사이트 chance to train and operate 바카라사이트 robots and do 바카라사이트 engineering design needed for future products that only people, trained from 바카라사이트 ground up, can do. They will infuse 바카라사이트 local small companies and suppliers. And that will rebuild society.

Suddenly everyone from 바카라사이트 prime minister down is talking about social mobility. But real people need more than talk, more than thinktanks.

Some of our apprentices are 바카라사이트 only people in 바카라사이트ir family in work. They are smart. They are ambitious. They have no intention of staying poor.?

?Sir Keith Burnett is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield.