Today is the start of a new project for me and I need your help.

As part of my normal working life I have been employing and interacting  with young people for many years and have slowly come to the conclusion that whilst there formal education is better than its ever been, sharply focused to pass exams, its at the expense of their general education.

As an example I once employed 3 young people on a video project, all recent graduates with decent degrees. Not one could tell you what the local council actually did, convinced as they were its to do with mental Health. None of my recent crop could tell you where the Battle of Hastings was fought, I think I would have even forgiven the answer Hastings, again all well educated young people.

I once convinced a group of young technicians that television has always been in colour its just coloured paint wasn’t invented until the 1960s.

I spoke to a friend who runs a youth training project. on the first payday for each new group he can guarantee he will have an angry trainee brandishing his payslip accusing him of fiddling his wages. He had be promised X and now he has been given much less. Tax it would appear has never been discussed. I could go on

So its time for the Old Blokes Guide to life for which I need your help. Have a look at http://www.theoldblokesguide.net and join in. The plan is to compile a book, a compendium of things you need to know to navigate life, mistakes you can avoid, pieces of wisdom you wish someone had told you when you were young. So join the conversation go to http://www.theoldblokesguide.net and click like, leave a comment, or just follow.