David Cameron is out of touch with the public on employment and education

Job Centre Plus (Image: Daily Telegraph website)

It has taken me a while to decide on a suitable, yet convenient topic of discussion in dedication to my 100th blog post. It's a decent milestone in which I have enjoyed writing and have also enjoyed people's interaction towards it, whether it is face-to-face, through social media platforms, or criticisms on individual blog posts about how bad my football predictions are. The whole point of blogs is so that people can interact, right?

Anyway, my 100th post is a bit different to other posts in which I've written about. It's going to be a bit more personal, highlighting my last four months since I left Bangor and have joined the millions of students who return homes, back to their families - known as the "boomerang child". Between then and now, it has been a roller coaster of a ride for me and it emphasises the problems David Cameron faces. In his recent appearance at the Conservative Party Annual Conference in Birmingham, he had gloated the fact that Britain overcame many challenges in recent centuries and we can overcome them together in the future, both socially and economically. He may have said some valid points but under his leadership, these challenges are only going to become bigger obstacles. More on that later though.

When I started college and Further Education in 2007, when Gordon Brown was getting settled into his new role as Prime Minister, students my age at the time between 16-18 years old were urged to study in University and improve their chances to get the jobs they desired - and numbers of applications to Higher Education then soared with more young prodigies being offered a ticket to the best three years of their lives. I was part of this ambition and anticipation bubble but when I finished my University studies in June 2012 and was hoping for a job in my preferred field in public relations, anticipation and ambition was minimised and with lack of jobs going for so many applicants, I took a trip to my local Job Centre Plus and signed on to Job Seekers' Allowance.

Judging by other students in my situation in 2010, then again in 2011, I knew "signing on" was inevitable. It was something I was dreading because I was given the impression that Job Centre Plus was a place full of people who simply couldn't be bothered, didn't want to be there and make a difference. In June 2012, I felt I was in hell.

And my initial impression seemed accurate. During my first appointment, I was served 45 minutes later than scheduled and I was over-hearing conversations I didn't want to hear. Like...
Advisor: Why are you late?
Job seeker: I was picking up my girl from school.
Advisor: But it's half term, you girl can't have gone to school.

The job seeker stormed out of Job Centre Plus, saying some expletives and left the building without signing on. It made me feel sorry for the advisor who was only doing her job but again, first impressions weren't promising and it made me feel increasingly desperate in finding a job - any job for that matter.

However, as weeks went by, my attitude on Job Centre Plus changed. I concentrated more on other people's discussions and I've seen people, both young and older, genuinely trying hard and they couldn't even find a cleaner's job. And I realised that nobody wants to be going to Job Centre. I don't blame them. Most of them apply for jobs and they get constant rejections, it's discouraging. Even when I apply for shop jobs for the Christmas period, I have been turned down because I am either over-qualified or lack retail experience. It makes you wonder if all of these employers want Gandhi.

Personally for me, things have been looking up as I have started a professional PR course and am in part time employment. In addition, I have been getting interviews for full-time employment more frequently than usual. I am a motivated individual who wants to get more active - and being a Games Maker at London 2012 was very rewarding, but this job search is massively frustrating. I must have counted almost 200 jobs I have applied for from February 2012 to now. I am busting to show off my talents and enthusiasm but finding a job in 2012 is harder than finding one in 2007, when hope was offered to people like me.

I am keeping my fingers crossed for a brighter future for myself but when I continue to attend my Job Centre Plus meetings every fortnight, I can't help but to sympathise those in my situation in finding employment and contribute to the "Big Society", David Cameron wants to thrive. But that will never happen when Cameron isn't doing anything about providing jobs. Instead, he increases retirement age when those approaching their 60s wish to leave their jobs and put their feet up early, enjoying the joys of retirement - perfectly reasonable if they've paid their taxes prior. Instead, Cameron had the cheek to say in his speech last Wednesday in Birmingham that the only way people can get out of poverty is to find work.

David Cameron (Image: The Birmingham Press)

I don't think David Cameron has ever been to a Job Centre Plus before and realised that the vast majority of those receiving allowance actually want employment. There are jobs out there, don't get me wrong but there aren't enough for the 2.5 million who are both capable, and desperate in getting a job. Some of the 2.5 million don't have many qualifications to their name so they are likely to struggle. The reason that is, it's because the education system is in a terrible state at present.

The youth are bored with subjects like Mathematics, English and Science. I can understand why. The current system encourages people to be teachers and nothing more and not many people want to teach. The government have offered an alternative. England secondary schools from 2014 are ditching GCSEs for 14-16 year olds and instead, are to be taught the English Baccalaureate. It is unfamiliar territory for schools in England as teachers have to be retrained to the new syllabuses.

What is the English Baccalaureate? Known as "EB" for short, it is a qualification which is designed to teach children how to effectively run charity events, market imaginary scenarios such as "build and market a new house for the new Pharaoh", and write reports about their work rather than them being taught the conventional subjects for two years - that's if it is similar to the Welsh Baccalaureate, a qualification which is unpopular with students but helpful to people in the long run. It's a good to have EB but not to completely replace the GCSE.

Changes I would have liked to have seen are things like this:

• Ditch subjects like Drama, Music, Psychology, Sociology and Textiles which are more like hobbies and we've seen more success in these subjects through professional bodies like LAMDA. Did you really think Adele was famous because she was good at Music at school?
• Information Technology (IT, or ICT) should be made compulsory instead of Science as computers, social media and so on stands more of an influence in society today.
• Introduce subjects like Business Studies, Cookery, Basic Engineering and foreign languages and capitalise on them as important as Science. Knowing more than one language fluently and having some business acumen are things employers like to see.
• Alter the IT syllabus - more emphasis on Microsoft Office and Adobe skills and learning how to dissect and fix a computer are beneficial to people in the long term and less emphasis on BUS Networks.
• Alter the Maths syllabus - more emphasis on economics and finance rather than simultaneous equations, although learning about them is also beneficial, using the brain more mathematically.
• Science - more emphasis on learning First Aid, how to help someone when they're having a heart-attack or stroke and also learning about various cancers, dementia and other illness. Do we need to learn a large chunk about photosynthesis and how a Bunsen burner works?

Things like these could help clear people's futures rather than leaving them at 16 confused about their prospects and aspirations. The EB is good as a subject, but less so as the only thing children have to learn. Changing the education system little-by-little can only improve people's chances for jobs. Cameron needs to realise how bad the situation is with the unemployed. He needs to invest in the youth and stop faffing about, satisfying the rich and the bankers. Instead, why can't the bankers use half of their billions worth of bonuses on offering apprenticeships to ambitious people in banks and other places? Now there's a thought. Never waste on opportunities and moments like these. Ed Miliband has a good initiative on starting to develop "One Nation" but developing that further effectively can only bump his chances higher of being the occupier of 10 Downing Street.

Team GB won dozens of medals in the Olympics and Paralympics for being a solid team. Let's continue that legacy in other departments.