The concentration on the 'bottom line' as the sole performance indicator, and the expectation of continuous growth, is what seems to drive the tendency to outsource labour & to import rather than manufacture.
Unfortunately, successive governments seem too concerned with short term populist strategies, to consider the long term effect that the resultant loss of skills will mean.
To talk of upskilling just adds insult to injury, in my opinion, as had education and training been working properly, there would be no need. This is just another area where companies have cut back to increase profits for the 'fat cats'.
I'm not sure I agree with Scarlett regarding the situation reversing, due to a reduction in quality, I'd like to - I just can't conceive that the bean counters will take any interest in that - and if profits are affected, they will shut up shop & move on to another venture, ruining several peoples lives in the process. We have a factory up here, about to close with the loss of 600 jobs, not because it was making a loss, but because amalgamating production at another plant will make even more profit. Being faced with that kind of cynicism is what makes me lack confidence in any change for the better, within any forseeable timescale
