David Cameron said: "Those who can work should; those who can"t should be supported." I am sure a well designed and funded Welfare to Work initiative would see significant reductions in the numbers of those dependent on benefits of various kinds, for example, Incapacity Benefit, where the numbers are creeping towards three million.

At the same time John Denham has been pushing a third of England's young people to "Be the First To Go!" i.e. into HE in their family. Why on earth would they want to? Just how many lightweight X Studies and Y Studies graduates do we need in a country without plumbers and electricians?

Some of the best news to come in the office recently has been the success of the national promotion of Going to Work by those excellent ambassadors for industry the winners of the National Training Awards. Winners have visited their former secondary schools passing on the good news that Going to Work doesn"t damage your health. The opportunity for young people to meet the very best trainees from industry has done much to raise awareness and has proved inspirational for those tentatively considering entering the world of work but under pressure to remain in the academic world.

Generally applicable excellent advice to young people is this:

"Work hard at school, leave school as soon as you are able, get a job with quality vocational training, live happily ever after."

Lawrence Miles, Chief Officer, IVA