Becoming a journalist was my third career, and one that came after much consideration and work experience with a local community paper that was privately owned called the Guardian (in Palmerston North). By the time I exited my training 18 months later, the business had been taken over by the big multi-national corporate newspaper chain that owned half of New Zealand’s media. The other competing mega chain ran and still operates the other half. It was interesting that my earlier research of the occupation had revealed how poorly paid journalists were – except the few celebrities that grace our television screens. I was fortunate to be older, and valued at 41, and found employers recognised my life-skills and didn’t have the heart to pay me minimum wage – ageism with a twist to the affirmative. I witnessed the surprise and disheartening of my younger peers at the training school in Wellington, many of whom had studied for a degree, taking three years, then going on to get their diploma in journalism (one more year), that the industry was going to pay them so poorly. What grated on me was the fact that universities and other training institutions were pumping out large numbers of recruits who were never going to get a job in their trained industry because the jobs simply didn’t exist. That was a few years ago and maybe it has changed but somehow I doubt it. Some would debate that this subject is not political and that institutions have the right to offer whatever they like. If not, our government could be accused of being a Nanny State. Business is business after all and let the buyer (student) beware. Yet I argue that it is political and that the synchronicity of education and jobs should most definitely be of political interest. Too often government ministers say they can’t interfere because it is of sensitive or business nature. If a minister is being politically correct, “I can’t possibly comment”, then I say they have no balls. Let’s get working together toward a positive outcome for all and stop shagging our young people around.