Why do people come to Shetland?

[Salmon]

A valid point, which has not been made here yet, is that as many Shetlander's go away to College or Uni and don't come back. I was looking at some old school photo's the other night and I reckon about 50% of those who went away for FE remain away. Certainly, from among my close friends from school that's the case.

 

The same can be said for any county/burgh in the UK, populations move out of their home counties and should not feel guilty wishing to do so, my wife is a Shetland lass and as far as i am concerned our children are SHETLANDER'S, i would love them to live their lives in Shetland but if they choose not to ....i know they will always be SHETLAND ISLANDERS at heart.

 

.

[sassermaet]

^^^ Well said.

[paulb]

nowt wrong with moving. our objective should be to make it easy for them to stay if they want.

[trout]

Question is what do our Nordic "cousins" do to ensure their "young" don't evacuate, but instead have not only jobs but cultural and social activities to ensure they want to either stay and or "come back"?

 

Is there the ability to have insight on comparison studies to Shetland against our nearest "Island" neighbours and or Nordic associates .. or even against Scottish associates? Probably no!?!

 

Faroese and Icelanders have a pull to come home, no? Do I just think this behind rose tinted glasses? I don't know? Their economic polices appear on the surface to at least consider "generationaly" that they should appeal and provide positions to graduands to wish to strive for associated degrees and deem a return home to their "homeland" strangely enough to be worthy!?

 

Can Shetland consider the same? Shetland is isolated, yes, but it is not deprived of potential. How do graduates consider employment in Shetland is the key question?

 

What key industries and services can Shetland provide? ... *wait* I don't mean fishing .. and I certianly don't mean hospitality and or the f'ing tourist industry .. and I certainly don't mean a wind-farm (if any of you had't figured that one out already !! *nnyahh-ha!! !!!

 

.... look outside the box ! (blah statment but it holds true)

[Njugle]

This is something that has always stuck with me. Rural Norway throws itself into industry mind body and spirit. People invest their own savings in their local industries and thus become totally conscientious about their local area and people. Rural areas develop one industry in one area. I visited shipyards turning out off shore supply vessels in townships of 2000 people. The furniture industry and upholsterers were similarly focused and grouped. Fishing communities paid little heed to any other industry. It may seem blinkered or narrow minded but imagine Moores shipyard in Scalloway turning out ships the size of the Anglian Sovereign and that's what is achievable in a different culture. Whalsay is the nearest comparison here. Vidlin comes close, or did before the first and second sell-outs. I would guess it will rise again.

 

Take an industry and run with it, employ migrant workers, do whatever it takes, but Shetland is not geographically an industrial backwater. Our surrounding sea is actually a top notch transport link, not an isolating factor. Same is possible for IT if desired. Kildrummy is a prime example.

 

It's all about choice, confidence and motivation.

[wally jumblat]

^^^

I agree 100% with Njugle.

[tarotangel]

Totally agree wi Njugle as well.

 

I think for me I've always wanted to come back home and would've been back earlier if I hadn't met Mr TA.

 

You just need to concentrate on things and get them going.

[EM]

 

... lots of eminently good sense.

 

His view that manufacturing has a future in developed economies, be they cosmopolitan or regional, is very rare nowadays. It seems to be the case that the smart view today goes along the lines of "We can't compete with the low price manufacturing engines of the BRICs developing giants, so we have to specialise in high value services, creativity, virtual products etc." Certainly there is no point trying to keep on making many of the things we used to, but there is a fundamental flaw with the "simply do high end work" idea so smugly presented as "the way." This is that the BRICs countries are not just settling down to be the world's factories and call centres. They are also pushing ahead very, very rapidly with all the fancy added-value industries too. Their size will inevitably dominate right across the board. I've spent a lot of time working/selling in China and though it will probably continue to be my biggest customer, I see that they will soon be mostly self sufficient in most of the "new industries" and creative arts too.

 

So what is the best direction for here? Certainly not just animation studios in Unst. To a certain extent it will be the things which just can not be replicated namely the historical and natural heritage assets. I just don't see that being enough however, unless everyone wants to become tour guides, buskers and trinket sellers. Njugle's emphasis on exploiting the locally well developed engineering and maritime skillbase is I think bang on. I would suggest the likeliest field would be to move towards Shetland becoming a world centre of excellence in wave and tidal power engineering, in the same way that Holland is rightly perceived to be the place that knows about land reclamation.

[OriginalUsername]

Here's a view "straight from the horses mouth" so to speak (and a cliche` apparently)

 

I'm a young person who left the Isles ASAP. As soon as I finished my fifth year of school, I left for university. I'm now about to begin my honours year.

 

I sound like I was incredibly keen to leave, and I was, but don't get me wrong, I love Shetland. I'm just very driven to work in a professional field which isn't available to me here in the Isles.

 

After I finish my degree, I will be coming home to begin my career though. I hope to take part in the SIC Graduate Placement Scheme.

 

Home, as I see it, has many advantages, however there's no way I could work in the field I want to work in up here. After a year at home, I'll be leaving again to get on the career ladder on the mainland and work my way up.

 

And, unfortunately I do disagree with you Njugle! (well, I agree with pretty much everything you said besides the windfarm comment) Maybe I'll come back to Shetland when I'm a lot older... but I'm not coming home unless there's a ruddy big windfarm here. But we're not on the windfarm thread here, so back to the point!

 

My point is, I'm your typical story - young Shetlander, leaves for a career and may or may not come back when I'm older.

 

I honestly don't think there's much that Shetland could do to keep me here. It's difficult enough already to leave because I love the place so much. It's not that Shetland is unappealing, it's just that what I want to do requires me to be on the mainland.