Mike's Minute: Snobs are complaining about Defence Force criteria

A touch of the ol' intellectual snobbery reared its head with news that the Defence Force dropped education criteria last year. 

As a person who had no time for school and could not wait to get out into the world, I was, and still am, very grateful for the idea that you choose the person and not the piece of paper when it comes to work. 

When I started, School Certificate and UE were what you needed to get into the media, or at least to have a crack. 

These days you need a degree. I can assure you the quality of those graduates has not changed one iota as a result of several years of study. 

The military is an awfully difficult place to recruit for, especially in a country like ours. 

Just what is it you are offering? We don't do a lot; we don’t have a lot of equipment and we don’t fight wars. We keep peace and patrol. 

So in a world where work-life balance and work from home and 4-day weeks are commonplace, average pay, Waiouru, and a lot of early rises aren't exactly calling cards. 

So you simply now need three years of school. You don’t even need Level 1 NCEA. 

Here is the thing – some people aren't into school. I know this because I was one of them. 

Not all life choices, work choices, or skills are gained by passing Year 11 maths. 

The military is as much about attitude and aptitude – it's a structured environment and it is designed for a specific type of person. 

In places like America, they recruit people who may well struggle to get regular work. That is the way it is and it's a simple truth. They offer dental and medical in a country where you may not be able to afford it. 

They offer a career and travel and opportunity in careers and trades you may not have even thought of. 

Here you can be an auto technician, plumber or diver. They are the jobs on offer in the military with no skills. Could you do that in civilian life? No. 

Being good with an engine does not mean you are good in class. 

These are doors of opportunity 

If the military through necessity can make it work, who are these outside snobs who still believe that exams and results are the sole key to employment? 

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