In 1997 one very big Australian airline owned partially by one very big British airline had a presentation day for all 150 graduating apprentices. After the presentation security guards marched all the new tradesmen to their lockers told them to remove the contents, escorted them off the base and told them their services were no longer required. This was the first time in 75 years that graduating apprenti were not given employement. One year later they were all asked to return but the cream of the crop had found jobs elsewhere and those who returned did so with no loyalty to there employer. Now we are so short of engineers that union officials and management are travelling the globe on a so far unsuccessful recruitment drive. I guess this story will sound familiar to many out there and it will only confirm that we are travelling a new path. It's time we all got together to help each other and the young kids out there who will one day carry us as we get older.