HS2 Fiasco

Here's the quote that puts the icing on the stupid cake aka the unwanted and unwarranted HS2 project..

'HS2 chairman, Sir David Higgins said that while this country produces some of the best engineers to be found anywhere in the world, the problem is that there aren’t enough of them, and there isn’t a long enough guaranteed work-stream to keep them here. So they tend to go overseas.'

So let's look at that again:  there aren't enough of them [engineers he means] and there isn't enough work for them. WHAAT !!??

Let me tell you as an engineer (electronics) that there are in fact loads of them, so many in fact that I know several who have quit the profession due to low pay (a consequence of supply and demand David you see) and one in particular who opted to start work in  the family  minicab business.
The reason that the youth doesn't choose engineering are as follows: - 

1) It's hard degree to obtain with lost of hard sums to get right.
2) The pay is lousy
3) You have to learn lost and lots of maths and stuff.
3) You will spend years paying off your debt.
4) Easy degrees with better pay prospects abound.
5) It's hard work.

Now if it's an infrastructure project we need how about a National network of proper cycle paths .. Nah too easy and not much prospect of a cost overrun.