Isit really that bad?

Well, we are now past the half way mark and managment are starting to talk about achievements. Of course, the problem we have been pointing out is that they have still (for the 4th time) failed to recruit. The last guy we interviewed was offered the job but under the new payspine could expect a salary of £19k. In context, a decent level 3 apprentice could make that.

Talking about the payspine...it is yet another example of how vocational courses don't work within an academic requirement. To get the wage I am currently on, some bright spark has said I need a relevant level 6 qualification and have got to get one in 3 years. Well, I'll happily do an electrical engineering degree but I think it'll take me more than 3 years and may well be expensive. Also, when I get it I'll no longer be working in education as I can command twice as much again in industry.

I think that there is a problem with academic management not understanding vocational subjects. It's not just us, there are a lot of vocational courses in the colleges, many of them drawing more funding than the traditional A level courses. It's just that the colleges expect to staff them on bare minimum levels whilst still expecting achievements, it simply cannot be done, something has to give eventually and this is the achievement. Personally I prefer the teaching side of things and (as results are saying anyway) I have that pretty covered. I also prefer the teaching as for some reason they pay assessors less as in some way they have less of an impact on the future qualifications. It's about time they realised that in the system, both have equal importance as they both contribue to the achievement. Doubt they will though.